Calls for councillor’s misconduct hearing to be in public
Councillors argue that it is in the public interest
There are calls for a hearing into a complaint made against a Gloucestershire councillor to be held in public.
Forest of Dean District Council’s standards panel is due to consider allegations against a member of the council and whether they have failed to comply with the code of conduct.
However, the identity of the councillor and details about the case have so far not been published – the reason cited is that the report contains information relating to an individual.
This has sparked some concern among councillors as a motion was agreed that meetings should be held in public.
According to the redacted meeting report, the independent members, who are not councillors, will test the robustness of an investigator’s report,
At the hearing, the investigating officer is expected to present their report, call witnesses they consider necessary and make representations to substantiate any conclusion that the member has failed to comply with the code of conduct.
The investigator may ask the complainant to attend and give evidence to the panel, according to the meeting’s agenda.
The councillor will then have an opportunity to give their evidence, to call witnesses and to make representations.
If the councillor is found to be in breach of the code of conduct they will then make a recommendation to the full council who will agree to sanctions.
Councillor Sid Phelps (G, Lydbrook), who is not the subject of the complaint, believes such hearings should be held in public
He previously put forward a successful motion to council which says the default position is that all council meetings should be open to the public unless there is a good reason not to.
“I hope the panel decides in the public interest that they hold this in public,” he said.
This is a view that Conservative group leader Clayton Williams (C, Hartpury and Redmarley), who is also not the subject of the complaint, shares.
“Things should be transparent. In my view, these hearings should be in public.”
And Councillor Alan Preest (R, Lydney East), who is also not the subject of the complaint, believes such meetings should be held in public.
“Personally, there should be openness and transparency over these things as it is an elected member,” he said.
“I would expect for the process to be open and transparent for the public to see what is going on and what is not going on.
“It should be out in the open.”
Standards panels have been held in public previously at Forest of Dean District Council.
The decision to hold the hearing in public or behind closed doors will be up to the panel made up of independent members at the meeting on October 2.