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Complaints about councillors

Information on making a complaint about a Councillor.

Making a complaint

If you wish to make a complaint against a named North Lincolnshire Council Councillor you can do so online:

Alternatively, you can request a printed copy of the complaints form by contacting Democratic Services on 01724 297000

Requirements

  • Your complaint must be about conduct that occurred while the member(s) complained about were in office. Conduct of an individual before they were elected, co-opted or appointed to the authority, or after they have resigned or otherwise ceased to be a member, are unlikely to be investigated by the Monitoring Officer/Assessment Panel.
  • The current Code of Conduct came into effect on 1 July 2012. If your complaint concerns matters that occurred before that date, you should contact the Monitoring Officer before making your complaint.
  • Your complaint must be about one or more named members of North Lincolnshire Council or any of the parish or town councils within North Lincolnshire.
  • Your complaint must be that the member(s) has, or may have, breached their council’s Code of Conduct. You may also contact the Monitoring Officer if you require further information.
  • Complaints about dissatisfaction with a decision or action of the authority or one of its committees, a service provided by the authority or the authority’s procedures do not fall within the jurisdiction of the standards committee. Complaints about the actions of people employed by the authority or town and parish councils also do not fall within the jurisdiction of the standards committee.
  • Your complaint must be in writing. If a disability prevents you from making your complaint in writing you may contact Democratic Services for assistance on 01724 297000 or email Democratic@northlincs.gov.uk

It is important to note that not every complaint that falls within the jurisdiction of the standards committee will be referred for investigation or other action.

If your complaint relates to a member of North Lincolnshire Council, it will be considered by an Assessment Panel of the Standards Committee. If your complaint relates to a member of a town and parish council who is not also a member of North Lincolnshire Council, it will usually be considered by the Monitoring Officer. In each case they will make this decision using Assessment Criteria .

You will be notified in writing of the Assessment Panel or Monitoring Officer’s decision in due course.

Decisions

The Standards Committee – Hearing Panel met on 4 April to consider the outcome of an investigation into the conduct of a member of Goxhill Parish Council, Cllr Sam England. The Panel found that Cllr England breached the Code of Conduct by not treating the council’s clerk with dignity and respect.

Due to this breach Cllr England received a letter of censure from the Monitoring Officer, and The Panel also recommended a range of other sanctions, including a written apology from Cllr England to the clerk. Cllr England is yet to apologise.

Contact

standards@northlincs.gov.uk

The Monitoring Officer
Head of Legal and Democracy
Church Square House
30 – 40 High Street
Scunthorpe
North Lincolnshire
DN15 6NL