Plaid Cymru Cardigan County Councillor given 3 Month Suspension

Cllr John Adams-Lewis, a Cardigan County Councillor and the Deputy Chairman of Ceredigion County Council, has been found to be in breach of the councillors’ Code of Conduct on two counts has been given a partial suspension after a tribunal hearing.

Complaints were made to the Public Services Ombudsman that Cllr Adams-Lewis failed to declare an interest and withdraw from a meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development control committee when it considered a planning application relating to land at Bath-house Farm, Cardigan, in August 2008 and again in September that year.

The Adjudication Panel for Wales tribunal hearing into the allegations found that Cllr Adams-Lewis had breached the Code of Conduct and should have withdrawn from the meetings. The panel agreed he had both a personal and prejudicial interest that he should have declared.

Cllr Adams-Lewis is suspended from the authority’s development control committee for three months. He has also been suspended for the same period from his role as deputy chairman of the county council.

He said he would consider whether to appeal the decision to the High Court.

Cllr Adams-Lewis is the 3rd Plaid Cymru County Councillor to have fallen foul of the Adjudication Panel of Wales over the past 12 months. Cllr Lyndon Lloyd from Beulah was also similarly given a suspension from the Planning Committee whilst Ciliau Aeron Councillor Moelfryn Maskell was barred from public office for 18 months for more serious infringements of the code.

(with thanks to the Tivy Side Advertiser for the details)