17 June 2008
Councillor disqualified for one year
A former member of Wycombe District Council has been disqualified from office for a year for his conduct in relation to two planning applications.
Following an investigation by the Standards Board for England, Councillor Anthony Dunn’s case was referred to the Adjudication Panel for England for determination.
The Adjudication Panel - a judicial tribunal that is independent of the Standards Board - agreed with the ethical standards officer’s view that Councillor Dunn had breached the Code of Conduct, and disqualified Councillor Dunn as a result at a hearing on Thursday 12 June.
The Standards Board for England received a complaint about Councillor Dunn in August 2007, alleging that he had used his position improperly to influence the outcome of planning applications.
The ethical standards officer concluded that Councillor Dunn had sought to influence the council’s decisions on planning applications made by a company of which he is secretary. Mr Dunn’s brother was also acting as a consultant on the applications.
Having investigated the allegations, the Standards Board for England’s ethical standards officer produced a report for the Adjudication Panel to consider when reaching its finding. The ethical standards officer’s view was that Councillor Dunn had used his position improperly, sought to compromise council officers’ impartiality, sought to influence decisions in which he had a prejudicial interest and brought his office into disrepute.
The ethical standards officer also noted with concern that Councillor Dunn’s breaches of the Code came after he was suspended for a month in December 2006 for similar conduct.
Sir Anthony Holland, Chair of the Standards Board for England, said: “By attempting to influence planning applications to the advantage of his associates, Councillor Dunn failed to act with the honesty and integrity that the general public have every right to expect from their local representatives. This was a serious breach of the trust the electorate had placed in him.”Ends.
For media enquiries, contact the press office on 0161 817 5400 or email press.enquiries@standardsboard.gov.uk.
Notes for editors
The Standards Board for England and the Adjudication Panel for England are independent from one another. The Standards Board does not determine sanctions to be imposed on members who have breached the Code of Conduct.
Ethical standards officers employed by the Standards Board investigate potential breaches of the Code of Conduct on the Standards Board’s behalf. At the end of an investigation, the ethical standards officer either makes a finding or refers the case to a local standards committee or the Adjudication Panel if the potential breach is sufficiently serious to warrant some form of sanction.
The Adjudication Panel for England is an independent judicial tribunal. The Lord Chancellor appoints its members following consultation with the Secretary of State for Local Government.
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