Northumberland County Council's complaints procedure looks set to be overhauled after lawyers warned it was taking too long to investigate issues raised about its councillors.
The council's advisory challenge board recommended an independent review of the way the authority dealt with a number of complaints about elected members.
Lawyer Simon Goacher of Weightmans LLP carried out the review, and warned that the council was taking "a lot longer" than best practice guidance to conclude complaints, but accepted there were "mitigating factors" behind this.
