On Monday this week (28th), the consideration sub-committee met to consider the final outcome of an investigation that has been ongoing for the last four months.
Cllr Barry accused Cllr Giles of breaching the councillors’ Code of Conduct by removing a proposal for double yellow lines near the home of Cllr Diana Tucson (formerly county councillor but now chairman of Nettlestone and Seaview parish Council).
Cllr Giles refuted claims that he had abused his position and removed the double yellow lines from the plans for the area.
No breach of the code
Following the hearing, the sub-committee concluded that Clr Giles had not breached the Code of Conduct and brought the council into disrepute as claimed by Cllr Reg Barry.
Cllr Giles said, “I am delighted that the investigating officer and the members of the Sub-Committee have rejected Councillor Barry’s allegations and found them to be totally baseless. This case is another unfortunate example of opposition members making wholly spurious complaints against Conservative councillors.
“Councillor Barry has caused a huge waste of officer time and Council resources which could have been avoided had he just taken the trouble to come and see and asked me to explain the decision face to face. I hope that he will reflect on this and realise it would now be appropriate for him to offer an apology not just to me but also to Councillor Tuson and to Council officers who could have been spending their time on something far more productive.”
“I had acted in an entirely proper manner”
Cllr Giles had more to say, continuing, “If Councillor Barry felt I had made the wrong decision he should have arranged for it to be called in for a review by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee within five working days which would have been by 6th May.
“In fact he did nothing until 27th June, over seven weeks later. Having found that he had failed through his own neglect to ask for a call in at the correct time he then embarked on the making of these false and malicious allegations against me.
“The Investigating Officer found that I had demonstrated I had carried out thorough consideration and information gathering and had provided full justification for my decision.
“I always knew that I had acted in an entirely proper manner and this has been confirmed by the very clear conclusions of the Investigating Officer.”
