A formal complaint has been submitted to Wiltshire Council alleging its leader, Cllr Ian Thorn, may have breached the council’s Code of Conduct.
The complaint has been made by Calne Town Councillor Bobby Seymour and relates to events at a meeting of Calne Town Council on Sunday 2nd February.
The extraordinary meeting of the Town Council, was to discuss two items, one of which was a motion of no confidence in the Town Mayor.
During the meeting, Cllr Thorn announced that a revised arrangement had been agreed with Hills Waste Management which would mean the household recycling centres at Lower Compton and Purton would remain open.
The future of the two sites had become a major local issue in recent weeks after proposals were brought forward to close them on cost grounds. The plans sparked opposition from residents and councillors, including a unanimous vote at Calne Town Council calling for the closures to be paused.
The day after the town council meeting, on Monday 3rd February, the recycling centre proposals were formally considered by Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet.
In his complaint, Cllr Seymour raises concerns about both timing and process.
He argues that Cabinet was the proper decision-making body and says announcing the outcome at the town council meeting, before Cabinet had met, created the impression that the decision had already been made.
He also questions whether the announcement was made at that specific point because Cllr Thorn was facing a vote of no confidence in his mayoralty.
The complaint refers to the Nolan Principles of public life, including integrity, selflessness, openness and leadership. It states that the timing of the statement could give rise to a perception that Cllr Thorn’s position as Leader of Wiltshire Council was used in a political context relating to his separate role at the town council.
Cllr Seymour says his concern is about governance and standards rather than the substance of the recycling centre decision itself.
The council’s Monitoring Officer will now decide whether the complaint should be taken forward for formal investigation under the standards procedure.
Calne News has approached Cllr Thorn for comment.
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