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Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Editor (27th Sep 2011 - 11:38:45) This is the Public Report of the Accounts & Annual Return Working Party (WP) for the meeting of the Parish Council on 19 September 2011. It is an edited version of the Report presented to the Finance and Policy Committee on 12 September 2011, excluding matters which have to remain confidential at this stage. Since the F&P Meeting on 11 July the WP has been handicapped by the holiday period (all four members being on holiday at some time) and the continued intransigence of the Acting Deputy Clerk and Hedleys in providing the documentation and information requested for the WP to complete its investigations. Nevertheless the WP felt that it had sufficient information to make an interim report and recommendations at the meeting on 12 September 2011, particularly in view of recent serious developments. Full report - Public Report of Accounts and Annual Return Working Party

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Jane G (27th Sep 2011 - 17:02:20) Have just read the document and am both shocked and appalled at the alleged behaviour of the clerk, the previous council and their solicitors. It was always clear from postings on here that something wasn't quite right with the old PC but this document throws an awful lot of light on the matter. How dreadful that so much money has been wasted and let's hope that some can be recovered. Well done to the working party and the new PC as a whole for refusing to accept last year's accounts and for investigating in such detail. I hope this may silence the critics of our new councillors!

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Old liphook Resident (28th Sep 2011 - 14:38:49) I am amazed only one reply to this thread - It makes very interesting reading.

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - helen (28th Sep 2011 - 15:26:09) Perhaps hopefully those involved in defending the mis-doings of the past have decided to lay low. Honesty is always the best defence against the bullies.

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - john (28th Sep 2011 - 18:04:54) The thing is this is only part of groves & newmans story there will be more to come .To think newman was chairman of the pc makes one's blood boil.

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Jane G (28th Sep 2011 - 18:57:45) Agree with you Helen. I hope that things start to settle down a bit now, once all the wrongs are made right!

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - jenny (29th Sep 2011 - 09:19:33) What we must all recognise is that these Councillors have been working their socks off for hours and hours since being elected in May and are continuing to do so. They do this voluntarily, on top of their "ordinary" employment. They are "manning" the Parish Office in the Clerk's absence and meanwhile, the Clerk is suspended on full pay whilst everyone else is having to do his job. So let's stop criticising from now on and let them get on with it, so that they can reach a satisfactory conclusion so Liphook can henceforth benefit from its Parish Council and its hard working Councillors.

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Jane G (29th Sep 2011 - 15:02:37) I've just read the hashed up report of this document in The Herald this week, and can't help but feel it is quite misleading. I hope that anyone who reads it will also read the full report attached at the beginning of this thread. What The Herald fails to make crystal clear, in my opinion, is that is was the clerk who was accused of bullying over a long period of time and not Councillor Evans. Some of the initial investigations are (quoted from report): 1. A number of employees and Councillors interviewed have reported serious and persistent bullying and intimidation by the Clerk over many years. One claimed to be "frightened" of the Clerk. 2. All those to whom we spoke reported that the grievances brought by the Clerk against Councillors were misconceived, often trivial, and sometimes based entirely on hearsay evidence which was untrue. 3. Several witnesses said they had raised concerns with the then Chairman about the Clerk's behaviour in 2007 and 2009. However their complaints had apparently been somehow relayed to the Clerk and they had suffered recriminations from the Clerk as a result. And let's not forget he's now had £11,000 of our money in 'compensation'!!!

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Jock Trodden (29th Sep 2011 - 18:34:57) Well the cat is (nearly) out of the bag. Where are Nigel Newman, John Tough, Greg Amey, Jeremy Austen Olsen, Anna James & the clerk’s supporters now? Silenced I presume. Certain members of the old Parish Council were clearly misled and complicit in the underhand way they dealt with business. My understanding is simple. If the baddies named above held a majority vote in decision making, which they did, then it is hardly surprising the skulduggery which has gone on for years, not months, could not come to light lest the clerk or one of his cohorts would instruct solicitors. They were a joke as councillors and good riddance to them all with the exception of Anna James who still serves. Perhaps she ought to consider her position as did Austen-Olsen. Liphook now has good people, with 2 exceptions, in office who are honest and trustworthy. We can all now be assured that the business of your local Parish Council is in good safe hands. Jock Trodden

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - Richard (29th Sep 2011 - 18:49:37) Speaking as a tax payer and voter; what concerns me is that it has taken this long for this information to emerge. If it looks like a cover-up, sounds like a cover-up and smells like a cover-up, is it one? It would be nice if wrong doing is proven, then the people concerned will do the honourable thing and fall on their metaphorical swords. If they are proven innocent, then they will accept a heartfelt apology and endeavour to repair the chasms in the local council without needing yet more money to paper over said chasms!

Re: Accounts & Annual Return Working Party - john (29th Sep 2011 - 19:50:50) It will be nice when the wrong doing is proven. Before it is proven it will become a police matter and be tried in court and a guilty will be very nice,

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