Councillors go before hearings

Two councillors at Ipswich will go before an Adjudication Panel

Two senior Conservative members of Ipswich Council are to go before local government watchdog hearings in the new year.

In October 2002, BBC News Online revealed that councillor Gordon Terry, who denies doing anything wrong, had been reported to the Standards Board.

Now the Standards Board investigation has referred the complaint to an Adjudication Panel hearing - which will take place in February next year.

The Standards Board has also announced that a second Conservative councillor Stephen Barker, leader of the Tory group, will also go before an Adjudication Panel in February following a complaint.

I had some advice given to me by the council, but I had my own advice Gordon Terry, Tory councillor

Last year, BBC News Online reported that Mr Terry, who is also a planning consultant, was accused of attending a meeting to discuss the local town plan without declaring a prejudicial interest.

Mr Terry welcomed the decision to go to the board and said he would be vindicated by it.

He said he is someone who "genuinely understands the subject" of planning and makes valuable contributions on these issues.

Mr Barker was being investigated for failing to treat other people with respect.

Code of Conduct

A spokesman for the Standards Board said that prejudicial interest is one which is "so great that it cannot help affecting one's judgement" and could include cases where there is a clear business interest.

Last year, chairman of the council's scrutiny committee Labour's Martin Cook said Mr Terry attended the meeting despite advice from officers.

Mr Terry said: "I had some advice given to me by the council, but I had my own advice ."

A spokesman for the Standards Board said that after a complaint is investigated the board can find:

There is no evidence that the member has broken any part of the Code of Conduct;

On the balance of probabilities, the Code has not been broken;

That the Code has been broken but no further action is considered necessary;

Refer the case back to the local Standards Committee;

The matter is serious enough to be referred to The Adjudication Panel for England for hearing.