John Beesley case is referred to UK standards body

Cllr John Beesley has been the subject of an investigation since December 2009 into the wording he used in making declarations of interest over his relationship with a planning consultant.

The council’s standards committee has decided to refer the case to a national tribunal to see whether the Standards Board for England wants to take over the case. It decided that if the allegations were proven, the case could warrant a punishment more severe than it had the power to impose.

Cllr Beesley has consistently denied breaching the code. The decision to refer the case to a national tribunal is not an indication of the strength of the evidence against him.

Roy Wardle, the independent lay chairman of the standards committee, said: “At this stage we’ve referred the matter up to the national tribunal to consider whether the case is sufficiently serious that it should be heard at a national level rather than locally by the standards committee.”

The three-member committee made its decision after meeting in private to examine an investigator’s report.

Mr Wardle said the referral to a national tribunal was “recognised practice” where the alleged breach of the code could merit a sanction which exceeded the board’s powers – such as a suspension of six months or longer.

He said the principal judge of the tribunal should decide in a week or so whether to accept the case.

“I stress at this stage no one has been found to have breached the code,” he said.

He said Cllr Beesley would have a “full opportunity” to challenge the investigator’s report at a hearing.

Cllr Beesley resigned his position as chair of the planning board earlier this year but kept his role as deputy council leader.

Meic Sullivan-Gould, the independent investigator appointed in former council leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin’s computer pornography hearing, was asked to look into the allegations and provide a report.