FOREST councillors have voted to retain the independent panel which investigates complaints against members of the authority despite a warning it might not be “legally sound”. 

The current standards panel, which is made up of five people from outside the council, replaced the councillor-led standards committee in 2018.

The committee was replaced after a series of rows about the impartiality of members.

But a review carried out since the election in May warned: “It is not considered good practice nor legally sound to include on any such Committee all non-elected Members.”

A recommendation put to the recent meeting of the council suggested replacing the panel with a 10-stong committee of nine councillors and a non-voting representative of town and parish councillors was rejected.

Cllr Sid Phelps (Green, Lydbrook) said there were members of the council who still had “scars” from the battles over standards.

He said: “The previous standards committee was disbanded because it was not working.

“A farce would be polite, it was a shambles and a disgrace and that’s why we were very pleased to move to a panel.

“Moving back to a system that was discredited and thrown out, I can’t see that working because it didn’t work last time.”

Former council leader Tim Gwilliam (Progressive Independents, Berry Hill) said: “The one deterrent for councillors behaving badly is that we are sat in judgement upon by members of the public and not by our own parties or members of fellow parties.”

Labour councillor Shaun Stammers (Mitcheldean), said his group would not support the recommendation.

He said: “The only powers the sub-committee have of any weight have to be ratified by full council anyway so why not retain an independent input to make recommendations to full council?”

The council’s top legal officer, Sian Roxborough said there would be “checks and balances” in the new system.

She added: “We can’t have five co-opted members, that’s my legal advice because it is not lawfully sound."