We are committed to maintaining high standards of conduct among elected and co-opted members.
If you believe a councillor or parish councillor has breached the Code of Conduct, you can make a formal complaint.
Make a complaint
You can submit a complaint by:
- Completing the Member Complaints Form
- Reviewing the Arrangements for Dealing with Standards Allegations
- emailing: legalservices@hartlepool.gov.uk
Who handles complaints?
The Monitoring Officer is responsible for:
- maintaining the register of members’ interests
- assessing complaints about member conduct
- consulting with the Independent Person before deciding whether to investigate
If a complaint is referred for a hearing, it will be considered by a panel of up to seven members from the Audit and Governance Committee.
Code of Conduct
All councillors must follow the Code of Conduct for elected and co-opted members that we adopted on 30 September 2021 and which is based on the Local Government Association Model Code.
The Independent Person
In accordance with the Localism Act 2011, we have appointed David Whitmore and Martin Slimmings to carry out the role of Independent Persons. Both are co-opted members of the Audit and Governance Committee.
The views of the Independent Person are taken into account by the Monitoring Officer when carrying out an assessment of a complaint.
The Independent Person is invited to attend meetings of the committee and his/her views are sought and taken into consideration by the committee.
Audit and Governance Committee
This committee promotes high standards of conduct and reviews complaints referred by the Monitoring Officer. After a hearing, the committee may:
- dismiss the complaint
- decide the Councillor breached the Code of Conduct and take action, such as:
- publishing findings
- recommending removal from committees or outside appointments
- suggesting training
- restricting access to our facilities or premises
Member interests
All councillors must complete a Register of Interests when elected. These are available on individual Councillor profile pages.
Guide to Openness and Transparency on Personal Interests (PDF)