Agenda and draft minutes

To select a Member to act as Chair of the meeting.

Councillor Heather Phillips duly elected as Chair

There were none.

All Members are invited to declare at this point any interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

There were none.

Members are recommended to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of the following item. The report and its appendices contain exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and it is considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

STANDARDS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

HEARINGS PANEL

Complaint by the Area Manager, Highways, North Yorkshire Council against Sharow Parish Councillor Robert Forber

Reference: NYC/SGC/2023/35

Summary of Decision

North Yorkshire Council is the principal authority for parish and town councils in North Yorkshire for the purposes of the standards provisions in the Localism Act 2011. It is responsible for receiving and handling complaints that a parish/town councillor may have breached that authority’s code of conduct for Members.

On 18 October 2024 the Standards and Governance Committee Hearings Panel, in consultation with the Independent Person for Standards and an independent parish/town council representative, considered a complaint by the Area Manager, Highways, North Yorkshire Council, that Parish Councillor Robert Forber of Sharow Parish Council has failed to follow the Parish Council’s Code of Conduct for Members and is in breach of paragraph 1 of the Code regarding not treating others with disrespect.

Summary of complaint

The complaint arises in the context of a site meeting held in the parish of Sharow to discuss concerns regarding the design of a chicane in the road in Sharow village, which was attended by the subject Member, two officers from North Yorkshire Council and others.

The Complainant alleges that there was a frank exchange of views at the meeting, which was heated and that officers were uncomfortable with the aggressive behaviour demonstrated by the subject Member which including shouting and laughing at officers and waving arms around as a sign of dismay.

Following the meeting, a number of emails were sent in which the comments by the subject Member are deemed to be unacceptable by the Complainant through the use of distasteful and disrespectful language.

The Corporate Director of Environment subsequently emailed the subject Member on 18 July 2023 advising him that the content of his communications was unacceptable and had been reported to the Monitoring Officer.

Summary of findings

The Panel found that the subject Member was acting in his official capacity at the relevant time.

The Panel found that the following comments made by the subject Member were in breach of paragraph 1 of the Code in that they were disrespectful to certain North Yorkshire Council officers:

·       “Such incompetence and arrogance is not befitting of public servants and I believe that their future employment should be reviewed;

·             

·       “We must not let this issue rest until those mindless idiots … take some corrective action. If there is a fatal accident they will have blood on their hands”.

Sanctions and Recommendations

The Panel recommends to Sharow Parish Council that:

1.     The subject Member apologise to the Complainant for the disrespectful language used.

·             

2.     The subject Member undertake training on the Code of Conduct, the link to which can be provided by the Monitoring Officer. The other Parish Councillors may also wish to take up the opportunity to have standards training.

Publicity

The Panel resolved that a full written Decision Notice, with third party personal information redacted, be sent to the parties and the Parish Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.