Questions about town and parish councils
Follow Councillor Q&A on BlueSky

Follow us on BlueSky

0 votes
Parish councillor using one name, sets up a trust for managing rented land used for allotments.  The formation of a trust was not minuted or communicated to parishioners.  The parish councillor then acting as trustee applied for grants using a different name and own business email. address, which does not identify the fact that the parish councillor and the applicant are one and the same person.  The first lot of grant money has not been spent as described in plans.  A second grant has been applied for which goes beyond any plans communicated to parishioners about how the allotments will be used.  Is this acceptable behaviour for a parish councillor and if not, what can be done about the issue.
by (120 points)

2 Answers

0 votes
More information is probably needed here but what has the formation of a trust by an individual who is a parish councillor got to do with the council?
What organisation is awarding the grants and where, if any, is the connection to council?

If a councillor is purporting to act on behalf of the parish council without authority then that is a matter of concern but just because an individual happens to be a parish councillor this does not automatically make his or her actions attributable to the parish council.
by (22.1k points)
Here are some further details.  The individual at the time was chair of the PC and known and minuted with the name X.  Without informing parishioners or minuting, a trust was formed by, sitting as councillor X to manage land owned by the Parochial Parish Council used as allotments.  X as chairperson of the trust and also sitting as Parish councillor applied for grants from the District Council using the name Y, with no indication that Y was also simultaneously parish councillor. X  This gives the appearance that X and Y are two different people, but that is not the case.  Some of the money given in this first grant has been spent on facilities not set out in the application for the grant  whilst failing use the money for fundamentally important facilities for which the first grant was awarded.  Now, a second grant has been applied for by the trustee using name Y and also Y's business email, Y currently still sitting as councillor using the name X.  The second grant application is for facilities that have never been discussed with the community, or minuted in any form.  The community is totally unaware of the second application and the second trustee resigned over the application, which was made without discussion with the other trustee at the time and was only seen retrospectively by the resigning trustee.
I'm sorry I'm still not seeing the connection with the parish council.    Which organisation was the grant paid to?
0 votes
Do the land/allotments belong to the parish council?

Also 1.  think it is inconceivable that any funder would grant monies to an organisation within governance structure.

Also 2. How have you discovered so much about this arrangement if the formation of the trust was not communicated to either the parish council or parishioners,
by (11.8k points)
edited by
the land is owned by the Parochial Parish council.

Welcome to Town & Parish Councillor Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community. All genuine questions and answers are welcome. Follow us on Twitter to see the latest questions as they are asked - click on the image button above or follow @TownCouncilQA. Posts from new members may be delayed as we are unfortunately obliged to check each one for spam. Spammers will be blacklisted.

You may find the following links useful:

We have a privacy policy and a cookie policy.

Clares Cushions logo Peacock cushion

Clare's Cushions creates beautiful hand made cushions and home accessories from gorgeous comtemporary fabrics. We have a fantastic selection of prints including Sophie Allport and Orla Kiely designs and most covers can be ordered either alone or with a cushion inner. Buying new cushions is an affordable and effective way to update your home interior, they're also a great gift idea. Visit our site now

3,140 questions
6,216 answers
8,654 comments
11,187 users
Google Analytics Alternative