Rutland’s legal officer declares ‘there are issues at Oakham Town Council’ as complaints soar
The legal officer in charge of handling complaints in Rutland's councils has declared 'there are issues at Oakham Town Council' as conduct complaints have soared.
The situation over the past few months has become so significant that the council's monitoring officer has commissioned a special report, which will be considered by the local authority in private next Wednesday (July 9).
In a round-up of complaints received by her office between April last year and this March, Amanda Wakefield has reported that 27 allegations of breach of the member code of conduct were received. Five related to two members from Stretton Parish Council and 12 related to two members from Oakham Town Council.
Of the 27 alleged breaches, the monitoring officer accepted nine after an initial assessment and said the reasons for the other allegations not being accepted was 'due predominantly to the alleged conduct not being within the remit of the monitoring officer because the conduct was not in the capacity as a councillor or it was a data breach, it was a decision of council and not individual members and/or no evidence was provided to substantiate the complaint.'
One of the allegations received will be determined by the misconduct committee on Wednesday, however the names of the councillors involved have not been made public.
Two of the complaints, which were counter complaints, were investigated by an external investigator but neither member was found to have breached the councillor code of conduct.
The report says: "It is noted that 45% of the allegations received relate to Oakham Town Council and suggests that there are issues at Oakham Town Council.
"The monitoring officer decided, having sought the Independent Person's opinion, to prepare a separate report relating to Oakham Town Council."
It is likely the report will remain private.
The town council has been in turmoil for a few months. There have been staff absences within the office and visible tensions within meetings between the former Councillor Paul Ainsley, chair, and two councillors. Last month Councillor Martin Brookes, who has been involved in making the complaints and had some received against him, declared the authority was broken, citing concerns about governance. He has now withdrawn his complaints and says things have improved.
The new chairman is Councillor Chris Nix, who took the role in May and he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I don't think there have been any complaints since I took the chair. I am very hopeful that is where it stops. I think there has been an element of tit for tat and I am hoping we can now work together more collaboratively."
The council is also considering giving more information to councillors about complaints as the report says: "The complaints which cannot be progressed are a significant burden on officer time without any benefit."
The number of allegations received in 2024/5 was ten more than in the previous municipal year and 20 more, if the ten allegations relating to the leisure provision received in 2023/4, are excluded.
The number of allegations that were accepted as complaints has increased from five in 2023/4 to nine in 2024/5.
The report concludes: "The significant increase in allegations which cannot be progressed should be addressed as the complaints are stemming from something. Officers are considering whether there are any measures that would inform individuals prior to making a complaint so that they are clear about the monitoring officer's remit and what is required to support a complaint."
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