TWO parish councillors are set to appear in court to face charges relating to the disclosure of interests.

Cllr Geoff Fellows and Cllr Michael Potts, both of Penketh Parish Council, are to appear before Warrington Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Tuesday.

This will be for a first hearing in relation to the alleged offences relating to the Localism Act 2011.

Court documents state that 44-year-old Cllr Fellows faces three charges – one of participating in a discussion or vote in contravention of said act, and two of failing to comply with an obligation imposed by said act.

The same document states that Cllr Potts, aged 40, faces two charges – one of participating in a discussion or vote in contravention of said act, and one of failing to comply with an obligation imposed by said act.

The first charge for both alleges that on November 29, 2021, January 10, 2022, February 14, 2022, and March 14, 2022, they participated in discussions and voted in Penketh Parish Council meetings while having a disclosable pecuniary interest, in contravention of section 31(4) of the Localism Act 2011.

The latter meanwhile alleges that between May 6, 2021, and April 14, 2022, they failed to comply with an obligation imposed by section 30(1) of the Localism Act 2011 in that they failed to disclose a disclosable pecuniary interest in the disclosable pecuniary interest register.

Cllr Fellows faces an extra charge which alleges that on November 29, 2021, he failed to comply with an obligation imposed by section 31(2) of the Localism Act 2011 in that he failed to declare at a Penketh Parish Council meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which was not recorded on the disclosable pecuniary interest register.

As well as sitting on Penketh Parish Council, Cllr Fellows is also a Warrington Borough Councillor for Penketh and Cuerdley ward.