Shabina Qayyum has announced that she will table a motion at Peterborough City Council calling for mandatory Disclosure and Barring Service checks for all councillors.
The Labour and Co-operative council leader said elected representatives hold trusted positions and may visit schools, special schools and care homes as part of their public duties.
Qayyum said national legislation was needed to put appropriate safeguards in place and protect public confidence in local democracy.
The proposal is due to be discussed at a forthcoming full council meeting. It remains a motion and has not yet been approved by Peterborough councillors or adopted as government policy.
Qayyum is leader of both Peterborough City Council and its Labour group. The authority is governed by a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Peterborough First.
Her intervention shifts the debate from voluntary local practice to a proposed statutory requirement applying to councillors across the country.
