Holt Councillor Resigns After Suspension

Ron Stone has resigned as an independent District Councillor for Holt Ward after being suspended for six months for making disparaging remarks about North Norfolk District Council officers.

Mr Stone ceases to be a District Councillor with immediate effect, and an election is now likely to be called to find a replacement for a year until all NNDC seats come up for re-election naturally in May 2007.

An election must be called if two electors in the District request it in writing to the Returning Officer (in this case, NNDC's Chief Exective, Philip Burton), NNDC, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9EN. The election will be held within 35 working days of this request.

Mr Stone was suspended by the independent Adjudication Panel for England at a hearing on 29 March this year, for breaking the Council's Code of Conduct through what the Panel called "a pattern of oral and written behaviour that used inappropriate words and phrases" relating to the Council's housing stock transfer.

Holt's other District Councillor, Michael Baker, is serving a year's suspension after an unrelated judgement by the Adjudication Panel concerning his conduct in a Development Control Committee meeting.

For details of these cases, see:
• www.standardsboard.co.uk
• www.adjudicationpanel.co.uk

The interests of Holt's electors are currently being represented by Councillor John Perry-Warnes of neighbouring Corpusty Ward.