COUNCILLORS are instigating costly complaints against one another at a time when town halls are cutting services for lack of money.

The majority of official complaints dealt with by Poole’s standards committee come not from irate council tax payers but from one councillor disagreeing with another – and some are costing thousands of pounds to resolve.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth is counting the cost of a 15-month investigation into its deputy leader, which ended with him being cleared by a tribunal following only one hour’s deliberation.

Poole’s problems come at a time when the borough is grassing over expensive display flowerbeds in Poole Park, aiming to save £1.5m in staff costs and raising the eligibility for home care for vulnerable people.

The cash-strapped council will have £14m less to spend in the coming financial year and needs to save £13m over the next two.

Since June 2009 there have been 15 cases referred to the council’s standards committee, with others pending. Four arose out of planning issues and the rest involve other code of conduct or complaints about behaviour.

“I would point out that the majority of investigations into these issues are as a result of members lodging complaints against other members,” said council leader Elaine Atkinson in a reply to a question from Cllr Brian Clements.

“The process is determined by legislation and regulations and although these can be long-winded, we must follow them.”

Independent member Cllr Carole Deas, who represents Canford Cliffs, has been the subject of complaints from planning committee chairman Cllr Ann Stribley, of which two have gone to public hearings.

The cost of the first hearing was £8,428.97, said Cllr Atkinson. She said counsel had been used in two other matters, one of which involved planning, at a cost of £7,186.40.

Another matter cost £2,421.80 and an external consultant was used in one other case at a cost of £603.50.

“When a matter is referred for a full investigation the monitoring officer must appoint an independent investigator,” she said.

In the latest hearing, Cllr Deas was found to have breached the councillors’ code of conduct during a planning committee meeting in March last year and will undertake further training in the code.

No further action was taken over an email Cllr Deas sent to Cllr Stribley and others, which was also the subject of a complaint.

Cllr Deas said they arose over a “over-expressive use of language in support of residents’ needs.”

• COUNCILLORS are instigating costly complaints against one another at a time when town halls are cutting services for lack of money.

The majority of official complaints dealt with by Poole’s standards committee come not from irate council tax payers but from one councillor disagreeing with another – and some are costing thousands of pounds to resolve.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth is counting the cost of a 15-month investigation into its deputy leader, which ended with him being cleared by a tribunal following only one hour’s deliberation.

Poole’s problems come at a time when the borough is grassing over expensive display flowerbeds in Poole Park, aiming to save £1.5m in staff costs and raising the eligibility for home care for vulnerable people.

The cash-strapped council will have £14m less to spend in the coming financial year and needs to save £13m over the next two.

Since June 2009 there have been 15 cases referred to the council’s standards committee, with others pending. Four arose out of planning issues and the rest involve other code of conduct or complaints about behaviour.

“I would point out that the majority of investigations into these issues are as a result of members lodging complaints against other members,” said council leader Elaine Atkinson in a reply to a question from Cllr Brian Clements.

“The process is determined by legislation and regulations and although these can be long-winded, we must follow them.”

Independent member Cllr Carole Deas, who represents Canford Cliffs, has been the subject of complaints from planning committee chairman Cllr Ann Stribley, of which two have gone to public hearings.

The cost of the first hearing was £8,428.97, said Cllr Atkinson. She said counsel had been used in two other matters, one of which involved planning, at a cost of £7,186.40.

Another matter cost £2,421.80 and an external consultant was used in one other case at a cost of £603.50.

“When a matter is referred for a full investigation the monitoring officer must appoint an independent investigator,” she said.

In the latest hearing, Cllr Deas was found to have breached the councillors’ code of conduct during a planning committee meeting in March last year and will undertake further training in the code.

No further action was taken over an email Cllr Deas sent to Cllr Stribley and others, which was also the subject of a complaint.

Cllr Deas said they arose over a “over-expressive use of language in support of residents’ needs.”