DISTRICT councillors have been urged to think twice before reporting their colleagues for real or imagined misdemeanours.

New rules mean councillors now have to initially report such cases to their own authority’s designated officers instead of the national Standards Board for England, which is the body responsible for overseeing that standards in public life are maintained. Previously serious cases were dealt with by the board, lesser ones were referred back to councils for local determination.

At last Wednesday’s meeting of the full council the Tory leader, Councillor Roger Hollingworth (Alvechurch) told members that as a result of the change, plus a sharp rise in the numbers of incidents being reported by councillors, the local authority has had to take on one extra employee and possibly a second.

He said this equates to £2 extra on everyone’s council tax bills, as no additional cash will be forthcoming from central government.

“We should stop arguing among ourselves and get on with the job of delivering better services for the residents of Bromsgrove. Very often we can sort out problems by talking them through ourselves,” he said.