Town turmoil as clerk quits
Witney Town Council has been thrown into turmoil after the town clerk resigned hours after a failed no-confidence vote in two senior councillors.
Pat Nevins quit yesterday saying her staff felt intimidated.
Her move followed a closed session of the council on Monday night, at which councillors attempted to pass a vote of no confidence in the mayor Chrissie Curry, and town and West Oxfordshire district councillor David Harvey - a Conservative and chairman of the policy and finance committee.
Members failed to pass the motion, which claimed the pair had behaved in a way that could bring the council into disrepute and which called on them to resign.
The pair have also been reported by Mrs Nevins to the Standards Board for England - the independent body which investigates conduct in local government.
Speaking exclusively to the Oxford Mail, Mrs Nevins said her position had become impossible because of a catalogue of incidents - including the hiring of a firm of private detectives to investigate staff.
She said: "If I can't protect my staff... I have no choice but to resign.
"As town clerk, I raised a grievance, which is what the vote of no confidence was about. This was about the use of a firm of private detectives to carry out an investigation in the town council.
"Staff members have reported that they feel intimidated and distressed by being forced to cooperate with the investigation.
"The investigation has cost more than £6,000."
She said there was no council resolution for the payment.
She added: "On the advice of legal officers at the Society of Local Town Clerks, I've reported the matter to the Standards Board."
Mrs Nevins joined the council last year, moving to Witney from Durham.
She said: "I am very sorry to leave the council. I have just moved to Witney and have enjoyed meeting and working with groups and communities across the town."
Both Ms Curry and Mr Harvey declined to comment on the vote of no confidence motion.
Ms Curry said: "This is a confidential internal matter. I can't comment."
Mr Harvey said: "It's an internal matter for the town council and I have no comment to make."
Town councillor David Nicholson, a member of the council's Liberal Democrat group, who supported the motion of no confidence, said: "I have never known anything like this."
Fellow Liberal Democrat Paul Slamin said a report on the council's use of funds in hiring the private detectives had gone to the Audit Commission - the independent body responsible for ensuring public money is used effectively.
He said: "As one of the signatories to the motion, I thought it was entirely correct. The final say will be left with the Standards Board and the Audit Commission.
"This is a row that isn't going to go away. I believe the people of Witney will be appalled."
Source: Oxford Mail (14/02/2007)
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