Former Council Leader Receives An Apology & A Substantial Sum in Damages

Above: Mr. Theobald in the Council Chamber when he was
Leader of West Lindsey District Council

The Lincolnshire Echo has today published an apology to Mr. Bernard Theobald, the one-time Leader of West Lindsey District Council, for linking information about the council's operations, a planning application by Mr. Theobald and the dismissal of a member of the planning department. The paper summerised there apology saying:

"We apologise unreservedly to Mr Theobald for any distress or embarrassment caused by this error."

Although the periodical spent, however, the preceding seven paragraphs quantifying their apology and blaming a press release from the Council; apparently the connection between 'potential fraud and mismanagement' and Mr. Theobald's planning application was made, relying on a press release from West Lindsey District Council dated 24th September 2009.

Mr. Theobald, who was singer Barbara Dickson's manager before entering politics, brought proceedings in the High Court, in London. The former Leader of West Lindsey District Council and Chairman of the Planning Committee, was caused serious distress and embarrassment by the stories, said his counsel, Mr. Ronald Thwaites QC. The first article appeared in December 2009 and alleged there were good and solid reasonable grounds to suspect Mr. Theobald had committed fraud in relation to the application, which he had made the previous June. Three days later, the allegation was repeated and it was also claimed that Mr. Theobald had lied in denying the newspaper's claim that his planning application had resulted in a council officer's suspension and investigation by the Audit Commission. A third article appeared in January 2010.

Mr. Thwaites said:

"There was nothing to justify the allegations as published. The allegations made against Mr Theobald were completely false and should never have been published."

On behalf of the publisher, Mr. Manuel Barca QC, said it apologised 'fully and unreservedly' for the publication of the false allegations. It is understood that they have agreed to pay Mr. Theobald a substantial, yet undisclosed, sum in compensation and his legal costs.

West Lindsey Agrees to Idemnify Legal Costs Former Chief Executive and Leader

The Market Rasen Mail is reporting that West Lindsey District Council has agreed to indemnify the legal costs of former Leader of the Council, Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Independent (Wold View Ward) and or retiring Chief Executive, Mr. Duncan Sharkey, who is taking up a new post with Worcester City Council, if either is sued following publication of a report by the Audit Commission.

The Audit Commission report, which is believed to be critical of Cllr. Theobald's leadership of the authority, was pre-published, as a draft, to those concerned, for comment before final publication, last November and the Audit Commission had been expected to publish the full report in December 2009.
It has not yet done so because of legal challenges by Cllr. Theobald whose successor Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) said West Lindsey would act as a 'shield not a sword' for Cllr. Theobald and Mr. Sharkey. The paper reports Cllr. Duguid as saying:

"If either of them are sued, we will pay up to £10,000 if they are defendants in proceedings.

"If they lose a case, they will have to repay any amount paid. This does not cover criminal proceedings nor actions by the Standards Board and it does not cover Cllr. Theobald's legal expenses in presently challenging the Audit Commission report."

It is understood that Cllr. Theobald will be meeting with his legal team this week.

Full Details of New Chief Executive Appointment at West Lindsey District Council

Update to 'EXCLUSIVE: West Lindsey Announce New Chief Executive'.

A new Chief Executive has been appointed by West Lindsey District Council.

A meeting of the authority last night confirmed the appointment of the forty-eight year-old, mother of two, Mrs. Manjeet Gill who is expected to start her new job in May.

Right: West Lindsey District Council Chief Executive Mrs. Manjeet Gill.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) said:

"The selection panel was faced with the difficult job of selecting a candidate from a very strong short-list, but Mrs. Gill was the unanimous choice."

Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward), added:

"The two-day selection process was very rigorous but I am sure an excellent choice has been made and that the whole district will benefit."

A delighted Mrs. Gill said:

"I am extremely proud to have been chosen to be West Lindsey's Chief Executive. This is a district with many strengths and challenges and I am looking forward to working with councillors and officers to build on the strengths and to meet the challenges.

"I was attracted to the job because the Council has a good track record and I am looking forward to developing the towns in the district and improving the rural economy."

Mrs. Gill's local government career began in environmental health with Leicester City Council. She has worked as Chief Executive for Salisbury District Council and her other senior posts include roles in Regeneration and Partnerships at Northamptonshire County Council.

She has also worked as a professional adviser on public sector leadership and on the role of the voluntary and community sector in society.

Away from work Mrs. Gill enjoys running in the countryside and cycling.

Mrs. Gill succeeds Mr. Duncan Sharkey who has taken a post with Worcester City Council as Managing Director.

EXCLUSIVE: West Lindsey Announce New Chief Executive

The New Chief Executive of West Lindsey District Council Has been named as Mrs. Manjeet Gill, believed to be from Leicestershire with a string of acting Chief Executive posts to her credit.

Mrs. Gill is to replace out going Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey who is off to take up a post in Worcester City Council as Managng Director.

