Councillor complaints and investigation costs since May 2025.
Please provide the following information in relation to complaints made under the Members’ Code of Conduct from 1 May 2025 to the date of this request:
1. For each elected councillor of Devon County Council (DCC), the number of complaints made against them during this period.
This information is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Personal Data).
Devon County Council can confirm the requested information is held; however, the Council cannot disclose personal information if releasing it would contravene any of the provisions in the UK General Data Protection Regulation. In this instance release of this information would contravene the first data protection principle and therefore the information is withheld.
2. For those complaints, please indicate how many:
* were dismissed at initial assessment,
* proceeded to investigation,
* resulted in a finding of no breach,
* resulted in a finding of breach or sanction.
| Councillor | Number of Complaints | Outcome |
| A | 1 |
Preliminary test not met
|
| B | 3 |
1 – Preliminary test not met, 2 – Awaiting consideration of test
|
| C | 2 |
1 – Preliminary test not met, 1 -Withdrawn
|
| D | 11 |
7 – Preliminary test not met, 1 – Withdrawn, 1- informal resolution, 2 – ongoing
|
| E | 2 |
Preliminary tests not met
|
| F | 2 |
Preliminary tests not met
|
| G | 4 |
3 – Preliminary tests not met, 1 – Awaiting further information
|
| H | 5 |
3 – Preliminary tests not met, 1 – Withdrawn, 1 – Awaiting further information
|
| I | 2 |
1 – Withdrawn, 1 – Preliminary test not met
|
| J | 1 |
Ongoing
|
| K | 1 |
Withdrawn
|
| L | 2 |
1 – Preliminary test not met, 1 Awaiting further information
|
| M | 1 |
Preliminary test not met
|
| N | 1 |
Preliminary test not met
|
| O | 4 |
Ongoing
|
| P | 1 |
Awaiting further information
|
The total number of complaints against individual Councillors between May 205 and January 2026 is 43.
In addition to the individual complaints, two complaints were lodged about general behaviour during a full Council meeting.
3. Please provide the average cost to Devon County Council of investigating a councillor complaint during this period, broken down where possible into:
* internal officer time,
* external investigator costs,
* legal advice or counsel fees,
* any other associated costs.
Devon County Council does not collect this data, and therefore does not hold this information.
4. Please provide the total cost incurred by Devon County Council in handling councillor complaints during this period.
If exact figures are not held, please provide the closest reasonable estimates and explain how they were calculated.
DCC does not routinely collect this data, however there was one occasion where there were multiple complaints regarding a full Council meeting. This was investigated by an independent third party at a cost of £2,400 plus VAT.