Did elections delay Wear Valley asbestos report?
Published on Mon 26 May 2008
A Liberal Democrat Councillor has accused Labour council members of deliberately delaying the publication of a report into negligence at Wear Valley Council because the findings would be damaging to the Labour run council. The council was fined £18,000 after failing to inform workers of the presence of asbestos at a council-run leisure centre.
Liberal Democrat Tommy Taylor said:
"I am absolutely appalled that they have postponed these meetings.
"Reading between the lines, I think it's the case that they daren't release the results because it will be very damning of the Labour run council. I haven't got that from speaking to the Lib Dem members from the panel, but from the fact that they have already been found guilty in a court of law and fined £18,000 for it.
Labour councillor Neil Stonehouse hit back saying,
"We would all have preferred the results to be out already but the officers have taken the decision to wait until after the elections.
"The Labour group do not believe this report will be damning of us as, although we were in control of the council at the time, the inquiry is looking at systemic failures rather than attributing political blame."It seems quite clear that the Liberal Democrats wanted to use the meetings [to discuss the delay in releasing the report]for political gain over Labour before the elections, which is an absolute disgrace.
"I want to see this report finalised so we can move on and ensure that a situation like the one at Woodhouse Close is never repeated. In fact, both Labour members have signed off the report, it's the Independents and Lib Dems who are yet to do so."
