Lib Dems demand full independent inquiry

10.08.00am GMT Thu 8th Jan 2009

Brian Watkins

At Norwich City Council's Labour Executive Meeting last night the Liberal Democrat Group demanded a full independent investigation into the Greyhound Opening housing scandal.

Brian Watkins, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, commented "A full, thorough and independent inquiry is the only way to restore public confidence in the City Council and end accusations of a cover-up. The internal inquiry has left many unanswered questions about the role of councillors and senior officers that need to be addressed. The internal inquiry admitted to the 'absence of documentation' and the 'differences in evidence presented'. These gaps and discrepancies need to be cleared up and we need to get to the bottom of exactly what happened and why it happened. Only then can we learn the lessons and move on. For the good of the council and the city we need a full investigation."

The Lib Dem group do not feel that yesterdays's announcement by the council of an 'external review' or a 'review of the review' goes far enough as it will not address the key outstanding issues or restore public confidence in the council.

Pressure has mounted on the Labour run council to grant a full investigation since it emerged last month that staff had been allowed to jump the housing waiting list and move into a former sheltered housing complex at Greyhound Opening at cut-price rents after the the elderly residents were rehomed.

Notes:

1. The Liberal Democrats presented the following letter to the Labour Executive last night:

Dear Executive members,

The Liberal Democrat Group would like to thank the council officers involved in conducting the internal inquiry into the Greyhound Opening issue. They have, within the remit they were given, highlighted some important issues and have outlined the systemic failure that occurred. However, we do not believe that an internal inquiry is sufficient and we call upon the Executive to agree to a full independent inquiry.

There are three main reasons why we believe an independent inquiry is the correct way forward:

• An independent inquiry is the only way to restore public confidence in the council and its officers. Accusations of 'cover-ups' and 'whitewashes' are doing the council enormous and potentially irreconcilable damage. A full, thorough and independent investigation is the only way to restore local residents' faith in Norwich City Council;

• The internal inquiry has left important questions unanswered and has raised new questions. The internal investigation refers on several occasions to the 'absence of documentation' and the 'differences in evidence presented'. We are therefore deeply concerned that the inquiry had to rely on such dubious evidence and are also concerned that not all questions have been fully answered;

• The council set a clear precedent in 2008 with the decision to launch an independent inquiry into the Planning Committee's handling of the Unthank Road Tesco planning application. This precedent must now be followed after the systemic failures highlighted by the internal inquiry.

We would also point out that our calls for an independent inquiry have been echoed by, amongst others, the Norwich Leaseholders Association, Norwich North MP Ian Gibson and the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper.

We firmly believe that the seriousness of this issue and the calamitous failures highlighted in the internal inquiry mean that the Council must do everything in its power to explore fully what happened and ensure policies are put in place to make certain they do not happen again. This is why we hope that the Executive will back our calls for a full independent investigation. We do not feel that today's announcement of an 'external review' or a 'review of the review' goes far enough as it will not address the key outstanding issues or restore public confidence in the council.

2. Simon Wright's petition calling for an independent inquiry can be signed online at www.simonwright.org.uk. Copies of the petition are also available from Mr Wright by emailing simon@simonwright.org.uk or calling his office on 01603 416649.