Only two councillors give thumbs up to Morecambe Town Council accounts as rest abstain

Friday, 30 June 2023 10:41

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Paul Hart and Jim Pilling were the only councillors to vote through the year-end accounts

Morecambe Town Council's end-of-year accounts have been approved - but only after just TWO councillors gave them the thumbs up.

Councillors Paul Hart and Jim Pilling were the only members to back the 2022/23 accounts as the overwhelming majority of councillors (23) abstained during a vote.

No councillors voted against, so the accounts were signed off by Morecambe Town Council by a vote of 2-0, and will now go before independent auditors for final approval.

A similar situation unfolded when councillors were asked to approve the town council's Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR), where the council has to agree that they have done everything by the book over the past 12 months.

Three councillors, Hart, Pilling and their Liberal Democrat colleague Monika Stenneken, voted in favour and everybody else in attendance at Thursday's council meeting (22 members) abstained.

Twenty of the 26 Morecambe town councillors who were voted in during the May local elections, were not on the council beforehand.

Several councillors who spoke out during the meeting, held at Morecambe Town Hall, said this was the reason why they wouldn't vote to approve the accounts and the AGAR.

Councillor Claire Cozler, the new chair of Morecambe Town Council who took over the role in May, said: "It's very difficult to sign off things that other people have done."

Councillor Joanne Ainscough, her Labour colleague (pictured below), said: "I found it very difficult to say that we have an adequate system of internal controls. I don't see how we as new councillors can sign this off. We haven't seen the proof that this has actually happened."

Brett Cooper, of the Morecambe Bay Independents (pictured below) said: "We weren't here. I'm looking for the councillors who were here in the past to vote this through."

Councillor Hart, one of six current town councillors who were on the council prior to the elections, said: "I understand the position of new councillors.

"We're in the hands of the Proper Officer (Luke Trevaskis). We have to decide if we trust him to do these things.

"I trust him. It goes to audit, and for the past two years this council has been double audited and got a gold standard (a Quality Gold Award). I am happy to vote for it."

Councillor Cooper replied: "I'm not calling into question the integrity of the Proper Officer at all. I want to make that clear.

"I'm hoping this time next year I will be fully supportive and able to sign this off."

The accounts and other town council systems will now go through audit checks by independent companies, which happens every year to councils as standard practice.

Mr Trevaskis, Responsible Financial Officer of Morecambe Town Council, said during the meeting that members of the public are also welcome to inspect council accounts.

He also gave a lengthy presentation to councillors on the year-end figures, covering income and expenditure for the financial year.

The year end accounts, which are now available at the town council website, show that as of March 31 2023, the council brought forward balances of £119,311, having begun the 2022/23 financial year with £185,687.

A total of £425,250 was raised from Council Tax during the financial year, and total other receipts, including income from events, was £23,770.

Staff costs were £187,731 and other payments totalled £327,665.

Morecambe Town Council background

Following the last elections, Morecambe Town Council has 26 members - 14 Morecambe Bay Independents, seven Labour, four Liberal Democrats and one independent.

Morecambe Town Council was formed in 2009 and has had a tumultuous history.

The parish council was formed to be a 'strong voice for Morecambe' but over the years has been beset with controversy, including in 2023.

In April, the council was taken to a small claims court by its former auditor over a payment dispute, and agreed to a settlement.

Over the past two years, the council has also twice been investigated after a complaint by a resident - and on both occasions it was found there was no wrongdoing by the council.

And also in April, David Morris, MP for Morecambe, called for a Westminster probe into the council after its decision to raise one million pounds to try to start a community project on the old Frontierland site. This led to a whopping rise in its portion of Council Tax for Morecambe residents.

The town council has also had successes in recent times.

Earlier this year the council took over the weeding contract to weed the streets and pavements across the whole of the Lancaster District.

It has supported local events like Baylight, the Nice 'n' Sleazy punk festival and the kite festival while running its own popular events including Platinum Jubilee and Coronation street parties on the Promenade.

The council also received a Quality Gold Award for being a good local council after an independent review by the National Association of Local Councils, the first to achieve this in Lancashire.

Frontierland and festivals

At the meeting on Thursday, Councillor Cozler (pictured below) called for an emergency meeting to discuss Frontierland and grants for local festivals.

"Some of these issues really need resolving," she said.

"There are lots of festivals with applications in. Some have been in for months.

"I had the leader of (Lancaster) City Council ringing me on Saturday on my birthday asking me lots of questions about Frontierland.

"I need to go back to the city council and discuss what's happening with our expression of interest."

Councillors agreed to hold a full council meeting on July 11 to discuss festival grants, and then another meeting on July 20, when Frontierland will be on the agenda.

Standing orders

Also at Thursday's meeting, the council voted through its new 'standing orders' or rules - but not without criticism.

Councillor Geoff Knight, of the Morecambe Bay Independents (pictured below), said: "For a town council to have standing orders of 34 pages is ridiculous."

At the previous town council meeting in May, there was controversy when Councillor Hart proposed several changes to standing orders.

In one of several changes he proposed, Councillor Hart (pictured below) suggested that decisions of the council should not be reversed within 12 months except by a special motion of at least nine councillors, or by a motion moved after a report or recommendation by a council committee. The current limit is six months.

MBI councillors spoke out furiously against this idea, calling it "anti-democratic" and an attempt by Councillor Hart to "stand by the mistakes made in the previous administration of that disgusting Frontierland tax that was levied".

Councillor Hart said at the time: "It's not anti-democratic, I want to preserve the council committees. The MBIs want to bring every (decision) to full council. Everything will be argued over. It's a recipe for chaos. I want the council to continue as it has done."

Councillor Hart has since withdrawn his proposed changes to standing orders.

He told Beyond Radio after the meeting: "I have a better feeling about where the council is going and I don't want to do things that are divisive.

"We want the council to be more co-operative and less confrontational."