The Forest of Dean District Council is facing scrutiny after a costly investigation into allegations of councillor bullying racked up a bill exceeding £62,000 to taxpayers. The complex and protracted case involved Independent Councillor Philip Burford, representing Hartpury and Redmarley, who was censured and banned from committee participation for three years following findings of bullying behavior that caused distress to staff.
The complaint process, which began in March 2021 and concluded in December 2023, took over two years to resolve and prompted an internal review of the council’s code of conduct procedures. The investigation included a private inquiry by Barbara Beardwell costing nearly £44,000, legal advice from a barrister at £14,075, and additional legal and training expenses totaling over £4,600.
Chief Executive Nigel Brinn, who assumed the role of deputy monitoring officer midway through the investigation, presented the case review at the Audit and Governance Committee on March 25. He explained that the initial decision to outsource the investigation was made because the then monitoring officer, Sian Roxborough, had a conflict of interest.
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However, the process raised concerns, as Roxborough remained involved in several stages despite her conflict, including reviewing and amending the investigator’s draft report. Chairman Harry Ives criticized this involvement as inappropriate, explaining that once a conflict is established, the officer must fully recuse themselves.
Further questions arose about the decision to appoint an external investigator rather than utilize internal resources such as the council’s counter fraud unit—a choice believed to have significantly increased costs.
Councillor Julia Gooch probed how decisions about appointing the external investigator were made, and Chief Finance Officer Andrew Knott confirmed that while cost limits were unclear, it was essential to provide sufficient resources for a fair process.
Another major concern focused on the unusually long period—eight years—between the initial bullying incidents in 2015 and the start of formal action in 2023. Councillor Trevor Roach highlighted the detrimental impact of such delays on staff wellbeing and questioned what measures could prevent similar prolonged cases in the future.
Brinn acknowledged that harassment and bullying complaints often evolve slowly and can be complicated, but emphasized the importance of resolving such cases swiftly for cost efficiency and fairness.
In response, the committee recommended stringent steps for future complaints, including ensuring complete recusal of conflicted monitoring officers, conducting biannual training for councillors and officers, and exhausting all internal investigation options before resorting to external support. When external assistance is necessary, they stressed the importance of solid project management to control costs.
Councillor Burford has declined to comment on the matter.