Councillor suspended over story

Nov 28 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A NORTH council’s planning chief has been suspended for six months after criticising his own department in The Journal.

Coun Brian Douglas, chairman of Berwick Borough Council’s planning committee, was on Wednesday suspended from the authority for the maximum period allowed after being found to have breached their Code of Conduct.

Last night, the councillor said he was considering an appeal. He denied the breach and said the matter had been handled without justice or fairness. He also warned that the judgement could put councillors off speaking openly to the Press in future.

The Journal reported in May how Coun Douglas, of Church Street, Tweedmouth, was taking the council to appeal after it failed to determine his applications inside the eight-week deadline.

A member of the council’s planning department made a complaint over criticisms made by Coun Douglas, also a Northumberland County Councillor, in The Journal article, as a result of which the authority carried out an investigation.

The borough’s standards committee considered the complaint in his absence on Wednesday, ignoring his request for an adjournment as he was attending an official county council conference.

And after hearing the evidence, including a transcript of The Journal’s interview with the councillor, the committee agreed unanimously to suspend Coun Douglas – saying it found his comments sufficiently serious to impose the maximum punishment.

Chairman Margaret Shaw concluded Coun Douglas had failed to treat others with respect and had brought the council into disrepute.

Mrs Shaw added: “It could be considered there was a reduction in the public confidence in both the council overall and the department. We would like it to be noted that at no time has Coun Douglas offered any remorse or accepted what he has done has caused a lot of concern to individuals.”

She furthermore highlighted a previous 12- month suspension imposed on Coun Douglas by The Standards Board for England.

Mrs Shaw said “there is the very real possibility” Coun Douglas will breach the conduct again.

Since May, Coun Douglas, who is also an independent member of Northumberland County and Berwick Town councils, has had both his appeals against the borough council dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.

Last night, the councillor said he was planning to contact the Adjudication Panel for England with a view to appealing against the committee’s findings.

Coun Douglas branded the decision to hear the complaint in his absence not in the interests of fairness or justice, having asked for an adjournment. The councillor went on to claim that what had happened to him would put people off talking to reporters.

He said: “People are going to refuse to speak to the Press because at the end of the day it is going to endanger them.”