Independent Persons

The Independent Person must be consulted by the Monitoring Officer and the Standards Committee before a decision is reached on an allegation and the Independent Person's view must be taken into account. In addition a person against whom a complaint is made may also seek the views of the Independent Person. The idea behind this is that if a Councillor feels victimised or pressured by a member or members of the Council or authority, he or she can have access to the Independent Person for a view. This applies both to South Staffordshire Councillors and to the Parish Councillors.

Appointed Independent Person

Mr Stephen Cork

• Professional Background
  
  Employed as a Solicitor in Local Government from 1974 to 2005. Since 2005 worked as a self-employed Legal Consultant.
• Wider Community
  
  Member of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and West Midlands Bird Club
• Personal Details
  
  Married since 1984 and lived in Wombourne throughout that period.

Contact Details

C/o Monitoring Officer, South Staffordshire Council, Council Offices, Codsall, Wolverhampton WV8 1PX

Email: independent.person@sstaffs.gov.uk