A NEW parish council Code of Conduct, which caused a row and resignation threats in Addingham, comes into force this weekend.

It includes a new complaints procedure where accusations of councillors abusing their position can be put to The Standards Board for England.

As of May 5, councillors on district councils such as Bradford or parish councils such as Ilkley or Addingham, can be held to account by anybody, if they break the Code of Conduct that contains national provisions governing their behaviour.

Most councils have signed up to the new procedure, which has been in place since November 2001. But even those who have not already done so are now automatically included in the system.

Complaints, which can result in those members found guilty of misconduct facing the prospect of being banned from office for up to five years, must be put in writing to The Standards Board for England.

They can be contacted on 0800 107 2001, PO Box 36656, London SE1 0WN, or via the board's web site (www.standardsboard.co.uk).

Tony Holland, chairman of the Standards Board for England, stressed the importance of holding to account those members who behave inappropriately.

He said: "The vast majority of the 100,000 plus members who serve local democracy do so because they care about their neighbours and their neighbourhood. A tiny minority let everyone else down. It is in everyone's interests that they are held to account."

The Standards Board for England is an independent organisation set up as a result of the Local Government Act 2000. The Act also sets out the code of conduct that will apply to all members.

Its provisions cover such matters as declarations of interest, hospitality received relating to members' roles as councillors, and councillors using their positions to give unfair advantage or disadvantage.

In addition, it includes a requirement to treat people with respect and not to discriminate unlawfully.

In Addingham, some parish councillors expressed an initial reluctance to sign the Code of Conduct because it was not clear whether the conditions had been imposed or added by Bradford Council.

When it was discovered that the Code of Conduct was similar across the country, Addingham parish councillors agreed to sign.

According to Addingham parish council chairman Gordon Campbell, the body was left with the choice of complying with the new regulations on declarations of interest or ceasing to exist. Members chose the former option.