Peterborough councillor’s conduct hearing postponed

Independent councillor Kirsty Knight, who represents the Orton Waterville ward, was the subject of a complaint made by a member of the public regarding an interaction with Cllr Knight at their home.

Peterborough City Council said a full investigation took place into the complaint after it was received in March this year.

It was alleged that Cllr Knight had breached a number of aspects of the council’s code of conduct, including bullying, harassment and discrimination.

After a full investigation, it was concluded by deputy monitoring officer Ben Stevenson that Cllr Knight had breached the code of conduct by ‘bringing herself into disrepute through her actions, which misrepresented the council’.

Cllr Knight said she would “strongly contest” all the allegations made.

The full investigation report was not published by the council due to the possible identification of individuals.

A code of conduct hearing was due to take place on Monday, September 1, where a hearing panel would consider the matter and determine what, if any, action should be taken.

However, the council said the hearing had been postponed to ensure all parties had “sufficient time to prepare”.

The authority was unable to confirm a new date for the hearing at this stage.

Cllr Knight told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is a very upsetting situation, and I will be strongly contesting the allegations made against me. My actions were taken entirely in good faith, with the sole intention of assisting a disabled resident in our community.

“If, inadvertently, my actions have caused the complainant any upset, I would of course apologise for that. I remain clear that I acted responsibly, proportionately, and in line with my duty as a councillor to protect accessibility and support those who need it most.”

Cllr Knight became an independent councillor after leaving the Green Party in March 2024.