Issue - meetings

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report on a complaint alleging that Much Hadham Parish Councillors P Taylor and I Hunt had breached the Council’s Code of Conduct.  The Monitoring Officer stated that the report in the agenda was a duplication of the earlier report and circulated the Sub-Committee with the correct reports and supporting documentation.

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

After careful consideration of the complaint made by Richard Key in consultation with the Independent Person and taking into account the Council’s assessment criteria, the Sub-Committee determined that:-

·        in relation to the complaint alleging that Much Hadham Parish Councillor I Hunt had breached the Code of Conduct, no further action be taken, as there was insufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. 

·        in relation to the complaint alleging that Much Hadham Parish Councillor P Taylor had breached the Code of Conduct, no further action be taken, as there was insufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. 

With regard to the information omitted from the website, the Sub-Committee referred to Penny Taylor’s email of 8 January 2016 in which she had sincerely apologised.  The Sub-Committee referred to the advice sought from the Hertfordshire Association of Parish Town Councils (HAPTC) by the Parish Council and the advice from HAPTC (given orally) to the Parish Council.

In reaching this determination, the Sub-Committee expressed a view that all Parish Councils should conduct their affairs in a collegiate manner which encouraged a contribution from all.

RESOLVED – that that no further action be taken, for the reasons now detailed, in respect of the complaint by Richard Key against Much Hadham Parish Councillors P Taylor and I Hunt.