Meeting documents

 

 

Draft Minutes

of the Meeting of the

Standards Sub-Committee

Thursday, 21st April 2016

held at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

 

Meeting Commenced: 2.00 pm Meeting Concluded: 2.30pm

 

Councillors:

 

 

P Andy Cole	P Peter Crew
P Terry Porter

 

 

P: Present

A: Apologies for absence submitted

 

Also present (co-opted, non-voting): Ian Carrington-Porter (Independent Lay Person), Bill Bearsby (Independent Parish Councillor)

 

Officers in attendance: Sara Saunders (Solicitor, Corporate Services Directorate), Julia Parkes (Corporate Services Directorate)

 

SSC 44

Election of Chairman for the Meeting (Agenda Item 1)

Resolved: that Councillor Peter Crew be elected Chairman for the meeting.

 

(Councillor Crew in the Chair)

 

SSC 45

Declarations of Interest by Members (Agenda Item 3)

None

 

SSC 46

Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 March 2016 (Agenda Item 4)

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

 

SSC 47

Exclusion of Press and Public

Resolved: that the press, public and officers not required by the members or officers advising to remain during the exempt session be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that its consideration will involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 1001 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Item Reason for the Exemption

Minute no. SSC 48 Paragraphs 1 and 6 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972

 

SSC 48

Complaints against a Parish/Town Councillor (13/2015) Appendices (Agenda Item 5)

The Sub-Committee considered two complaints received from members of the public regarding four Tickenham Parish Councillors stating that the Councillors had breached the Tickenham Parish Council Code of Conduct applicable to councillors.

 

The Solicitor, for Corporate Services Directorate acting on behalf of the Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the complaint.

 

The Sub-Committee received the views of the Independent Lay Person and the Independent Parish Councillor.

 

The Sub-Committee considered the complaint.

 

Resolved: on the basis of the complaint as submitted, and in particular:

 

(1) with regard to the allegation that collectively the councillors had not behaved in such a way that a reasonable person would regard as respectful, the sub-committee considered that there was no evidence that the councillors actions concerning Cadbury Camp Lane West were in any way disrespectful to either the residents or the complainants in supporting the formation of an peripheral working group, which consists of both councillors and residents, to explore the possibility of reinstating the parking area on Cadbury Camp Lane West.

 

(2) with regard to the allegation that collectively the councillors had acted in a way which a reasonable person would regard as bullying or intimidatory, the sub-committee considered there was no evidence that the councillors actions towards any of the residents of Cadbury Camp Lane West or the complainants were bullying or intimidatory, and the peripheral working group that was formed was done so on the request of residents of Cadbury Camp Lane and users of the parking area and lane;

 

(3) with regard to the allegation that collectively the councillors did not use the resources of the Council in accordance with its requirements, the sub-committee considered that there was no evidence that the councillors had used any resources from the Parish Council in supporting the formation of an peripheral working group, which consists of both councillors and residents, to explore the possibility of reinstating the parking area on Cadbury Camp Lane West.

 

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Chairman

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