Complaints about councillors

As a result of changes in the law, from 8 May 2008 all complaints about the behaviour of local councillors are to be made directly to the Council instead of the Standards Board for England.

You must make your complaint in writing and say who the complaint is about and why you think that the Councillor has not followed the Code of Conduct. Once you have made a complaint you will be told in writing what will happen to it.

Your complaint should be addressed to the Standards Committee who will decide what should happen next. The meeting will be chaired by one of the independent members of the Standards Committee and will if possible take place within 20 days of you making your complaint.

At its meeting the Standards Committee can decide to:

• investigate your complaint
• ask the Standards Board for England to investigate your complaint
• require action to resolve the complaint, such as conflict resolution, mediation or training
• take no further action.

You will be informed of the outcome of the Standards Committee meeting and of the Committee’s reasons for its decision.

If you do not agree with the committee’s decision you can ask them to review it but you must do this in writing within 30 days of receiving the decision.

If you ask the Standards Committee to review their decision they will do this within three months of you making your request. The committee members who made the original decision will not take part in the review and the review meeting will be chaired by one of the independent members of the committee.

Having considered the original decision, the committee can decide to uphold it or overturn it and will inform you in writing what they have decided.

To make a complaint please send your complaint to:

The Standards Committee
c/o Head of Legal Services
Plymouth City Council
Civic Centre
Plymouth PL1 5AA

Alternatively you may email your complaint to haveyoursay@plymouth.gov.uk.