Political leaders pledge “full confidence” in Derbyshire council chief executive – after Traveller site row and resignation of council leader

Derbyshire Dales District Council has responded to reports of the private promise made to the Heights of Abraham, which related to the length of time a homeless family of Gypsies – their identified ethnicity – could stay on the Matlock Bath station coach car park.

Since the Local Democracy Reporting Service released the emails between Garry Purdy, who had been Conservative leader of the authority, chief executive Paul Wilson and the Heights of Abraham, Cllr Purdy has been suspended by his party, resigned from his group and subsequently resigned from the council entirely.

Now, a statement issued by the council, signed by all political group leaders, says that the authority has “reviewed all of the correspondence” relating to the Matlock Bath car park limitations, and is “assured that there has been no wrongdoing in the decision-making process, the communication of that decision or on the part of the council’s chief executive or the Heights of Abraham in lobbying the council to protect their business interests”.

No reference has been made to the now-former councillor Garry Purdy in the 297-word statement. The statement says “no agreements were entered into with the Heights of Abraham by any member or officers”, despite emails from the now former councillor Garry Purdy directly referring to a “written commitment”, Purdy himself telling the LDRS he made a promise, and Purdy writing in emails that “a promise is a promise”.

It says that all processes have been followed in line with the authority’s constitution and says that it will be publishing a “chronology of decision-making and all relevant correspondence in relation to this matter” by the end of this week.

The statement, signed by Cllr Sue Hobson (Conservatives), Cllr Neil Buttle (Green/Independent), Cllr Mike Ratcliffe (Labour), Cllr Steve Flitter (Liberal Democrats), and Cllr Colin Swindell (Independent) concludes: “We want to place on record that we continue to have full confidence in Paul Wilson, the council’s chief executive, who has acted entirely properly in discharging his duties and responsibilities in relation to this matter.

“As a district council, we are committed to always acting in an open and transparent manner with both councillors and officers expected to conduct themselves in a way that would be expected of public servants.”

Politicians have spoken to the LDRS about the situation, with Derbyshire Dales’ Conservative MP, Sarah Dines, saying: “I’ll be writing to the chief executive to ask for his explanation.”

Labour Cllr Peter O’Brien said: “Residents of the Derbyshire Dales deserve a council that is open and transparent in the way it conducts its business. Above all, it is essential that they can trust that members and officers act in accordance with the highest standards of public life.

“I have seen some of the emails referring to various ‘promises’, and to decisions relating to sites for Traveller families not just in Matlock Bath but across the district. I think it is now essential that the full facts are established and laid out for all to see. Only then can people judge what action is required to restore public confidence in the council.”