Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies were received from:

·         Cllr Sam Pearce-Kearney

·         Cllr Ernie Clark

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 June 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 June 2022 were presented for consideration, and it was,

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests, or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations.

To note the procedure and assessment criteria for the meeting.

The procedure and criteria were noted.

To consider passing the following resolution:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Agenda Item Numbers 6 onwards, because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Paragraph 1 - information relating to an individual

It was,

Resolved:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Minute Numbers53onwards, because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Paragraph 1 -information relating to an individual

Two complaints were submitted by Mr Steve Perry, the Complainant, regarding the conduct of Councillor Owen White (COC139676) and Janet White (COC140276) the Subject Members, who are both Members of Ludgershall Town council. 

Complaint COC139676

Preamble

The complaint related to an alleged incident on 13 May 2022, where the Complainant states the Subject Member shouted in his face and attempted to take pictures of his vehicle, whilst waving his Ludgershall Town Council ID badge and stating he was a Ludgershall Town Councillor, after the Complainant parked near the Ludgershall Memorial Hall, close to a market stall he rented.

The Sub-Committee was satisfied the initial tests of the assessment criteria had been met, in that the Subject Member was and remains a member of Ludgershall Town Council and that a copy of the relevant Code of Conduct was provided for the assessment.

The Sub-Committee therefore had to decide whether the alleged behaviour would, if proven, amount to a breach of the Code of Conduct. If the Sub-Committee concluded that the alleged behaviour would amount to a breach, then it would have to go on to decide whether it was appropriate under the assessment criteria to refer the matter for investigation.

In reaching its decision, the Sub-Committee took into account the original complaint and supporting information, the response of the Subject Member, and the report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Sub-Committee also considered a written statement from the Complainant, who was not in attendance, and a verbal statement from the Subject Member, who was in attendance.

Discussion

The complaint concerns an incident on Friday 13 May 2022 where the Complainant states the Subject Member and his wife had parked their vehicle near to the Ludgershall Memorial Hall, where he rents a stall on the market. Whilst setting up his gazebo the Complainant alleges that the Subject Member approached him and asked him to move his vehicle before shouting in the Complainant’s face ‘No, move it now!’.

In addition, the Complainant states that the Subject Member tried to take a photograph  of the Complainant’s vehicle and verbally assaulted the Complainant whilst ‘waving  around his Ludgershall Town Council ID badge and shouting that the car park  was owned by the Town Council’. The Complainant asserts that the Subject Member was shouting very loudly and being very threatening and repeatedly mentioned that he was a councillor.

The Complainant also raises that the Subject Member made an accusation that other market stall holders present, one who had previously been a member of Ludgershall Town Council, had put the Complainant up to parking in such a way to block him in intentionally.  The Complainant believes that the Subject Member has abused his position to allow him to assert his authority over the Complainant and feels that his

 behaviour amounts to bullying.

The Subject Member contends that he had been polite and considerate in his communications and stated that the Complainant had been aggressive, shouting and swearing at him and his wife, who as a result had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.