More tomorrow.

Four Councillors Referred to Standards Board for England

The Lincolnshire Echo reports today that for members of West Lindsey District Council have been referred to the Standards Board for England.

The, recently elected, Leader of the Council, Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward) together with colleague Cllr. Malcolm Parish, Conservative (Welton Ward) and Independent Group Leader Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Independent (Wold View Ward) and Cllr. Stuart Kinch, Independent, (Torkesy Ward) face allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

The Standards Board has confirmed it is assessing a request to investigate allegations against Cllr. Theobald, Cllr. Duguid, Cllr. Stuart Kinch and Cllr Parish. The cases of the four men were referred to the national board by the district council's own standards committee.

Spokesman for West Lindsey District Council, Geoff O'Neill is reported to have confirmed to the paper that the complaints had been made by the Liberal Democrat Group and outgoing Chief Executive Mr. Duncan Sharkey, who it is understood had an increasingly strained relationship with Cllr. Theobald during his leadership of the authority.

As previously reported in the paper, Cllr. Duguid admitted meeting a council officer who had been suspended as part of an on-going inquiry into fraud and mismanagement allegations made against the authority's planning department. Leader of the Opposition, Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat (Stow Ward) later alleged at a full council meeting that both Cllr. Parish and Cllr. Theobald were also present at this meeting. The Liberal Democrat Group at West Lindsey will want to make as much hay from this matter as possible in preparation for local elections on Thursday, 6th May 2010. They are fighting to regain control of the authority, which they lost two years ago, and have been sliding backwards, with two by-election defeats and one resignation, ever since.

The second issue which may require an investigation concerns a controversial planning application submitted by Cllr. Theobald to develop a house on land owned by himself, Cllr. Kinch and their respective wives.

West Lindsey District Council Leader Cllr. Duguid is reported to have said he was not surprised the issues were being investigated by the Standards Board and accepted he had made a mistake.

Chief Executive of Local Council Sees the Positives of 2009

The Market Rasen Mail is reporting that West Lindsey District Council’s Chief Executive has said that the investigation into the council's planning department and the Audit Commission report into the governance of the council, has deflected attention from the many positives achieved in 2009.

Mr. Duncan Sharkey, who leaves the authority for a new post in March, is quoted as saying that it would be

"some time before we are able to repair the damage"

done to the council from the investigations but they were

"working hard"

to do so, and cited positives achieved by the Conservative-led administration.

• The introduction of the Triple Bin refuse collection scheme which had taken the recycling rate to more than 50 per cent.
• The first council in the country to reach the achieving level of the Equality Framework for Local Government.
• A new leisure contract giving better value from the leisure centre.
• A restructuring of the council which means the council tax increase last April was 1.8 per cent and this year will be less than 1 per cent.
• Significant improvements in the housing department.
• Saved the Trinity Arts Centre in Gainsborough.
• One of the first councils to draw down money from the Future Jobs Fund to help young people into work.
• Working with the police, rewarded youngsters for work like litter picking and removing graffiti.

Chief Executive Leaves Amid Growing Crisis at West Lindsey District Council

Update to Investigations Stall at West Lindsey as Liberal Democrat 'Fudge' Prevails, Liberal Democrats Frustrate Investigations at West Lindsey and Fraud Inquiry at West Lindsey..

The Lincolnshire Echo is today reporting that it could be the middle of next year before a successor is appointed to replace West Lindsey District Council's chief executive. Although it was confirmed during last week that Mr. Duncan Sharkey is leaving his post at West Lindsey District Council after nearly five years.

He is expected to remain in post until March 2010 when he will move to become Worcester City Council's managing director. There is some speculation that in the interim he could be temporarily replaced by his deputy Mr. Daren Turner.

A search for a permanent successor will not take place until a review of senior management at the authority has been completed. The Liberal Democrat leadership has raised concerns that two of the three councillors given the task of carrying this out include Leader of the Council, Cllr. Bernard Theobald, Conservative (Wold View Ward) and his deputy Cllr. Adam Duguid, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward).

Cllr. Duguid caused controversy at last week's extraordinary meeting of the council after admitting he had met a officer from the planning department suspended as part of an on-going fraud investigation.

Further Cllr. Theobald refused to confirm or deny whether he was also present and labelled the claims from opposition leader Cllr. Reg Shore, Liberal Democrat Group Leader (Stow Ward), to be

"vague accusations".

But Cllr. Theobald is reported to have said there should be no worries about the involvement of himself or his deputy in the review and their sole aim was to secure best value for taxpayers' cash.

The Liberal Democrats would be required to put forward a member for the senior management review but Cllr. Shore said this would not happen until changes took place. The leader of the opposition described the process as giving him 'serious concerns'.

A reporter at the Lincolnshire Echo has also been fishing for comment on Cllr. Theobald's leadership of the Conservative Group and the Council. A West Lindsey District Council Conservative Group Meeting may be held as early as this week.