I HOPE that Mr Horne’s efforts to instigate at Government Level a review of the behaviour of certain Skipton councillors, their behaviour towards office staff and certain of their fellow councillors and the disgraceful waste of tax payers money (Craven Herald letters, November 5) will inspire others to do the same.

The situation now has gone beyond a local squabble. It is having a devastating effect on the town when we need the most dynamic and cooperative team possible to get Skipton back on its feet.

It is to the credit of the present staff that they are continuing to work so cheerfully and with enthusiasm but it is a skeleton staff with too much to do.

At present, as far as I can tell, the council officers are

Chief Officer ( Part time, temporary replacement two days a week), Estate Manager - job vacant, Financial Officer ( Part time temporary replacement), Events Manager and Market Manager still in place, various administrative and office staff still working but with reduced numbers and enforced sick leave through stress.

Mr Parker and Mr Henderson were outstanding members of the council whose enthusiasm for Skipton took them way beyond what their job required them to do. It is to the councillors shame that they felt unable to continue in their jobs and have left us in this mess.

Surely even the most troublesome of these councillors don’t see themselves running the town, but who knows what future for Skipton they are planning.

An industrial tribunal to come may shed some impartial light on the happenings but meanwhile we must unfortunately look to the Government to help us out of this mess.

 

Christine Walton

Skipton