Agenda and minutes

Standards Committee (Hearing Panel) - Monday 4th April 2022 3.00 pm

Venue: UCNL Bulding, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe

Contact: Dean Gillon Email: Dean.Gillon@northlincs.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
400.	Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Personal and Personal and Prejudicial (if any). Minutes: Cllr Wells declared a personal interest as a ward member.
401.	To consider a proposed change of procedure Minutes: Resolved – It was agreed that the uncontested hearing procedure be varied given that the Investigating Officers and Respondent Councillor had agreed the facts on which the hearing would proceed. Accordingly, paragraphs 5 to 12 of the procedure were dispensed with.
402.	To consider the findings of the Investigating Officers (brief introduction by the Monitoring Officer) into an allegation that a member of Goxhill Parish Council breached the council’s Code of Conduct. PDF 112 KB Papers attached: – (i) Procedure at Hearing (pages 1-2). (ii) Monitoring Officer’s Summary Report (pages 3-4). (iii) Report of the Investigating Officer (pages 5-40). Appendix 1 (pages 43-65) (iv) Pre-Hearing Process Summary Documents (pages 65-70) (v) Standards Arrangements (including the Code of Conduct) (pages 71-94). Additional documents: Legal Advisor's Summary Cllr England Goxhill P C April 2022 , item 402. PDF 330 KB Investigating Officer's Report SC-20-10 and SC-21-01 Final Oct 21 , item 402. PDF 477 KB Appendix 1 (1)_Redacted , item 402. PDF 2 MB Pre-hearing process - Cllr England , item 402. PDF 393 KB Cllr England pre-hearing process rec'd 010322 , item 402. PDF 383 KB 2. North Lincolnshire Council Standards Arrangements up to 9 Nov 21 , item 402. PDF 485 KB Minutes: The Hearings Panel followed the set procedure for a contested hearing, with the exception agreed in minute 402 (above). Following submissions from the Investigating Officers, the Independent Person, and the councillor, the Hearings Panel retired to consider whether there was a breach of paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 of the Code of Conduct. Following these considerations, the panel reconvened to discuss possible sanctions, again, inviting submissions from the Investigating Officers, the Independent Person, and the councillor. The Panel subsequently retired to consider sanctions. Resolved – (a) That the Hearings Panel conclude that Cllr England breached paragraph 3.1 of the Code of Conduct, (b) that the Monitoring Officer write an appropriate letter of censure to Cllr England reflecting the breach of Paragraph 3.1 of the Code of Conduct, (c) that Cllr England draft and send a letter of personal apology to Miss Haines, copied to the Monitoring Officer, within the next 14 days, (d) that the outcome of today’s hearing be made available to the public via our website and the minutes of today’s Hearing Panel, (e) that the outcome of today’s hearing, including the Monitoring Officer’s letter of censure, be reported to a future public meeting of Goxhill Parish Council, (f) that Goxhill Parish Council offer Cllr England, and any other interested member, any relevant Code of Conduct and Nolan Principle training; and (g) that the Investigating Officers be thanked for their work in drafting their report, and that all attendees be thanked for their contribution.