Declaration failure claims thrown out

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

A COMPLAINT against Ottery St Mary county councillor Roger Giles has been thrown out.

The meeting of Devon County Council’s Assessment Sub-Committee (Standards Committee) decided that a further investigation was not required.

Minutes from the meeting states that the complainants — only given as Mr and Mrs O — had made allegations relating to the subject members’ [councillor Giles] conduct.

The meeting minutes state: “In summary, the complainant had made a number of allegations concerning the content of and views expressed by the subject member in a letter published in a local newspaper and previously in his October 2006 newsletter; that the member had failed to declare an interest in this item when it had been considered by the council’s Public Rights of Way Committee and that the subject member had failed to treat others with respect.”

The Assessment Sub-Committee considered the available information and concluded that the actions of the subject member had not resulted in any breach of the relevant code.

Committee members were of the view that his involvement “simply in a matter of concern in or of relevance to his constituency or where he may be representing the views of his or her constituents” would not constitute a formal interest as defined in either paragraph eight or nine of the Code of Conduct.

The allegation of not treating others with respect was thrown out because it was based on third-hand information and, therefore, could not be verified.

The circumstances of his alleged failure to treat others with respect were not mentioned in the minutes other than inapproriate language was allegedly involved.

Councillor Giles was not invited to the meeting but said: “My intention was purely and simply to let my constituents know what I have been doing in this respect, and to let them know how they can play a part in the process of Devon County Council (DCC) achieving a diversion (and thus reopening) of the public right of way (PROW).

“To claim that I should have declared an interest at the DCC PROW Committee on November 14th 2006 is quite ludicrous, as I have no interest other than doing the best for my community.

“Should the complaint have been accepted, we would have been in a situation whereby all DCC councillors would have had difficulty in speaking about any issues in their own wards — and would have been neutered.”

Email: anders@tindlenews.co.uk

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