I HAVE now been advised that external auditors will be looking into the procedures followed by Lydney Town Council in making pay awards to the former clerk and covering the risk of early retirement. It would have been much better if Lydney Town Council had managed the issues surrounding the retirement of the clerk in an open and transparent way, giving the public confidence about how they manage public funds.

The circumstances of the retirement of the clerk have been regarded as 'exempt' business, ie. confidential, on the basis that they include personal information about the former clerk and not released to the public.

This has denied the public the opportunity to be assured that the correct procedures have been followed in the management of a post costing around 40k per annum. It is quite right to protect the confidentiality of medical and other information of an employee, but this must not be used as a smokescreen to deny public accountability.

Lydney Town Council need to move forward but can only put a line under this issue by explaining what happened and who was responsible. This is the very least that the people of Lydney should deserve to expect, in preparation for the arrival of their 'new' council tax demand, showing the Lydney Town Council element being increased by an obscene 25 per cent.

– District Councillor Alan Preest, Lydney North (Not suspended and not smiling).