A parish councillor is taking legal advice after being sanctioned by Horsham District Council’s standards committee.
During a meeting on January 16, Paul Campbell, of Steyning Parish Council, was found to have breached the code of conduct after sending a number of “bullying” emails to the clerk.
But Mr Campbell said the findings were “perverse” and wants a judicial review of the district council’s standards process.
He claimed that evidence including previous findings in his favour following complaints to the Information Commissioner, were not shared with the standards committee.
And he complained that the hearing into his case, which was held in December, had been held in private, despite his request for it to be made public.
A number of the emails send to the parish clerk centred around Mr Campbell’s work to see a swing in the Memorial Playing Field play area replaced.
He said: “It took over two years for the council to replace the same swing onto the same frame using the same mounting.”
Regarding the decision to hold the hearing in private, a district council spokesman said: “Councils have the statutory tools to conduct proceedings in private as allowed by the Local Government Act 1972.”
They added: “It is open to Cllr Campbell to issue judicial review proceedings should he wish, which will be defended by this council accordingly.”
The standards committee recommended a string of sanctions, all of which were unanimously agreed by the parish council.
The sanctions will run for 16 weeks and state that Mr Campbell will send a formal written apology to the parish council and the clerk within one month; that he will not be allowed to serve on any committees, sub-committees, panels or groups, except for the full council meetings; and he will not represent the parish council on any outside bodies and will be removed from outside appointments.
On top of that, he must undergo training on council procedures; and any emails, letters, verbal enquiries or requests for information that he wishes to send must go via the chair or vice-chair of the parish council.
