Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the hearing.

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out on the Agenda.

The Clerk drew attention to the Emergency Evacuation Procedure.

Apologies were received from Councillor Veronica Packham, Councillor Eleanor Jackson, Dr Cyril Davies and Deborah Russell.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members/Officers in respect of matters for consideration at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chair will announce any items of urgent business accepted since the agenda was prepared under the Access to Information provisions.

There was none.

There were none.

The minutes were agreed as a correct record with the exception of a minor amendment asked for by Councillor Williams who had asked about the cost of hearings.

The Committee will consider the following complaint using this procedure.

The Chair explained the procedure for the conduct of hearings.

Members are invited to consider the factors for and against disclosure contained in Appendix 1, and to determine whether or not the documents appended to it should be exempt.

Members are then invited to consider whether or not to pass the following resolution:

"That having been satisfied that the public interest would be better served by not disclosing relevant information, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for this item of business because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended."

Members are then invited to consider the Investigating Officer's report, the response received from the member the subject of the complaint and to determine whether or not they accept the Investigation Officer's conclusions.

The Chair introduced this item and asked the Members to decide whether they wished to move into private session in order to consider the complaint.

The Members RESOLVED unanimously to consider the report in public session.

The Chair drew the Members’ attention to the additional information which had been submitted by former Councillor Willcox and informed the meeting that the Complainant (Councillor Tony Marwood) had requested the opportunity to respond to this information. The Members decided that Councillor Marwood should be allowed to speak as a witness. 

The Investigating Officer introduced the report and informed the Members that the she had found that former Councillor, Mr Stephen Willcox, had breached Section 3(1) of the Code of Conduct in that, at the Clutton Parish Council meeting of 20^th December, he had failed to treat Parish Councillors with respect and that he had also breached Section 3(2)(b) of the Code in that, at the same meeting, he exhibited bullying behaviour.

The Chair asked Mr Willcox whether he needed any clarification of the Investigating Officer’s report as presented. Mr Willcox queried the inclusion of information in the report that referred to events after the 20^th December meeting. The Investigating Officer replied that both Mr Willcox and Councillor Marwood had themselves raised issues about events which happened after 20^th December. Nevertheless, she stood by her report and conclusions, which were based on events at the 20^th December Parish Council meeting. Mr Willcox accepted the Chair’s invitation to comment further, following Councillor Marwood’s evidence.  

Councillor Marwood commented that the report and the statements within it were accurate in his opinion. He added that a meeting called by Barratts (the developers), was attended by 160 people from Clutton. These unprecedented numbers showed clearly the views of the villagers.

The Members of the Standards Committee then withdrew to consider the evidence in private. After their adjournment, they reconvened in public and announced their decision.

Decision

The Standards Committee has carefully considered the complaint in the light of the evidence before it concerning the events of the Clutton Parish Council meeting on 20^th December 2010. In making its decision, the Committee has disregarded events and information after the 20^th December.

It has concluded that on the night of 20^th December 2010, former Councillor Willcox failed to treat Parish Councillors with respect and that his behaviour was insulting and humiliating. As a result, he attempted to undermine them. The Committee has concluded that Mr Willcox breached Section 3.1 and 3(2)(b) of the Code of Conduct. The Committee records that it censures Mr Willcox.