Complaints against Redcar and Cleveland councillors thrown out

Councillor Peter Berry and Councillor Bill Clarke were alleged by fellow councillor Anne Watts to have screamed and shouted insults during a meeting of the Guisborough Neighbourhood Action Partnership.

Cllr Watts described the meeting last month as descending into “mayhem and chaos” with personal attacks on individuals and said one resident walked out in apparent disgust.

But a governance assessment sub-committee convened by Redcar and Cleveland Council noted that the meetings were usually “fractious” and said no further action was necessary.

Councillor Anne Watts (Image: LDR)

The panel also said it placed “great weight” on views shared by the council’s monitoring officer, Steve Newton, who was present.

He did not view it as anything approaching chaos or mayhem, and while there were some “robust exchanges of views”, he could not recall anybody shouting or screaming. 

Both councillors Berry and Clarke, who represent the Belmont and Guisborough wards respectively, had denied the conduct alleged of them.

The panel said Cllr Watts’ perception of the meeting was not shared by Mr Newton or the subjects of the complaints.

Cllr Watts, who also represents the Belmont ward, said she felt the residents of Guisborough “deserve better”.

She said: “They should not be prevented from discussing issues by bad tempered outbursts from councillors.

“The shouting upset one lady to the point that she left the meeting. 

“No residents were spoken to in relation to my complaint and decisions were made mainly on the comments of the monitoring officer.

“Many residents have asked me what action is to be taken after the distressing scenes at the last meeting – and at previous meetings – but I have to tell them the council does not accept that anything happened.”

Cllr Watts also claimed there had been a conflict of interest in the choice of the panel chairman.

The meeting, held at the Sunnyfield House community centre, in Guisborough, triggered another code of conduct complaint against Cllr Berry from local resident John Blades, an 81-year-old retired engineer.

Mr Blades, who had attempted to ask questions about a recent successful levelling up bid for Guisborough, alleged he was approached afterwards by Cllr Berry and called a “troublemaker”.

Sunnyfield House, in Guisborough, where the meeting which prompted the code of conduct complaints took place. (Image: LDR)

The complainant said he told Cllr Berry to go away as he did not want an argument with him and claimed he was then sworn at and threatened with his “head being ripped off”.

The panel said there were no other witnesses to the alleged conduct and that Cllr Berry could not recall speaking with Mr Blades, “but in any event disagrees that he had the alleged conversation”.

It noted that it was one individual’s word against another and that an investigation would not reveal any further information as there were no other witnesses to consult.

It deemed that there was no conclusive evidence one way or the other as to what was said between the pair and, taking all things into consideration, there was insufficient evidence to say there had been a breach of conduct.

Again, no further action would be taken.

Mr Blades said: “I have attended neighbourhood action partnership meetings for many years trying to raise the profile of Guisborough and in all my years I have never been spoken to by a councillor like this.

“I think it is totally unacceptable to be sworn at and threatened by a councillor.”

He said he was “quite shaken” by the “aggressive attack” and may not attend further meetings as a result.

Mr Blades also questioned the independence of the panel chair and described the outcome as a “whitewash”.

He wanted the local authority’s code of conduct process changed since it “protected councillors, but does not protect residents against councillors” and had been in touch with local MP Simon Clarke’s office in an attempt to bring pressure to bear.

“It would appear that councillors are becoming untouchable and can say what they want to residents and not be taken to task over it,” Mr Blades said.

“I am disgusted at this decision.”

Cllr Berry told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that none of what was alleged happened.

He said: “The complaints about me that were put forward by Councillor Anne Watts and John Blades were completely untrue.

“The council’s monitoring officer meeting was present at the meeting in question and presented his report to the governance assessment sub-committee, while I also submitted my response to the complaints.

“The sub-committee who were appointed to look into the complaints unanimously agreed upon no action to be taken.”

Cllr Clarke has also been contacted for comment.

Earlier this month, council leader Mary Lanigan was formally censured after serious code of conduct breaches were upheld against her following a long-running row with residents whose homes overlook a war memorial in Easington, east Cleveland, where Cllr Lanigan lives.

She was said to have failed to treat others with respect, attempted to use her position improperly to secure for herself or another person an advantage, had conducted herself in a manner contrary to the council’s duty to promote high standards of conduct among elected members, and had effectively brought her office and the council into disrepute.

The veteran councillor has resisted calls to quit.

Twenty eight council members voted in favour of censuring with 14 against at a special meeting of the borough council.