More details emerge in councillor complaint

Further details regarding a complaint made against a South Holland District Councillor have been published.

Ahead of next week’s South Holland District Council meeting, a redacted report has been added to an agenda that was updated today (Thursday).

Earlier this month, Coun Peter Coupland was found guilty of “bringing his office into disrepute” by an independent panel but was cleared of “any sexual connotations” to his actions.

The revised agenda has an additional item “to consider the outcome of a Hearings Panel following a complaint against a South Holland member”.

The agenda says the formal complaint was made against Coun Coupland on November 21 and evidence was collected throughout December.

According to the document, two other male councillors were present during the incident, along with two other people (names redacted).

It is alleged Coun Coupland sat down next to the complainant, “put out his left arm and pulled [redacted] against him. As he did so he made reference to being in the back row of the cinema again, which was something he had talked about on the train journey that day”, the report states.

It then states that “the others in the group were standing fairly close by and laughing”. A member of the group then “got his camera and took a couple of photos”.

It’s stated in the ‘respondend’s evidence’ section that Coun Coupland “when asked whether he could remember making a comment about notches on cinema seats [he] said that was also about big boys talking to little boys and that he had mentioned it as part of creating ‘good banter’ for the day”.

The report states that the complainant said during interview she felt she could not tell Coun Coupland to go away “because it was away from the normal working environment; councillors are in a position of power; and there were people there from another organisation”.

“[Redacted] said there was no need for Coun Coupland to have put his arm around her and that he could have just sat down next to her and talked. She said that it felt like she had been used for fun and that Coun Coupland would not have behaved as he did towards a man,” the report states.

Two weeks later she consulted Compass Point HR on the incident.

The complainant said she wanted four outcomes – one of which is redacted. The three made public are for “the member’s behaviour to stop”, “awareness of unacceptable behaviour to be raised internally”, and “other members to hold members to account for their behaviour”.

The report of Coun Coupland’s account said he did not recall making a comment about the cinema or how the photograph came about.

It reports that “He said he had no nasty or bad intentions and that he now felt bad. He thought that probably [redacted] didn’t know him, and the fact is he probably doesn’t know ‘her level of good banter’.”

To read the evidence during the investigation, click here to view the full document.

South Holland District Council have now released a statement:

“SHDC received a complaint regarding the conduct of an elected member.

“The Council takes all such complaints very seriously, and accordingly the matter was assessed in line with our code of conduct and procedures.

“An independent investigator, Anne Gibson, was appointed and the findings of her investigation were presented to a Hearings Panel of Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council. As part of our processes, these findings were also considered by the Council’s independent person, Tony Wicks, who is consulted on such matters.

“The Joint Standards Hearing Panel for Babergh and Mid Suffolk considered the issue thoroughly and independently. The Panel has now reached its decision, and a report setting out the findings of the Panel will now be submitted to a full meeting of SHDC.

“The Council is absolutely committed to ensuring our staff are treated with dignity and respect.”

Coun Coupland provided this statement on Tuesday: “The matter which has been looked into by Berbagh and Mid Suffolk Council on behalf of SHDC took place in October 18 where along with a number of councillors and senior council officers I took part in a visit to an external venue as part of the council exploring what additional new functions we may look to bring to South Holland and its community.

“During the course of the visit I posed for a photograph with a senior council female officer who I have worked with on projects for a year or two. The photograph was taken in public by another senior officer. I placed my arm around the female’s shoulder for a few seconds for the photo with a number of other councillors and officers present.

“A number of weeks later the female officer made a complaint stating she felt uncomfortable by my actions.

“SHDC appointed Berbagh and mid Suffolk Council under the Standards Board hearing arrangements and also an independent person who advises the council. I am pleased that the independent person categorically advised the hearing panel that he did not believe my action, comments or photo had any sexual aspects and the hearing panel agreed with him and so the complainant’s allegation was not upheld in the decision notice. My only breach of conduct was being disrespectful to the female officer by placing my arm around her while posing for a photo in public.

“I have offered my apologies to the staff member.

“As a result I and senior councillors at SHDC will be undertaking equality and diversity training ASAP.”