The Standards Assessment Sub-Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026. The primary focus of the meeting was the assessment of a complaint lodged against a member of Trowbridge Town Council. The committee also reviewed the minutes of its previous meeting and noted the meeting procedure.

Assessment of Complaint: COC55196

The main item scheduled for discussion was the assessment of a complaint, identified as COC55196. The report pack indicated that the sub-committee would consider whether the alleged behaviour, if proven, would constitute a breach of the relevant Code of Conduct. The sub-committee was scheduled to review the original complaint, supporting information, the response from the Subject Member, the report of the Monitoring Officer, and the view of the Independent Person. Following this review, the sub-committee would determine whether to refer the matter for investigation, dismiss the complaint, or refer it for alternative resolution. The report pack also detailed the procedural rules for the Assessment Sub-Committee, outlining the definitions of participants, the assessment process, and the criteria for dismissing or referring complaints. These rules are governed by Protocol 11 – Arrangements for Handling Code of Conduct Complaints, within Wiltshire Council's Constitution.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The sub-committee was scheduled to approve the minutes of its previous meeting, which was held on 13 August 2026.

Meeting Procedure

The procedure for the meeting was also listed for noting. This included the process for excluding the public from certain parts of the meeting, which was to be considered under Agenda Item 5. The report pack provided details on the meeting procedure, including the roles of various officers and the process for handling complaints.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Kennet Room at County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN. The attendees included Councillor Ruth Hopkinson (Chair), Councillor Ernie Clark (Vice-Chair), Councillor Sam Pearce-Kearney, Councillor Stuart Wheeler, and Councillor Dave Lumsden. A list of substitutes was also provided.