Issue - meetings

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report on the complaint alleging that Councillor James Cartwright had breached the Council’s Code of Conduct.  The complaint was the first of three complaints before the Sub-Committee, alleging misconduct by Councillor J Cartwright.

The Sub-Committee noted the detail of the complaint and the evidence provided by the complainant in support of his allegation

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that, having consulted the Independent Person, she did not consider the complaint could be resolved informally. 

The Monitoring Officer invited the Sub-Committee to consider the complaint against the (published) assessment criteria of the Authority’s Complaints Procedure.  The Monitoring Officer invited Members to focus their consideration on whether the Member was acting as a Councillor, whether it was in the public interest to investigate this matter; whether the complaint was substantially the same as a previous complaint and whether, if proven, the circumstances of this particular case were capable of being a breach of the Code of Conduct.

The Sub-Committee retired to a separate room to consider the complaint.

On return, the Chairman referred to the time, the fact that there were two other complaints alleging that Councillor Cartwright had breached the Code of Conduct and that there were three Members of the public in attendance to hear five other Parish Council complaints on the agenda.  The Chairman suggested that, with Members’ consent, the item be adjourned until the Parish Council complaints had been determined.  This was supported.

At 12.45pm, Members continued their deliberations in relation to this complaint.

After careful consideration of the complaint made by David Bromage, in consultation with the Independent Person and taking into account the Council’s assessment criteria, the Sub-Committee determined that they were concerned at the evidence presented and had formed the view that Councillor J Cartwright’s conduct could be capable of a breach of the Code of Conduct.  The Sub-Committee agreed that on balance, with a degree of regret and mindful of the costs which would accrue, that the complaint should go forward for investigation. 

The Sub-Committee was mindful of the other two complaints on the agenda alleging a breach of the Code of Conduct by Councillor J Cartwright; each complaint would be considered on its merits and that if there were any common threads, the Sub-Committee would take appropriate action.

RESOLVED – that the complaint now detailed, be investigated.