Saturday 19 February 2022

A draft report on East Riding Council, including claims of bullying and undemocratic practices, is a shocking indictment of the authority’s culture; that’s according to  Opposition leader Cllr David Nolan, leader of the Liberal Democrats. The Local Government Association report is based on findings from a visit late last year by a six-strong Peer Review team, including councillors and officers from elsewhere.

The draft report stated that while the council as a whole was largely stable and delivered good services, bullying from senior officers had been observed. It also claimed decisions were being taken by officers under generous delegated powers and recommended that councillors have more of a say. 

Cllr Nolan said claims in the report, including decisions being taken outside democratic processes, showed complacency on the part of the ruling Conservatives. Councillors Jonathan Owen and John Holtby, Conservative leader and deputy of the council, have so far made no comment but council sources say the authority’s position remained that it would wait until the report is published in full before responding with an action plan as fact-checking its findings continues.

Local businesses are being urged not to miss out on Covid-19 support grants, with the news that £850 million in grants is still available nationally. East Riding of Yorkshire Council received a share of the money to distribute locally and further information on accessing the grants can be found below.

[Further information here]