BULLYING, intimidation and failing to treat others with respect – just some of the claims being investigated again councillors in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.

Others allege that councillors have brought the office of councillor, or the council, into disrepute and that there has been an unlawful disclosure of confidential information. More than twenty code of conduct investigations are currently listed by BCP Council – none of them naming the individuals involved.

Most of the cases involve BCP councillors although the authority also investigates code of conduct complaints again town and parish councillors within its area. Almost all complaints over the past two years have been dismissed.

Many of the current complaints remain outstanding with various outcomes pending. Some say that mediation was sought, but not agreed; that an apology was requested, but refused, or not currently complied with. Some of the cases have been dismissed because of insufficient evidence or as the complaint was not properly raised  – one complaint was said to be against the whole council for a collective decision which does not fall under the council’s code of conduct.

In some examples an informal resolution has been agreed including making a statement of clarification and posting an apology on a social media channel.

One of the biggest investigations currently being considered involves nine allegations which include failing to treat others with respect, causing the council to breach equality laws, bullying and intimidation, compromising or attempting to compromise the impartiality of those who work for, or on behalf of, the council; bringing the council into disrepute while acting in an official capacity; attempting to use the position of councillor to secure an advantage; failing to withdraw from a meeting when prejudicial interest was involved and seeking to improperly influence a decision.

In the past two years, BCP Council complaints which were concluded have risen from 17 to 19 with 20 cases currently being investigated.

Those involving town and parish councillors rose from one to two, although both were dismissed with no breach of the code of conduct identified.

Almost all the complaints are raised by members of the public with the rest by councillors or officers of the council.

Over the past two years comments on social media has been the biggest source of complaints, followed by spoken word and email. 

The top of the type of complaint is failing to treat others with respect, intimidation or attempting to intimidate, bullying and intimidation, and compromising or attempting to compromise the impartiality of those who work for, or on behalf of, the council.

External investigations into complaints against councillors is costing around £1,000 a time.

Complaints are currently increasing, running at around 20 a year, although almost all are eventually dismissed.

The council said it is unable to quantify the total cost of handling complaints in officer time, but the report to the standards committee this week suggested that it is likely to be ‘considerable.’

It has produced a figure of £5,310 plus VAT, for five cases where the investigation was carried out independently of the council. These are for a two-year period from April 2019 when the council was created to the end of March 2021.

A BCP Council statement: “Responsibility for managing and overseeing code of conduct complaints is a statutory function which falls to the Council’s Monitoring Officer. To support and administer the process, the Monitoring Officer is supported by the Head of Democratic Services and a Business Support officer. The cost of handling complaints has not been quantified and therefore the actual cost of officer time has not been calculated.”

The council says it recognises that councillors who are complained about may find the process stressful.

It adde: “Councillors, who are the subject of a complaint, are invited to contact the Independent Persons appointed by the Council for support and advice in relation to a complaint made against them. Should any councillor suffer feelings of anxiety as described, they may also access the Council’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is designed to help with personal and professional problems that could be affecting their home or work life, or their health and general wellbeing.”