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For the first time, members of Babergh District Council’s Standards Sub-Committee are due to consider a complaint against a local parish councillor, who has since resigned from his position.
The Committee will consider four complaints made against former East Bergholt Parish Councillor, Reverend C Jowett. The Standards Board for England had found that Rev Jowett had failed to comply with the Code of Conduct of East Bergholt Parish Council over these four allegations, but that he had not failed to comply in three other allegations.
The four existing complaints revolve around the actions of Rev Jowett during a planning meeting on 9th September 2004 at which a parking proposal was discussed relating to an area near to ‘The Manse’ where Rev Jowett lived. The complaints are that Rev Jowett failed to declare an interest in the debate, failed to withdraw from the debate, in attending and speaking during the debate he sought improperly to influence the meeting and that he failed to register his interest in ‘The Manse’ in the first place.
The members of the Committee have been given copies of the report from the Standards Board, plus Rev Jowett’s comments on that report. They are required to conduct a hearing, at which Rev Jowett and relevant witnesses may attend and make representations, to decide whether Rev Jowett had indeed failed to adhere to his parish council’s Code of Conduct. Given that Rev Jowett has resigned since 9th September, should they find that he failed to comply, the Committee will only be able to issue a reprimand to him.
A spokesperson for Babergh District Council said “It is important that local people have confidence in the way decisions are made by their elected representatives. Investigations of this sort, both by the Standards Board for England and by Standards Committees, underlines the open and rigorous way in which allegations of failing to comply with codes of conduct are dealt”
Information on how to complain about a councillor. |