TWO councillors accused of “talking, giggling and smirking” their way through a significant planning meeting have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Official complaints were made by members of the public over the conduct of Hambleton District Councillors David Webster and Chris Rooke at a planning committee meeting last November.

The meeting, held at Solberge Hall, saw the planning committee approve PGL’s plans to create an outdoor activity centre at Newby Wiske Hall.

However, some of the watching public claimed afterwards that Cllrs Webster and Rooke displayed “contempt” and “disrespect” for the planning process throughout the two-and-a-half hour meeting.

The allegations, which both councillors strongly denied, included that the pair passed notes to each other, giggled, smirked and talked quietly between themselves for much of the meeting.

The matter was referred to a standards hearings panel that met on Wednesday to hear from some of the complainants and the councillors themselves.

John Buglass, representing a joint complaint made over Cllrs Webster and Rooke, told the hearing that he believed the pair were clearly not paying attention to the submissions being made at the planning meeting.

He described instances where Cllr Webster appeared not to know information relevant to the planning document, such as using an incorrect road name, and said the pair appeared generally disinterested in the proceedings.

Fellow complainant David Stockport said he saw the two councillors chatting together, nudging each other and giggling intermittently during the meeting.

Mr Stockport said that when a recording was being played of the noise levels associated with a PGL centre, Cllr Webster looked at the audience with a mixture of “disinterest and contempt” followed by a yawn.

Mr Stockport added: “I became disgusted by their conduct which was clearly aimed at conveying contempt towards the audience.”

Cllr Webster strongly denied the allegations and said that in 20 years on the planning committee he had never had any complaints of this kind levelled against him.

Following deliberations during a day of meetings, the standards hearings panel concluded that neither councillor had breached the council’s code of conduct.

There has been vehement opposition to the development of the children's outdoor activity centre at the former police HQ since plans were first announced.

In November, members of Maunby, Newby Wiske and South Otterington Parish Council quit en-masse in protest at Hambleton council's approval of the plans and issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in Hambleton District Council.