Contact: David Jellings

Direct Dial: 01275 884219

E-mail: david.jellings@n-somerset.gov.uk

Date: 26th November 2003

Dear Sir or Madam

COMPLAINTS HEARING OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE, WEDNESDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 2003 AT 10.00 A.M., RICKFORD ROOM, TOWN HALL

A complaints hearing of the Standards Committee will take place as indicated above in the Rickford Room at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare.

The purpose of the hearing is to consider a complaint against a Member in accordance with the regulations under Section 66 of the Local Government Act 2000 regarding the local determination of complaints.

A pre-meeting for the Members of the Standards Committee, the legal adviser to the Committee, and the Democratic Services Officer only will take place at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 10th December 2003 in the Rickford Room.

The agenda is set out overleaf.

Yours faithfully,

Solicitor to the Council

To: Members of the Committee

	Councillors:	Ian Parker (Chairman), Nicholas Brown (Vice-Chairman), John Clark and Ian Peddlesden
	Independent Members:	Liz Lockwood and Tony Williams
	Parish/Town Council Members:	Parish Councillor Tony Horry
c.c.	The Respondent (Councillor David Shopland) The Reporting Officer (Malcolm Nicholson) The Legal Adviser to the Committee (Fiona Robertson) The Ethical Standards Officer

AGENDA

1. Introductions and apologies

2. Procedure for Standards Committee Determinations (see E below, page 36)

The Chairman will explain the procedure which will operate at the hearing (Paragraphs 17 to 32 of the procedure applies).

3. The Hearing

3.1 Representations by the Respondent, Councillor David Shopland

3.2 Representations by the Reporting Officer

3.3 Representations by Ethical Standards Officer (if present)

Documents Attached

A. Pre-hearing Process Summary, 24th November 2003 (page 1)

B. Report of the Ethical Standards Officer dated 30th September 2003 (page 3)

NOTE: Item B ceased to be confidential on the date of release of these agenda papers.

C. Letter from Councillor Shopland dated 28th October 2003 (page 33)

D. Response of the Ethical Standards Officer dated 14th November 2003 (page 34)

E. Procedure (page 36)

EXEMPT ITEMS

Should the Committee wish to consider a matter as an Exempt Item, the Committee will be invited to pass the following resolution –

“(1) That the press, public, and officers not required by the Members, the Chief Executive or the Director, to remain during the exempt session, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the ground that its consideration will involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 100I of the Local Government Act 1972.”

Also, if appropriate, the following resolution should be passed –

“(2) That members of the Council who are not members of this Committee be invited to remain.”

MOBILE PHONES, PAGERS AND SIMILAR CALLING DEVICES

All persons attending this meeting are requested to turn off these devices in accordance with the Council’s statement concerning disturbance caused by such apparatus. The Chairman may approve an exception to this request in special circumstances.