Town council to be left without clerk again

Locum clerk Luke Trevaskis, who has held the position since June, is due to leave the authority in the coming weeks.

There has not been a permanent clerk in post since Nicola Young left last summer, several months after she was convicted and fined for deleting an audio recording of a meeting after a Freedom of Information request by a council member.

Mr Trevaskis said: “The council has engaged positively with staff in recent months to undertake a review and establish a new staffing structure that will begin to be implemented in the new year.

“The council is currently advertising for an accounts officer and is pleased to announce a number of exciting positions will open to applicants in the coming weeks, backed by the government-funded Kickstart Scheme.”

Concern has already been raised about the council failing to respond to emails and return calls, but Mr Trevaskis said the margin for unanswered calls and emails “is currently understood to fall below one percent”.

He said: “The council receives hundreds of emails and calls each day and manages enquiries with finite resources.”

Mr Trevaskis added that he had already stayed on past his initial contract, but was unable to remain in post any longer due to other commitments.

He said: “The council has commenced a number of projects during my tenure over the last six months and it will be exciting to see these develop in the new year.

“Unfortunately, owing to other commitments commencing next month, I have been unable to accept any additional extension to my current contract.

“I have remained with the authority longer than initially intended and I have been unable to commit to the council beyond the terms of my current tenure.

“I wish the council, its members, staff, and all the Whitchurch community the very best in the future.”