Council closes door on Corbridge skate park row

Mar 27 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

A PARISH council accused of trying to cover up a blunder that saw a new skateboard park built in the wrong place last night turned residents away while members discussed the matter in private.

Corbridge Parish Council in Northumberland received a number of questions last night about how the park could have been built on the wrong allotment plot on land close to the River Tyne.

The land had been leased by the parish council from a local businessman, but instead of building the ramp where the plans stipulated, workmen concreted over a neighbouring allotment which the council does not own.

The council later sent a confidential memo to members asking them to sanction the purchase of the land where it had been built, for £20,000.

At last night’s meeting at Corbridge Parish Hall, after offering no comment on a series of questions about the matter, council members discussed the matter behind closed doors.

Tributes were paid at the meeting to Coun Lawrence Best, who resigned earlier this month after the clerk of the council, Derick Tiffin, accused him of leaking information about the blunder to The Journal and threatened to report him to the Standards Board.

Audrey Graham, of St Helen’s Street in Corbridge, said: "I would like to express on behalf of many residents our thanks to Coun Best and our deep regret that he has decided to resign.

"Although he was only a member for a short period he has made quite a contribution. His knowledge of the village will be greatly missed."

Parish council chairman Bill Grigg added: "His knowledge of the village and of the problems of the village and alerting people to those problems have always been appreciated."

Of the decision to report the matter to the Standards Board, he said: "If the clerk feels that there is a situation where a councillor has not done what he thinks is within the code of conduct, he has the right to do that. That was done without my knowledge or without the knowledge of the council."

When asked why the matter was to be discussed in private, Mr Tiffin said: "If the council decides something it wants to discuss should be confidential because to bring it into the public domain would be detrimental to the council then they can decide to make it a confidential matter."

Outside the meeting Mr Best said: "I got the blame for giving the information but it was The Journal who told me about it. It was in the open. I don’t see why they have to talk about it in private."