The chief executive of Doncaster Council has threatened legal action against Reform UK councillors amid an escalating dispute over plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Letters sent on behalf of chief executive Damian Allen have been issued to Reform group leader Craig Ward and deputy leader Jason Charity in relation to a proposed council motion concerning the £193m airport project.
Charity said the letter from solicitors demanded ‘a retraction, an apology and payment of legal costs’. He said he considered the action an attempt ‘to silence legitimate scrutiny’ and rejected the claims.
The motion, which has been signed by 28 councillors but has not yet been made public, is expected to be debated at a future meeting. The Yorkshire Post were first to report on this.
The row follows Charity’s comments at a council meeting earlier this month, when he said he intended to refer Mr Allen to a council sub-committee responsible for investigating senior officers.
Doncaster Council said the issue was a ‘personal matter’ for the chief executive and not connected to the authority’s formal political decision-making.
Executive director Phil Holmes said external legal advice had been taken and the proposed motion was being rejected. He said it was ‘defamatory’ and raised allegations that had not been examined through any formal process.
He added that concerns about senior officers should be dealt with through established internal procedures rather than at full council.
The council has also blocked discussion of the motion at an upcoming extraordinary meeting, where councillors are due to consider whether to reverse a £57m borrowing decision linked to the airport project.
Officials have previously warned that withdrawing the funding could put the wider scheme at risk. The borrowing was approved in November as part of preparations ahead of £160m in devolution funding.
That funding is controlled by South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard and will not be released until issues relating to the airport lease are resolved.
Documents leaked earlier this year raised questions about the terms of the lease agreement with Peel Group, including clauses relating to planning permissions and revenue sharing.
Charity said: ‘The people of Doncaster are owed answers about how £193 million of their money was committed.’
Ward said: ‘It’s plain to see from anyone with business acumen that the airport is going in the wrong direction.’ He added: ‘We are 100% for the airport but we’re not there to be writing blank cheques with public money.’
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has previously accused Reform of ‘betraying’ voters over the airport’s future, saying the party had changed its position since the local election campaign.
Reform leader Nigel Farage said councillors support reopening the airport in principle but are concerned about further council borrowing. He said private sector investment should be sought instead to reduce public financial risk.
Image: julianto saputra/UnSplash
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