First case for Council's Standards Committee

After a change in the law, which allows complaints against Councillors to be heard locally, Herefordshire Council’s Standards Committee has heard its first case following allegations against a Bromyard Town Councillor.

It was a bumpy ride and a sharp learning curve for the first few months after Cllr Roy Cooper was elected to Bromyard Town Council in May 2003, the Committee heard when it met today, Friday, November 14.

It was claimed that he breached the Code of Conduct twice within a week during July 2003 – incidents which resulted in complaints to the Standards Board for England, the national watchdog.

However, the Committee heard evidence from two fellow Bromyard Town Councillors, Cllr Pearl Briggs and Cllr Peter Dauncey, that he had since learned a great deal and was now a “very good Councillor”.

The allegations involved Cllr Cooper’s heated words after an adjourned meeting of the town’s Planning Committee and at a meeting with the Town Clerk.

Dawn Rhoden, representing the Standards Board for England, said Cllr Cooper had clearly breached the code of conduct but left it up to Herefordshire Council’s Standards Committee to decide on any penalty.

The Standards Committee decided to “censure” Cllr Cooper – express disapproval of his behaviour.

As part of their decision on the case, the Committee also endorsed the Mayor of Bromyard’s, Cllr Pearl Briggs, proposal for a training programme for Councillors to encourage high standards and effective working.

Ms Rhoden, of the Standards Board for England, faced sharp questioning form the Committee about why the Board’s investigation of the complaints had taken more than 15 months.

Mr Roger Rogers, the independent Chairman of the Standards Committee, said that the Committee had “significant concerns” about the fact that the investigation had taken so long.