Council leader to put his defence

Mr Roberts declared an interest in an item on Rhos school re-organisation, but still took part in a debate.

Wrexham's standards committee voted on Monday to give both him and fellow councillor Arwel Jones the opportunity to make representations.

Mr Roberts has said he understood he could take part but could not vote.

The Liberal Democrat leader also claimed the complaint was "politically motivated."

The argument centres around the council's plans to replace the three existing English language primary schools in the village of Ponciau with a new one.

Interest declared

Under the £4.2m scheme, a new Welsh language school would also be opened.

"I made it clear I would take no part in the vote, but relied on the previous advice that I could take part in the debate itself"
Aled Roberts

Mr Roberts, who represents Ponciau, is a governor at two of the schools and his own children attend one of them.

Labour councillor Ted George, who made the complaint, said Mr Roberts should have left the meeting after declaring an interest.

Mr Roberts has said he now accepted he should not have remained in the room, but described the complaint as "politically motivated."

He could be suspended from the council for six months after the local government ombudsman found he had breached the council's code of conduct.

Mr Roberts told BBC Wales earlier on Monday he had been advised at a previous meeting he could take part in a debate on the topic but not vote.

At the subsequent meeting in September, when he had become council leader and was to chair the debate, he was told he should vacate the chair, which he did.

"I made it clear I would take no part in the vote, but relied on the previous advice that I could take part in the debate itself," he said.

Mr Roberts said when he found different advice had been given to other councillors about his actions, he contacted the council's chief executive to have the debate and vote held again the following week.

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