Issue - meetings

Cabinet considered a response to the motion submitted to the Council on 18^th July 2013.

Councillor Brendan Murphy had proposed and Councillor Arthur Moran had seconded the following motion:

“In the light of the findings of the Designated Independent Person - as published by the former Interim Chief Executive in the matter Lyme Green - and to have this matter finally concluded, the Council requests its Leader to publish on its behalf a formal apology for the following reasons:

1.     The matter has caused widespread anxiety and considerable unnecessary and avoidable expense for taxpayers and employees.

2.    The handling of the crisis has seriously damaged the reputation of the Council and its employee; furthermore it is undermining public confidence in local democracy.

3.    The published report clearly indicates a failure of the Council’s Executive body to maintain due diligence in its oversight of the Council’s affairs.”

Councillors B Murphy and A Moran spoke in relation to the motion.

The Council, in the interest of transparency and in response to clear public interest, issued a report publicly on 17^th June 2013 which summarised the confidential report of the investigation of the Designated Independent Person into the related actions of Council officers and Elected members. The summary report, which was an extensive document numbering some 28 pages, considered, amongst other things, the matters raised within the motion. Given that the Council had acknowledged its shortcomings in this matter on a number of occasions, including a formal apology on behalf of the Council at the special meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee on 14^th June 2012, it was not considered necessary to say anything further on the matter.

The Leader stressed that the Council had drawn the necessary lessons from the report and had improved its structures and processes to ensure greater rigour, transparency and accountability in the future.

RESOLVED

That no further action be taken in relation to the motion.