I REFER to the recent article printed in the Wye Valley Review on January 22 concerning Forest of Dean District Councillor Alan Preest.

I think it is important to correct the record in relation to this matter.

On August 12, 2009, the Standards Committee held a hearing into several complaints about Councillor Preest arising from his conduct at a meeting with representatives of the business community which took place in Lydney on January 20, 2009.

At the hearing, the committee heard evidence from three witnesses and considered written representations from Councillor Preest. Councillor Preest did not attend the hearing in person.

The committee found that Councillor Preest's behaviour at the meeting was unacceptable and disrespectful. It found that he was rude and insulting to the council officer present and about the council itself. The committee also found that those present at the meeting felt uncomfortable and ashamed of Councillor Preest's conduct and that the meeting itself was a failure as a result of his conduct. His conduct breached the Code of Conduct that Councillor Preest had accepted on becoming a district councillor. As a result of these findings, the committee agreed to censure Councillor Preest for this conduct and to suspend him from office until such time as he had submitted a suitable written apology for his conduct and the distress that has been caused to all those present at the meeting on January 20, 2009.

The reason for imposing this sanction was to make it clear that Councillor Preest's conduct at the meeting was totally unacceptable for an elected representative of the Forest of Dean District Council. Because of the evidence that the committee had heard, it decided that until suitable written apologies were provided, Councillor Preest should not be permitted to serve as a councillor. No such apology has been received.

The maximum powers available to the committee are to suspend for six months.

It is also important to note that Councillor Preest had the right to appeal against that decision but no appeal was made.

Mr A Elkington, chairman of the Standards' Committee, Forest of Dean District Council.