‘Double standards’ panel at Herefordshire Council

Herefordshire Council applied double standards last week as it held one code of conduct appeal hearing in private and another in public.

The council’s standards panel convened twice on October 16 but the press and public were only allowed into one of the meetings.

The first hearing, regarding a complaint against county councillor Jim Kenyon’s who failed to declare an interest at a meeting last year, was held behind closed doors and the press and public were ordered to leave the room.

County councillor Ellie Chowns and parish councillor Robert Wilson, who represented Herefordshire Association of Local Councils, overruled chairman Chris Chappell’s view that the meeting should be held in public.

Coun Chowns said: “My view in principle is that we should consider matters openly and transparently as far as possible, but I understand that needs to be weighed against the principle of innocent until proven guilty in code of conduct matters.

“Therefore, it would seem to be fair that an appeal is permitted to take place in private.

“The important thing is that the judgement whichever way it goes should be communicated publicly.”

Coun Chappell said: “I would prefer for the meeting to be open all the time, but I bow to the majority view, so the meeting will be held in private session.”

Speaking after the meeting coun Kenyon, who had informed the press that the hearing was going ahead, said he could not understand why his one was held in private.

However, the press and public were allowed into the following appeal which considered a complaint against Cradley Parish Council chairman Geoff Fielding who also failed to declare an interest.

On that occasion the coun John Stone took coun Chowns place on the panel.

He said he entirely agreed with chairman Chappell’s suggestion that the meeting should be held in public which overruled the view of coun Wilson that the meeting should be held behind closed doors.