A FORMER council leader is celebrating victory in his two-year campaign to prove a “secret” meeting took place to discuss £1.1million in “potentially unlawful” payments to senior staff. 

Andrew Sheldon, Essex County Council councillor for South Benfleet, marched into the Castle Point Council offices on Friday and demanded to be given a copy of an unpublished agenda for a meeting in August 2022. 

The agenda shows that Castle Point’s staff and appointments review panel, chaired by now council leader Dave Blackwell, met on August 24, 2022 to discuss an internal audit report on “senior management remuneration”.  

Witch hunt - Andrew Sheldon feels vindicated after his efforts were branded a witch huntWitch hunt - Andrew Sheldon feels vindicated after his efforts were branded a witch hunt (Image: Michael Robinson)

Meeting - Andrew Sheldon (L), Nigel Holdcroft, Angela Law, Alan Tibbitt (R) at the council officesMeeting - Andrew Sheldon (L), Nigel Holdcroft, Angela Law, Alan Tibbitt (R) at the council offices (Image: Michael Robinson)

 The meeting came 18 months before the Echo revealed more than £1.1million had been paid to senior council staff, including late chief executive David Marchant, between 2012/13 and 2021/22.

Earlier this month the council - currently led by an Independent administration - voted to take legal action to recoup £281,155 paid to Mr Marchant, but wrote off £872,173 as “unrecoverable”. 

Payments - The council plans to take legal action against David Marchant's estatePayments - The council plans to take legal action against David Marchant's estate (Image: Provided)


 The payments took place while the council was run by Conservatives but Mr Sheldon, leader from May 2021 to May 2022, claims senior councillors were unaware and is demanding an independent investigation into the secret meeting and the payments.

Mr Sheldon said: “The agenda that I finally have in my hands shows that the same independent party leadership that called my attempts to set up a committee to investigate the unlawful payments a ‘witch-hunt’ were in charge of this meeting.

“Despite an audit report laying out in detail how unlawful payments were made without elected councillors being told, a few weeks ago those same independents voted unanimously not to pursue others who received those payments.

“The whole thing reeks. I am calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of that meeting, into why the council tried to keep what should have been public documents secret, and into their handling of the whole issue. The council still have many questions about their handling of this affair left to answer.”

A Castle Point Council spokesman said: “All the information which the council is able to share is in the public domain and has been publicly reported. The council has complied with all applicable legislation and has nothing further to comment at this time.”