South Kesteven District councillor to be censured following conduct meeting

A district councillor will be censured after a council officer’s complaint against him was upheld.

Market and West Deeping's Ashley Baxter faced a Code of Conduct hearing over a “heated conversation” that he had with the official in March.

Coun Baxter (Alliance SK) has accepted that his conduct was over the line, and says he has already apologised twice.

A second complaint made on behalf of the Conservative group on South Kesteven District Council, which he labelled “petty and vindictive”, was reportedly not upheld.

The public was excluded from the hearing to protect the identities of the complainants.

Both complaints related to a full council meeting held on March 3, 2022.

Coun Baxter said: "After the meeting, I had a heated conversation with a group of people about the way it had gone.

"I didn’t use abusive, foul or threatening language, but on the way home I realised I shouldn’t have been disrespectful.

"I apologised to the person involved the following day, and then again in May. I am happy to do so once again."

The censure will be displayed on South Kesteven’s website, and Coun Baxter will also be required to attend a training course.

A second complaint was raised by a Conservative member on behalf of the entire group, which was reportedly dismissed.

Coun Baxter says that the meeting, which was held in Grantham’s Meres Leisure Centre, was chaotic and there were mistakes in the agenda.

He acknowledges interrupting several times in order to raise points of order.

This complaint has reportedly not been upheld, although a full report into the hearing hasn’t been released.

Coun Baxter added: "It is a shame that Tory snowflakes put forward a petty and vindictive complaint to stop me from doing my job properly.

“They seem to have seen my attempts to clarify the constitution as somehow mischievous.

“Councillors should have thick skins and accept reasonable criticism. The panel recognised that the meeting wasn’t well organised.

“In order to prevent this from happening in future, it is important that meetings are properly organised, the chair remains in control and all councillors are respectful.

“My big fear was that they would introduce sanctions which would interfere with me doing my job as councillor.”

The cost of the investigation was over £9,000, which included the hiring of outside legal advisers.

SKDC leader Kelham Cooke said in a statement before the hearing: “It is incredibly disappointing that for the first time I have ever known we have to hold a hearing to do with an elected member breaking the code of conduct at South Kesteven District Council.

“Sadly, this is happening due to the seriousness of the complaints which have been received and have had to be externally investigated.”