Worth noting that the Council leader who accepted the write-down of council debts under the CVA was one Sue Bates, voted into office as Council leader by members of her group on Friday 17th May 2002. The minutes of the council at the time record the election of the leader who made this apparently disastrous decision:
Appointment of Leader and Deputy Leader
Councillor Sue Bates moved and Councillor Kevin Small seconded:
“That Councillor Sue Bates be Leader of the Council and that Councillor Kevin
Small be Deputy Leader of the Council for the Municipal Year, 2002/2003.”
The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.
A formal division was demanded in accordance with Standing Order 14.
Members voting for the motion were Councillors Steve Allsopp, Arthur Archer,
John Archer, Ray Ballman, Sue Bates, Derek Benfield, Peter Brown, Maureen Caton,
Mavis Childs, David Couch, David Cox, Jim D’Avila, Phillip Demmen, Maureen Dilley,
Chris Eley, Maurice Fanning, David Glaholm, Caroline Martin, Derique Montaut,
David Nash, Teresa Page, Keith Small, Kevin Small, Bert Smith, Philip Steele, John
Taylor, Barrie Thompson and David Wren.
Strangely, although the Adver at the time carried reports of Sue Bates being unhappy about the terms of the write-down under the CVA, it does not record any of her ruling group at the time in any way dissenting from this decision. Perhaps that would have been a better time for Cllr Glaholm to have made his obviously strong feelings on the matter known, as part of the ruling group on the council that made this decision?
