BOURNEMOUTH council's chief executive may have been made redundant because he planned to investigate the leader's business interests, an MP has said.

Speaking in Parliament, Christopher Chope alleged that Cllr John Beesley may have "used public money" to pay off Tony Williams, the authority's most senior officer, preventing him from investigating a potential conflict of interest over the leader's work as a planning consultant with Hospitality Solutions - his own company.

Bournemouth Echo:

Christchurch MP Christopher Chope

As revealed in the Daily Echo on Wednesday, Mr Williams is set to receive a £394,000 golden handshake as his position is made redundant.

This decision was not made at a public meeting and shocked town hall staff and residents.

Mr Williams is currently on leave. He only returned from four months sick leave at the beginning of last week and was gone by Friday evening with only a handful of people aware of what was going on.

The pay off is expected to be rubber stamped at a special meeting of the full council on Friday.

A council spokesman said the matter wouldn't be settled until the meeting. She said the meeting was being held "at the earliest opportunity" to give the council and chief executive "certainty".

In a House of Commons debate on local government transparency yesterday, Mr Chope said the decision would not have been public if not for "an excellent newspaper, the Daily Echo".

He said: "It seems what happened, Mr Speaker, is that the chief executive has fallen out of favour with the leader of Bournemouth council because he sought to question the leader's conflicts of interest with his businesses."

The MP for Christchurch said he believed the recent successful planning application for the Belvedere Hotel site in Bath Road, for which Cllr Beesley acted as a consultant, had sparked concerns.

"I suspect what has happened is, Mr Speaker, that this and various other things that have been going on has raised an eyebrow on the part of the chief executive, and that he was about to start an investigation into the conduct and conflicts of interest of the leader of the council, and the leader of the council, effectively, has used public money in order to ensure that the chief executive's best interests are served by taking the money and not enquiring any further into these issues."

Mr Chope, who was himself a council leader in Wandsworth from 1979-83, was speaking to his proposed amendments to a Bill intended to improve public access to council documents.

He said "secrecy" in local government was preventing the public holding councils to account, referring to the ongoing 'super council' proposal to merge Christchurch with Bournemouth and Poole as one unitary authority, which he opposes.

He said Bournemouth council had "a local reputation for being profligate, spendthrift and secretive", and that Christchurch taxpayers "need to know the nature of the debts and liabilities of Bournemouth Borough Council and the sort of way in which it conducts its proceedings".

He said that under the super council plans, Christchurch taxpayers would "effectively have to meet the bill for the Bournemouth chief executive's redundancy" through higher council tax they will pay "for up to 20 years".

Council leader denies rift with chief executive

Bournemouth Echo:

Leader John Beesley with Tony Williams

BOURNEMOUTH council leader Cllr John Beesley has denied that a disagreement with Tony Williams led to the chief executive being made redundant.

In a statement to the Daily Echo, Cllr Beesley reiterated that “there has not been a disagreement between me and the chief executive”.

“There has been speculation that the proposed redundancy of the chief executive’s post has come about in order to prevent an investigation by the chief executive into my business, Hospitality Solutions.

“I can confirm that as far as I know, the council has not been provided with any evidence from the chief executive on this matter, nor been requested by the chief executive to undertake an investigation or enquiry.”

An extraordinary council meeting on Friday, March 31, will consider the plan to make Mr Williams redundant.

But the Echo understands Tory councillor Nick Rose is seeking to have the decision “called in” by the overview and scrutiny panel.

Cllr Beesley’s statement said: “The business case for redundancy was first proposed by the chief executive in 2016. At that time, it was decided, on balance, that this was not something the council was able to formally consider. However, the council has recently operated without the chief executive being present for over four months, due to Mr Williams being unwell. The council has adapted accordingly.”

Councillors are already receiving letters from “acting chief executive” Jane Portman. Ms Portman was already acting in this role while Mr Williams was on sick leave.

Independent Cllr Anne Rey said the events surrounding Mr Williams departure were “very strange”.

“I can’t understand why the chief officer has not served his notice period, why we had not heard about this sooner, and why there is a full council meeting taking place on the day he leaves,” she said.

“This is not going to look very good for Bournemouth, especially for our relationship with Christchurch. It is a strange time for him to go.”

Cllr Beesley has been leader of the council since 2012 and was previously chairman of its planning board.

On the council’s register of members’ interests, he declares his own business Hospitality Solutions.

Another senior Tory voiced concern about his entry on the register, saying he should be obliged to list his clients.

But Cllr Beesley denied yesterday that this was necessary, and a spokesman for the council has said the same.

Leader rejects ‘speculation’

Bournemouth Echo: Beesley elected Bournemouth Tory leader

COUNCIL leader John Beesley has rejected the allegations aired about him as “made-up speculation”.

Christchurch MP Chris Chope – who strongly disagrees with plans for a new council covering Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch – was able to raise the allegations freely under the convention of parliamentary privilege.

In addition to his statement in response, Cllr Beesley said: “I want to emphasise that there has been no disagreement and these suggestions are simply made-up speculation.”

He added: “The circumstances under which the redundancy is being proposed are nothing to do with the allegations made by Mr Chope under parliamentary privilege. 

“From what I have been told, those allegations are totally unfounded and an abuse of privilege. What I do know is that there will be no evidence to support them and that they are purely a product of Mr Chope’s imagination to support his own well publicised agenda.”

He added: “It is obviously not appropriate for me to discuss the actual circumstances of Mr Williams’ departure as these relate to an individual’s employment. That puts me at a significant disadvantage in being able to respond more fully.”