Complaints to Thanet council’s Standards Committee lodged against district councillor Steve Albon have not been upheld.
Resident Ian Driver complained that Cllr Albon failed to complete his Register of Interests form to include mention of a settlement agreement which related to his former employment status with the council.
He complained that in addition he failed to complete his Register of Interests form to include mention of a settlement agreement which related to his spouse’s former employment status with the council and that he failed to disclose his and his spouse’s conflict of interest in matters revolving around former Chief Executive Officer Madeline Homer, whilst sitting as a member of the Council’s General Purposes Committee and the General Purposes Investigations and Disciplinary Sub-Committee.
Councillors must register their interests with local authorities after being elected, including the relevant interests of their spouses.
This includes financial interests, occupation, property ownership, shares and directorships, and contracts – especially contracts involving the local authority itself.
On issues relating to their interests, councillors are usually not allowed to vote.
Initially members of the Standards committee reviewed the complaints, local assessment procedure and the councillors’ code of conduct.
It was unanimously decided that the matter be referred to the police to investigate, and TDC appointed an independent investigating officer to examine the matter further.
The police took no action in relation to this matter and have closed this case.
A notice of the final decision says: “This complaint was referred to an independent investigator, John Austin, who completed a full and detailed investigation which is set out in a report in January 2024. The report concluded that Councillor Albon had not breached the Councillors Code of Conduct in any of the ways complained of.
“Members of the sub-committee carefully considered the detailed report and agreed with the report’s findings.
“This is because in law a NDA is not a disclosable pecuniary interest. The report also concluded that there was no evidence that Councillor Albon argued in favour of the settlement agreement for Ms Homer. “
The Standards Assessment Sub-Committee recommended the complaint be closed, that no further action be taken, saying: “No element of this complaint is upheld.”
