Ribble Valley councillors asked to back council's arrangements for dealing with complaints

Council chiefs are due to meet tonight to discuss how complaints received against its own councillors are dealt with.
Chief Executive of Ribble Valley Borough Council Marshall Scott.Chief Executive of Ribble Valley Borough Council Marshall Scott.
Chief Executive of Ribble Valley Borough Council Marshall Scott.

In a report to a special meeting of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s Accounts and Audit Committee chief executive Marshal Scott said councillors would be updated on a current live complaint and that members’ support was sought in concluding this matter.

Mr Scott explained in the report that The Localism Act of 2011 changed the way councils deal with complaints about councillors’ conduct.

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It placed the onus on local authorities to put in place arrangements for dealing with complaints against councillors under a local code of conduct.

Since RVBC adopted the new arrangements there have been five complaints and, whilst none have got to the hearing stage, they have all been dealt with using the council’s arrangements established under The Localism Act of 2011.

There is currently one live complaint against a councillor who is refusing to accept the council’s agreed procedure which it uses to deal with complaints.

Mr Scott added in the report that “the council procedure is being constantly undermined by the Subject Member both internally and externally to third parties” and “interference and intimidation” had been experienced.