A number of complaints made about Wixams councillors have been resolved with no further action, while others remain under assessment, Bedford Borough Council has confirmed.
A spokesperson said: “As has been reported to Bedford Borough Council’s Standards Committee and Standards Sub-Committee previously, there have been multiple allegations made in relation to the conduct of parish and town councillors and some borough councillors relevant to Wixams Town Council.
“Some of these complaints have reached a conclusion, whereby no further action will be taken, and some newly submitted complaints are live and in the process of being assessed in accordance with the council’s agreed procedure for dealing with complaints against councillors and co-opted members.”
An update on the status of all complaints is due to be presented to the Standards Committee on 17 September.
Cllr Marc Frost, (Conservative) chair of Wixams Town Council, said the volume and nature of the complaints have negatively affected the council’s ability to function, and points to a misuse of the process.
“While none of the councillors were found to have acted improperly, the repeated allegations have caused significant unnecessary distress and wasted both time and public resource.
“It has created an atmosphere of suspicion, not accountability, which serves no one.
“47 complaints, all thrown out, do not suggest a pattern of wrongdoing. The public expects councillors to serve their community, not play procedural games,” he said.
He said the environment created by the complaints has discouraged some from participating fully in council life.
“When public service becomes a constant battleground of personal grievances and baseless complaints, good people walk away or stay silent.
“That is not democratic accountability, it is dysfunction.
“I am determined to restore a culture of respect and open discussion, where differences are aired constructively, not weaponised through formal complaints.”
Cllr Frost expressed support for the borough council’s monitoring officer’s approach so far, stating: “I commend the monitoring officer for seeing through the volume and focusing on substance.
“The threshold for formal investigation is rightly high. In this case, not one complaint reached that bar.
“That tells you everything you need to know, this chapter should now be closed.”
He said the council would ensure residents are informed of the outcomes.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
