A COUNCILLOR who believes he has been found guilty of breaching his authority's code of conduct said he “was simply acting in the interests of my electors".

Coun Mark Chatburn, the only Ukip councillor on Stockton Borough Council, is being investigated for publishing confidential legal advice circulated to councillors on the planning committee.

He published the legal paper on his blog, arguing council officials were trying to influence the committee to approve a planning application at Urlay Nook, near Eaglescliffe.

The legal document said the council would be unlikely to win an appeal against developers Taylor Wimpey if it rejected a plan to build 145 homes.

He has been interviewed as part of an investigation and says he has since been informed that investigating council officers consider he has been in breach of the rules.

However he has not yet officially responded and a spokesman for Stockton council said the investigation is therefore still on-going and it would be inappropriate to comment.

Coun Chatburn, who is no longer a member of the planning committee since he defected from the Conservatives to Ukip, said the legal advice that the council would lose an appeal if it rejected the application to build the homes was an attempt to unduly influence the committee.

However the authority has previously said it would have been negligent not to have done so. The proposal was eventually approved by the planning committee.

Coun Chatburn said: "It is hardly surprising at all that officers at Stockton Council have found me guilty of breaching the code of conduct simply for acting in the best interests of those I was elected to represent.

"It is demonstrably absurd for them to argue that my actions risked damaging the council's case in the anticipated planning appeal. 

"When all's said and done, Stockton Council was trying to influence the way the planning committee voted under a shroud of secrecy. That is plain wrong."

Stockton council’s legal team has some powers to deal with disciplinary procedures but in more serious breaches of the code of conduct a members’ panel is convened to decide on any sanction.