'Bankrupt' Easton Parish Council left without clerk

Easton Parish Council is on the brink of bankruptcy and cannot afford to cover the soaring costs of its multi-million pound village hall project, which has hit huge setbacks since work began several years ago.

However, councillors have found themselves unable to meet and figure out a way forward after their clerk, Sarah Bristow, was dismissed from her position.

Ms Bristow was recently sacked from a different role with the Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC) - which offers training and legal support to town and parish councils - for "gross misconduct".

The multi-million pound Easton Community Centre in Marlingford Road (Image: Denise Bradley) WATCHDOG WRANGLE

The Norfolk Association of Local Councils (NALC) provides a range of services to local town and parish councils, including training for clerks and councillors, legal advice and support and payroll services.

Ms Bristow, who served as county officer for the organisation, would have been one of the main points of call for advice when issues arose.

But she has recently been dismissed for "gross misconduct" following an investigation.

NALC has not revealed the nature of the probe or what the reasons are for her sacking, although it has caused a stir among members who have spoken out in her support. 

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Sarah Bristow, a parish clerk with 19 years of experience (Image: NALC) MYSTERIOUS DISMISSAL

Ms Bristow had been the interim clerk at Easton Parish Council for the last four months but was mysteriously dismissed from her position amid this controversy. 

The surreal situation is heightened by the fact that both NACL and Easton deny dismissing her, saying the action was taken by the other. Neither, however, deny that she has been sacked from her role. 

A spokeswoman for NALC said: "The decision of Easton Parish Council to dismiss Ms Bristow is nothing to do with us.

"She was undertaking locum services in her own time and without the authorisation of the NALC board."

However, Mark Caton, chairman of the council, said he had received a call from NALC several weeks ago informing him that Ms Bristow would no longer be in the role and insisted he had "no input whatsoever" in the decision.

He added that he does not know when a new clerk will be drafted in. 

COUNCIL CHAOS

Councillors were due to hold a public meeting on Tuesday evening for the first time since it came to light that the authority is facing bankruptcy over an ill-fated village hall project. 

However, this has been cancelled due to there being no clerk to attend. 

The old village hall (Image: Denise Bradley) Des Fulcher, a member of Easton Parish Council, recently revealed the authority is not in a position to repay a £500,000 loan it secured for its new community centre and has found itself in a "dire mess" as the scheme remains thousands of pounds short of its required budget.

The scheme was initially forecast to cost around £1.5m but this has risen dramatically since it was unveiled, due to inflation pushing up the price of manpower and materials, and councillors now believe it will come to a total of more than £3m.

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Des Fulcher, a member of Easton Parish Council (Image: Denise Bradley) He believes Easton Parish Council may have to issue a section 114 notice - a formal declaration of bankruptcy and admission that the authority can no longer balance its books.

South Norfolk Council, which has previously provided significant funding for the village hall project, has been working alongside the parish to help it navigate a way forward.

But parish councillors will not be able to hold a public meeting until they secure a new clerk - meaning locals are unable to demand answers to the growing number of questions surrounding the authority's financial position.