South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (25 016 494)
Category : Other Categories > Councillor conduct and standards
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 11 Nov 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a complaint against an elected councillor. This is because the complaint is late without good enough reason to investigate it now.
The complaint
- Councillor X complains about the Council’s handling of a complaint made against him.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council/care provider has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Councillor X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Councillor X is an elected member of the Council (a councillor). He says the Council’s Monitoring Officer advised another councillor to consider making a complaint against him and then went on to deal with it herself. He says this was unfair and the Monitoring Officer should have declared an interest.
- The Council decided to investigate the complaint against Councillor X on 3 October 2023. On that date the Council gave Councillor X information about the complaint, including the Monitoring Officer’s involvement. This means Councillor X knew of the matters he has now complained to us about from that date.
- Councillor X complained to us on 1 November 2025. His complaint is therefore over two years late and the restriction in paragraph 3 applies.
- I have considered whether we should use our discretion to consider the matter, but I have seen no good reasons to do so. Councillor X was aware of the events from 3 October 2023 and could have complained to us sooner.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Councillor X’s complaint. This is because the complaint is late and I have seen no good reasons for the delay in bringing the matter to us.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman