Allegations revolve around judicial review launched in 2012 against controversial plans to introduce pay and display parking on Yarm high street
Councillor Chris Johnson, who is calling for the police to be brought in to investigate 'criminal activity' within Yarm Town Council
A Yarm town councillor has called for police to investigate allegations of criminal activity within his own council.
The allegations revolve around a judicial review launched in 2012 against controversial plans to introduce pay and display parking on Yarm high street.
As reported, Yarm Town Council lost the legal challenge to have Stockton Council's introduction of pay and display declared illegal.
Since then there have been accusations that Yarm Council did not properly agree to go ahead with the judicial review at a full committee meeting, but only to investigate the possibility - but the process went ahead anyway.
Last month the divided parish council agreed to investigate how it made the legal decision which ended up costing it £40,000.
Yarm Town Council also agreed in principle to approach its insurers to see if it is entitled to any of the money back, but has since been told there was no cover for this.
It came after members of the Save Stockton South campaign group issued a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to find out more about the council’s actions at the time.
Having fought against the pay and display plans, Yarm Town Council members Chris Johnson and Jason Hadlow claim they are under attack and have been accused of fraud.
Said Cllr Johnson: “YTC councillors have accused me and other members of acting in a criminal manner during the judicial review process.
“I believe that these accusations are groundless, but I do believe that a least one councillor has committed a criminal offence at the outset of the process and several more have committed criminal offences in subsequent actions that have prevented the matter ever being investigated.
“We are now in a situation where there is no doubt that a majority of Yarm Town councillors believe that criminal offences have been committed. It is my belief as public servants we are now lawfully and morally required to report this matter to the police.”
At last night’s YTC meeting Cllr Johnson asked fellow councillors “to invite the police to undertake a proper criminal investigation”.
But his proposal was voted down by four councillors to three, with two abstaining.
Sandra McLeavy, from Save Stockton South, said: “Its about time that councillors sorted this out. Since making my Freedom of Information request I have received nothing but abuse and excuses from YTC.”
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