The Standards Assessment Sub-Committee is scheduled to meet to review the minutes of their previous meeting and to consider two complaints regarding the conduct of councillors. During the meeting, the public may be excluded while the complaints are discussed, because the published agenda indicates that the discussion is likely to include exempt information.

Complaint Assessments

The Standards Assessment Sub-Committee will be considering two complaints about the conduct of councillors.

Complaint: COC53378

The Sub-Committee will assess complaint COC53378, but the details of the complaint are not included in the public report pack.

Complaint: COC53508

The Sub-Committee will assess complaint COC53508, but the details of the complaint are not included in the public report pack.

Previous Minutes

The Sub-Committee will review the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 November 2025. During that meeting, the Sub-Committee addressed two complaints, COC52964 and COC53219.

Complaint: COC52964

The Sub-Committee addressed a complaint submitted by Mr Hamish Bury against Councillor Roger Budgen, a member of St Paul Malmsbury Without Parish Council. The complaint concerned Councillor Roger Budgen's conduct during an unscheduled visit to Mr Hamish Bury's building site on 3 September 2025. Mr Hamish Bury alleged that Councillor Roger Budgen's actions breached the code of conduct sections related to respect, bullying and intimidation, improper advantage or disadvantage, and general principles of leadership and accountability.

Mr Hamish Bury claimed that Councillor Roger Budgen entered the building site without permission, demanding that the builders stop work and addressing them inappropriately, causing disruption and hindering constructive engagement. Councillor Roger Budgen refuted the allegations, stating that he had always acted respectfully and had visited numerous sites subject to planning applications. He claimed he approached workmen at the site entrance to inquire about planning consent and was invited onto the site to speak to Mr Hamish Bury.

The Sub-Committee noted the differing accounts of the events and recognised the parish council's role as a consultee in the planning process, with Wiltshire Council as the decision-maker. They considered a prior telephone conversation between Mr Hamish Bury and Councillor Roger Budgen regarding the planning application, during which the role of the Parish Council was mentioned. The Sub-Committee concluded that Councillor Roger Budgen was likely acting in his official capacity at the time of the incident.

The Sub-Committee agreed that site visits should be formally scheduled events with prior agreement and invitation from the applicant. They noted that Councillor Roger Budgen should have contacted Wiltshire Council's Enforcement team instead of approaching the site personally.

The Sub-Committee determined to refer the complaint to the Monitoring Officer for alternative resolution, suggesting that Councillor Roger Budgen complete training to improve his understanding of the Code of Conduct and appropriate arrangements for conducting site visits on local planning applications.

Complaint: COC53219

The Sub-Committee addressed a complaint submitted by Juliet Weimar, Town Clerk and Chief Executive of Trowbridge Town Council, against Councillor Daniel Cave, a member of Trowbridge Town Council. The complaint related to an email sent by Councillor Daniel Cave to Juliet Weimar on 25 September 2025, which allegedly breached the code of conduct section on respect.

The email included a direct address to the Town Clerk (Hi town clerk ) and the statement:

You have spent THEIR money on running services for other parts of the town… who is going to come to my residents in Southview Park and apologise for pissing their money away?

Juliet Weimar asserted that the language used by Councillor Daniel Cave was disrespectful and offensive. Councillor Daniel Cave stated that the language reflected residents' frustrations and was directed at council decisions, not at the Town Clerk personally.

The Sub-Committee expressed disappointment with the language used by Councillor Daniel Cave, highlighting that members should always demonstrate respect and professionalism when challenging officers. They noted that officers are not responsible for the political decisions taken by members.

The Sub-Committee acknowledged Councillor Daniel Cave's commitment to improve his future correspondence, stating:

Going forward, I will always ensure my tone is professional and that I am careful in how I reflect the voices of residents.

The Sub-Committee determined to take no further action, considering that the language used was impolite but unlikely to reach the level of breaching the Code, and in light of Councillor Daniel Cave's commitment to improve his tone in future communications.

Other Items

Those attending the meeting are scheduled to note the Assessment Sub-Committee Procedure 2024.