Questions over lord mayor
THE Labour leadership at Nottingham City Council has been challenged over the appointment of Councillor Brian Grocock as the Lord Mayor, despite his alleged involvement in the misallocation of a council house.
Conservative councillor Georgina Culley used yesterday's meeting of the full council to ask why Mr Grocock was nominated for Lord Mayor, when he is the only person ever to be named in association with the abuse of council house allocations between 2003 and 2005.
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Key words: Details in here please
Councillor Culley asked why Mr Grocock, 'far from being punished actually received a promotion' to the position of Lord Mayor.
The Audit Commission concluded in 2009 that council homes went to housing officers, their families and associates. More than 3,000 homes were allocated outside of the usual process, but the watchdog focused on nine cases where it had serious concerns.
One of them involved a councillor, later identified as Mr Grocock. He told the chair of housing an applicant was his grandson, when he was not. The man subsequently obtained a council house in a popular area, which he should not have had.
Yesterday, deputy council leader Councillor Graham Chapman, said: "The councillor [Brian Grocock] identified self-referred himself under the code of conduct to ensure it was investigated properly. That process has not yet completed, the Standards Board has not yet met so I have to take issue with Councillor Culley making the statement 'far from being punished'."
2 Comments
by John, Rise Park
Thursday, February 17 2011, 8:37AM
“I'm sorry I have to take exception to the word whiff, the word you were looking for was stench. This whole housing scandal has gone on far too long and nothing done about it, the Audit commission report says it all. But the council agreed with the police, whilst the audit was still going on, that the council would sort it out themselves so no police investigation was held, Nobody brought to book, No IPCC investigation, £100,000 spent on the in-house investigation, £200,000 paid to the people suspended on full pay for their part, Councillor Grocock Promoted to Lord Mayor and the head of housing at the time became managing Director of NCH or some such Title. Whiff? the whole of Nottingham's tax paying Public noses must be filled with the stench of it. Rant over sorry.”
by council tax payer, bulwell
Thursday, February 10 2011, 7:01PM
“Roll on that investigation. There¿s a whiff of corruption about this that will not blow away. Whether Councillor Grocock lied about the man being his grandson or not is irrelevant. Surely being the grandson of a councillor does not bring with it special treatment? Why then was this man bumped up the list ahead of other applicants? The question here is, is it so easy for a councillor to get accommodation for a constituent. If so, everyone one on the waiting list would be approaching their councillor for similar treatment. Or there were other incentives for Councillor Grocock to obtain accommodation for this man.”