CODE OF CONDUCT - BOROUGH COUNCILLORS, PARISH AND TOWN COUNCILLORS AND CO-OPTED MEMBERS COMPLAINTS
PROCESS
From 8 May 2008, the responsibility for considering complaints that a Councillor or Co-opted Member may have breached the Code of Conduct has moved from the Standards Board for England to the standards committees of local authorities.
What this means to you
If you want to complain about the conduct of a Dartford Borough Councillor or a Councillor of one of the Parish or Town Councils within the Borough or a Co-opted Member, we will try and resolve your complaint informally if possible. If this is not possible, or if you indicate that you do not wish this option to be pursued,you must submit your complaint in writing (by completing a Complaint Form)* to:
Chairman of the Assessment Sub-committee
Member Services Section
Dartford Borough Council
Civic Centre
Home Gardens
Dartford
Kent DA1 1DR
Email:assessment.sub@dartford.gov.uk
Fax: 01322 343422
The Assessment Sub-committee will make a decision about what action, if any, to take on your complaint
Please note that the Sub-committee can deal only with complaints about the alleged behaviour and conduct of a Councillor or Co-opted Member. It will not deal with complaints about any of the Council’s departments, services or matters not covered by the Code of Conduct.
If you make a complaint to the Sub-committee, it must be about why you think a Councillor has not followed the Code of Conduct.
It is important to note that not every complaint that falls within the jurisdiction of the Assessment Sub-committee will be referred for investigation or other action. The Sub-committee will decide whether this is appropriate, using a set of criteria (read full Procedure).
*If you want to make a complaint against a Councillor or Co-opted Member, you must complete a complaint form and provide relevant evidence to substantiiate your complaint. If a disability prevents you from making your complaint in writing, you should call our Customer Services on 01322 343434. We welcome calls via Typetalk.
- Download the form from the Council’s website or contact Customer Services (01322 343434) and ask for a form to be posted to you.
If you are unsure about any aspect of the process, please contact the Monitoring Officer at the address listed above or telephone Chris Oliver (01322 343402 or email him at monitoring.officer@dartford.gov.uk) before submitting your complaint.
Where to see the Codes of Conduct
- Dartford Borough Council’s Member Code of Conduct or a copy may be obtained by contacting Member Services (01322 343251).
- The Code of Conduct for the Parish/Town Councils within the Borough or a copy may be obtained by you contacting the Parish/Town Council direct (contact details on this website).
- Go back to Complaints Procedure main page
