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 second of three complaints alleging misconduct by Councillor J Cartwright to be considered. 

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.

After careful consideration of the complaint made by Adrian McNeece, 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 and should go forward for investigation.

RESOLVED - that the complaint now detailed, be investigated.