Issue - meetings

To receive a confidential report (copy enclosed) which gives an overview of the complaints submitted to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales relating to the authority.

The MO presented a confidential report which gave details of the nature of the Code of Conduct complaints made against DCC and local town and community councils since 1st April 2012, and offered an update of the progress made in their resolution.

One complaint against a former DCC councillor had been upheld on the grounds of failing to show respect and consideration for others. A censure was imposed by the Adjudication Panel for Wales but disqualification sanctions would not apply as the councillor in question was not re-elected in the May local election. The full decision of the Adjudication Panel had not yet been published on the Adjudication Panel for Wales’s website but this would be updated shortly, and the MO said that he would follow up to see if DCC is also required to publish the result of the investigation on the Council’s website.

Five further complaints were investigated but not pursued, and one complaint was withdrawn. Investigations were presently ongoing in to four complaints, one relating to DCC and three applying to Prestatyn Town Council, and the MO gave a summary of each of these allegations and the progress of each investigation.

The next meeting of the Standards Committee was scheduled for Friday 7th September, but the MO advised that this date may be moved to 14th September to follow the meeting of the County Council on 11th September. Members of the Committee would be notified if the date of the next meeting was changed. Councillor David Jones asked if it could be arranged for meeting dates and contact details for town and community councils to be circulated, which the MO agreed to follow up.

RESOLVED – that the Committee notes the progress of complaints recently lodged with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales that concern DCC and local town and community councils.