Issue - meetings

This report provides the Standards Committee with the conclusions of the investigation following two complaints made about Councillor of BCP Council under references BCP-021 and BCP-022. The investigator’s report is attached at Appendix 1. The investigator concludes that there are two grounds with sufficient evidence to uphold the complaint.

The Committee is asked to consider the investigator’s report.

Councillor Filer left the meeting before this item was considered.

This item was considered as exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided the Standards Committee with the conclusions of the investigation following two complaints made about a Councillor of BCP Council under references BCP-021 and BCP-022. The investigator’s report was attached at Appendix 1. The investigator concluded that there were two grounds with sufficient evidence to uphold the complaint.

The Committee was asked to consider the Investigator’s report.

The Committee, supported by the Monitoring Officer, discussed the Independent Investigators report and recommendations in detail.  The Committee were keen that its resolution would bring this matter to an end with the possible remedies for non-compliance discussed and clarified.

The Independent Members provided the Committee with their views on the Investigators report.

It was Proposed and Seconded and on being put to the vote CARRIED that the following amendments be made to the recommendation, under (c) delete ‘all three parties’ and insert ‘the subject Councillor’ and at the end of that section insert ‘relevant to that Member only’ and under (d) delete 14 days and insert 28 days

RESOLVED that

(a)    the findings of the independent investigator that the subject councillor breached the Council’s Code of Conduct on the grounds of failing to treat others with respect and bringing the office of councillor into disrepute, be accepted;

(b)   the subject councillor be requested to furnish the complainants with a letter of apology for the use of the term ‘racism’ for the reasons set out in the report;

(c)    the Council’s Equality & Diversity lead Officer facilitate appropriate Equality and Diversity training for the subject Councillor with such training focussing on the issues that were unique and prevalent to matters at the time on the conditions set out in paragraph 1.12 of the investigator’s report relevant to that Member only;

(d)    should the subject councillor fail to provide a suitable letter of apology referred to in (b) and complete the training referred to in (c) above within 28 days of the date of receiving written notification, then a report of non-compliance be presented to full council.

Voting:  For unanimous