A TOWN councillor has resigned from his seat on the finance committee due to an ongoing legal battle with the district authority stemming from a standards row.
Jonathan Davies, town councillor for Penrith West, resigned from his seat on the finance committee on Monday night.
Councillor Davies has recently informed Eden District Council and its leading members that he intends to file for legal action.
His reason for pursuing the Judicial Review is that he feels Eden District Council has “breached his human rights”
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Cllr Davies argues that the council should not have considered standards complaints made against him by a fellow town councillor and county councillor as the offending comments were posted with his social media account.
He argues that he was acting as an individual, not a member of Penrith Town Council when he made the comments and therefore should not have been subject to the Code of Conduct.
Cllr Davies believes the council has restricted his human right to free speech by considering these standards complaints.
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Speaking at the town council finance committee on Monday, Cllr Davies said: “As members may be aware I am in the throes of legal action against Eden Council as a result of their actions that on legal advice have breached my human rights.
“The actions taken by Eden Council were instigated by the chair of this committee and I find it inappropriate for me to remain in this committee at this time with Cllr David Knaggs as its chair.
“So I unfortunately have only the one option to formally resign as a member of this committee.”
Cllr Knaggs said: "It is always regretful when a Member of the Council resigns from a committee. The town council’s finance committee accepted Councillor Davies’s resignation with immediate effect."
In response to Cllr Davies’ call for a Judicial Review, a spokesperson for Eden District Council said: “The council is satisfied with the process that was followed in the determination of the complaints made against Penrith Town Councillor, Jonathan Davies.
“Cllr Davies has been advised that he can make a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsmen, if he is dissatisfied with the decision of the Complaints Assessment Panel.
“The Council will respond to Cllr Davies’ pre-action protocol letter regarding his request for a judicial review in due course.”
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