People concerned about the conduct of borough, town or parish councillors serving within West Devon can now make their complaints directly to West Devon Borough Council's standards committee. Previously, anyone wishing to complain about the conduct of elected councillors had to report their allegations to the Standards Board for England, who would decide whether to investigate. This responsibility has now been taken over by local authorities, with the Standards Board's role moving towards one of advice and support. All councillors have to keep to a code of conduct to ensure they maintain the high ethical standards the public expect from them. If a complainant reveals that a potential breach of this code has taken place, West Devon Borough Council's independently- chaired standards committee may refer the allegations for investigation or decide to take other action. Investigations themselves will also be managed by the monitoring officer at West Devon Borough Council, except in cases where a conflict of interest or other unusual circumstances mean that it would be more appropriate for the standards board to handle. Once cases have been investigated, the council's standards committee will decide what action, if any, should be taken against the councillor. On rare occasions this responsibility will be given to the Adjudication Panel for England, an independent judicial tribunal. Roger Meyrick, chairman of the borough council's standards committee, said: 'Naturally, we expect high standards of behaviour among our elected councillors and we shall continue to make every effort to ensure that such standards are maintained. 'The majority of councillors will never find themselves subject to an investigation, but for the small number of cases where there is cause for concern, we will aim to deal with the allegations quickly and efficiently.' If you wish to complain about a councillor at West Devon Borough Council or town or parish councillors within West Devon please put your complaint in writing and send it to: The Standards Committee, c/o The Monitoring Officer, West Devon Borough Council, Kilworthy Park, Tavistock, or [email protected]">[email protected]
