Oakham town councillor breached official code of conduct, Rutland committee finds

An Oakham town councillor has breached the official code of conduct, a committee has ruled.

Rutland County Council’s conduct committee has issued Coun Adam Lowe with a formal letter of censure following a breach of the code.

Coun Lowe was referred to the committee following allegations made in July 2021 that he had made offensive comments during a meeting at the home of another Oakham town councillor.

The conduct committee is responsible for promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct within the county council and across all Rutland parish and town councils.

Following a review of the incident, the conduct committee found that Coun Lowe was in breach of the following Oakham Town Council code of conduct obligations:

• He or she shall behave in such a way that a reasonable person would regard as respectful

• He or she will not act in a way which a reasonable person would regard as bullying or intimidatory

In response to these findings the committee has recommended the following sanctions be imposed:

• That Coun Lowe be issued with a formal letter of censure

• That Oakham Town Council be recommended to remove Coun Lowe as a member from any committees and other appointments

• That the conduct committee’s decision and recommendations be made public

The decision was made during a meeting on March 22.