Councillor told off over 'fire risk gate' claim

Timothy Van-Rees did not have the authority to decide whether the gate was a risk, the fire authority standards committee said

A councillor who asked a member of the public to remove a gate because he claimed it was a fire risk has been censured.

A complaint was lodged that Timothy Van-Rees, who is also a member of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, breached its code of conduct.

A report said evidence suggested Mr Van-Rees did not have the authority to decide whether the gate was a risk, which was a matter for the fire service.

The fire authority's standards committee said he had not treated the member of the public "equitably or with respect".

For many years the former Army officer was a member of Powys County Council before he stood down at last year's election, although he remains a member of Llanwrtyd Wells Town Council.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Michelle Morris, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, referred the complaint to the fire authority’s standards committee.

The ombudsman found Mr Van-Rees "relied on his position as a member of the fire authority" and wrote to the complainant about the gate.

The ombudsman concluded that he used his position improperly to secure an advantage for clients in a private civil dispute.

'Inappropriate tone'

The "tone" of Mr Van-Rees's correspondence to the complainant was also found to be “inappropriate.”

The fire authority standards committee found he failed to comply with the members' code of conduct. It said he had attempted to use his position improperly to secure an advantage or create a disadvantage for himself, and/or others.

Its report said that he had a "long and distinguished record of public service," but because of the "seriousness of the conduct" he "should be censured for his actions in failing to comply with the members’ code of conduct, particularly as he was still an active member of Llanwrtyd Wells Town Council”.

The ombudsman said: “During the course of the investigation, the member made a number of comments about the complainant’s mental health, which the ombudsman considered to be disrespectful and discriminatory in respect of a potential disability”.