council services

Complaints against Councillors

Complaints against Councillors

If you think a Councillor has broken their authority's Code of Conduct you can report them to the Borough Council’s Standards Committee

For the Standards Committee to consider your complaint, it has to be about an elected, co-opted or independent Councillor of the Borough Council or Parish/Town Council within the borough, and it has to be about something covered by the Office of Public Sector Information Code of Conduct (please see below).

Your complaint must also be about something that happened after the Borough Council's Code of Conduct came into effect on 25 April 2002 and be made in writing using the attached Complaint Form (Word Document 67Kb) and Guidance Notes (pdf 97Kb)

Behaviour covered by the Code of Conduct 2007 (in force from 3rd May 2007)

unlawfully discriminating against someone
failing to treat people with respect
bullying any person
intimidating any person involved in any investigation or proceedings about someone's misconduct
doing something to prevent those who work for the authority from being unbiased
revealing information that was given to them in confidence, or stopping someone getting information they are entitled to by law
damaging the reputation of their office or authority, where the conduct is linked to their public role and not in their private capacity
using their position improperly, to their own or someone else's advantage or disadvantage
misusing their authority's resources
allowing their authority's resources to be misused for the activities of a registered political party
failing to register financial or other interests
failing to reveal a personal interest at a meeting
taking part in the discussion or making a decision where they have an interest that is so significant that it is likely to affect their judgment (known as a 'prejudicial interest')
improperly influencing a decision about a matter that they have a prejudicial interest in
failing to register any gifts or hospitality (including its source), that they have received in their role as a Councillor worth over £25

Behaviour covered by the Code of Conduct 2001 (in force from 25th April 2002 to 2nd May 2007)

unlawfully discriminating against someone
failing to treat people with respect
doing something to prevent those who work for the authority from being unbiased
revealing information that was given to them in confidence, or stopping someone getting information they are entitled to by law
damaging the reputation of their office or authority
using their position improperly, to their own or someone else's advantage or disadvantage
misusing their authority's resources
allowing their authority's resources to be misused for the activities of a registered political party
failing to report another Councillor's misconduct to us
failing to register financial or other interests
failing to reveal a personal interest at a meeting
taking part in a meeting or making a decision where they have an interest that is so significant that it is likely to affect their judgment
failing to register any gifts or hospitality that they have received in their role as a Councillor worth over £25