Councillor rebuked for discussing ongoing legal action in public

Richard Evans – Local democracy reporter

A councillor has received a stern warning from the council’s chief executive about discussing active litigation in public.

Conwy’s long-running Mochdre depot saga was again raised this week at June’s Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Coed Pella.

Abergele Councillor Paul Luckock – seemed to hint “works” could be carried out next month at the site.

Cllr Luckock remained undeterred from tackling the issue despite being silenced by Leader Cllr Julie Fallon at May’s Cabinet meeting.

The “Mochdre Shed” has been a source of controversy for a decade, following the council taking on a 35-year lease for the HGV depot that can’t be exited until at least 2031.

The council has previously said the depot floor is unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles, and the authority is locked in a legal dispute with the landowner.

In February, a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed the authority had spent at least £3,243,687 on the facility since taking on the contract in May 2016, despite it never being used for its intended purpose.

At Monday’s meeting, Cllr Luckock attempted to broach the subject again.

He said: “I’m not going to say anything here today to compromise anything before Matt (legal officer Matthew Georgiou) or Rhun (chief executive Rhun ap Gareth) intervenes in what I’m saying.

“Four years in on this council, I personally do feel that I’ve been blocked in the scrutiny that I can do on this, and when I was elected, of course, the Mochdre situation had been the blight overlying the council by that time for six years.

“And that blight on the council and on each officer and each councillor remains. It comes up endlessly in conversations, and I’m often challenged, what am I doing about it… Am I effective in my actions, my agency, to make a difference?”

He added: “Now my best understanding now, following the conversation with (Cllr) Chris Cater at the end of last week, is that the proposal is that further works on site will take place in July.”

Chief Executive Rhun ap Gareth interrupted Cllr Luckock: “I’m going to have to interject here. While you have said you are not going to raise things, you are raising them, Cllr Paul. You… you more than anyone else knows the risks you personally are taking in raising these issues. You’ve been explained countless times in email and personally around this, and you repeatedly do it.”

He added: “I would say you are talking about processes that are part of litigation here in a public forum. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you personally this. But it is getting to the point that you personally are putting the council at risk here. So I would ask you to refrain from discussing active litigation in a public forum.”

Chairwoman Cllr Cheryl Carlisle said “a briefing on the matter” was being scheduled for councillors in September.