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Blobby report accuses council leader of lying
THE current leader of Lancaster City Council is facing a call to resign this week over accusations that she lied in the investigation into the Crinkley Bottom fiasco.
In the long-awaited report into the saga, Coun Tricia Heath is accused of giving false evidence to District Auditor Clive Portman.
Mr Portman also calls Coun Heath an 'enthusiastic supporter' of the theme park and says evidence from her and other unnamed members of the Morecambe Bay Independents 'has been created in order to support the objection and is false'.
Mr Portman's criticisms are contained in a section of the report, which runs to 237 pages, referring to a 'side letter' to the original agreement between the council and Noel Edmonds's Unique Group.
The letter was supposed to be a financial safeguard to the council in the event that the venture faced 'extraordinary losses', but was never signed.
Evidence presented to Mr Portman, however, suggested that some councillors understood the letter had been signed and they only agreed to proceed on that basis.
"Councillor Heath asserts that in March 1994 she and other councillors 'left Bill Pearson, the town clerk, in no doubt that unless the terms of the contract were improved to protect the council against exceptional losses in the event of failure of the project, we would oppose the theme park'," the report says.
"In my view that assertion is untrue.
Evidence
"Councillor Heath's further evidence to me is that she 'was told by Mr Pearson that it was written into the original agreement that Noel Edmonds and Unique would bear some of the losses if the project failed'.
"I do not believe her. I find that the town clerk told her no such thing.
"Councillor Heath also states that Mr Pearson informed her that the side letter was a 'legally binding document'. I regret to say that I find this evidence is false and has been brought into existence to support the objection."
Coun Ian Barker, who was accused of misconduct but completely cleared by the report, said Coun Heath's position was now 'untenable'.
"There has been a conspiracy to fool the public," he said.
"No responsible councillor, let alone the leader, could read what he has said about her and retain office. She should resign forthwith."
But Coun Heath rejected the calls for her to resign and described the report as a 'whitewash'.
"If he means by collusion that we were looking for the truth and getting it into the public arena then that's correct," she said.
"If it's that we made up evidence he's incorrect. We pushed for the truth to come out into the public arena and expose a cover up.
Disappointed
"I'm disappointed that he's not accepted my word and chosen to believe (Bill) Pearson's instead.
"The whole thing has been a complete whitewash and I think the public generally think that as well."
Clive Portman's long awaited report into the Crinkley Bottom fiasco does little to ease the frustration of taxpayers who have footed the 2.6 million bill.
While he uses words like 'imprudent', 'irrational' and 'mistaken' no-one will be surcharged or taken to court for their role.
In releasing his report Mr Portman, said: "Lancaster City Council's involvement in this short-lived and ill fated venture cost local taxpayers more than 2 million.
"The report I have issued today, dealing with the determination of statutory objections received, marks the first step in bringing my work to a close. I hope that this, and my second report to be published in the spring, which will deal with my wider investigation into the management of the theme park project, will help the council to learn from this venture and to move on."
After the report was made public Noel Edmonds was quoted as saying that Morecambe was once famous for shrimps but now, in his opinion, it is famous for fudge.
In answer to the auditor's report Mark Cullinan, the council's chief executive, held a press conference on Friday to outline a response. The presentation outlined the steps taken by the council to ensure what is being called 'Blobbygate' never happens again.
The steps include:
l Reports are now required to list financial and legal implications of decisions.
l Officers must now provide full information to the decision making body - not simply brief a group of members.
l The introduction of review boards means that the cabinet and officers can be held accountable for their decisions.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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