Skate park row clerk goes

Sep 6 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

THE clerk of a council at the centre of a row over a skate park that was built on the wrong site has left his post.

Derick Tiffin resigned from his position at a meeting of Corbridge Parish Council earlier this week.

The council has come in for heavy criticism in recent months for its role in the incorrect siting of a skate park on the outskirts of the village, exposed by The Journal, a blunder that could end up costing council tax payers in the area tens of thousands of pounds.

Mr Tiffin cited his increased workload at Hexham Town Council, where he is also clerk, as a factor in his departure.

But The Journal understands that the clerk also came under pressure from council members over his role in the skate park fiasco.

Lawrence Best was one of two councillors who resigned from the council in protest at how the skate park mix-up was handled.

He said: “It is right that he should go. There are a lot of things apart from the skate park that need to happen that haven’t happened – the whole council needs to be sorted out.

“Things just aren’t right at all. I am happy to see him go, but I don’t think things will improve now he’s gone.”

The mistake over the skate park was highlighted after a confidential council memo was leaked to The Journal earlier this year.

The memo, sent by Mr Tiffin, asked councillors to sanction the retrospective purchase of the site for £20,000 to enable the project to go ahead.

An independent inquiry was carried out by Tynedale Council into the mistake, which was critical of the parish council and consultant engineering firm Crawford Higgins.

It listed a lack of communication and an absence of proper documentation as factors in the mistake.

The inquiry also highlighted the parish council’s poor management of the scheme, stating that although it was unclear exactly how much control had been given to the chairman and clerk, a better reporting structure to other council members should have been in place.

The parish council and district council are both currently working with the owner of the land where the park was built, Charles Beaumont, to try to resolve the situation.

Chairman of the council Bill Grigg paid tribute to Mr Tiffin, saying: “The parish council is losing the services of a friend of Corbridge in Derick and he will be missed by us all.

“During his time with the council, a huge amount has been achieved for the village.

“The parish hall, Aydon Green, Well Bank Green and the riverside, The Boat House and land, Barclays Garden and Stanners Wood are now in the council’s name, and Derick’s expertise and hard work have been invaluable in these achievements.”

Mr Tiffin declined to comment. The Journal also contacted a number of other councillors at the parish council, all of whom refused to comment on the situation.