Answers demanded over payments to ‘missing’ council standards committee chair

Isabel Owen resigned as a councillor with immediate effect on Tuesday (March 19), saying she had “moved out of the area”.

Ms Owen had represented Normanton ward since 2022 and was appointed standards committee chair in May last year.

A meeting heard yesterday (March 20) that Ms Owen was asked to resign by council leader Denise Jeffery.

Claims were also made in the council chamber that Ms Owen had in fact moved in November but continued to receive payment for her duties.

Opposition councillors made the comments during questions to the council leader.

Tony Homewood, independent councillor for Ossett, asked: “I’m surprised that you never mentioned the resignation of councillor Isabel Owen.

“I know that the leader operates with the best intentions of the council at heart.

“But I also know that Isabel Owen left Wakefield some time in November, because I have been tracking it.”

Coun Homewood suggested that there was a delay in announcing Ms Owen’s resignation to save the council the cost of holding a by-election.

He continued: “I can understand perfectly, the financial reasons as to why nobody wanted a by-election, because it costs money.

“What I don’t accept is, in that time, she has been claiming a special responsibility allowance as chairman of the standards board.

“That is not acceptable. She hasn’t lived in Wakefield since November/December.

“I just don’t think it is acceptable and I think a comment about that might be worthwhile.”

Coun Jeffery replied: “As I understand it, if somebody leaves the area, unless they are back up for election, it is part of the rules and it is acceptable.

“But we have been speaking to Isabel and we asked her to resign.”

“(Deputy leader) Jack (Hemingway) and I called for a by-election yesterday.”

Coun Homewood then said to Mayor Josie Pritchard: “She didn’t answer my question.”

Coun Pritchard said the leader was not obliged to respond to the question as she had not mentioned the issue in her report to councillors.

She added: “Technically the question should not have been asked.”

“Councillor Jeffery gave you a reply and I’m going to move on.”

Nadiah Sharp, independent councillor for Wrenthorpe and Outwood West, then raised a point of order.

She said: “He has asked a specific question about a member of this chamber claiming public money for a special responsibility for which she is not entitled to.

“Will that money be paid back? I think that is what Councillor Homewood was getting at.”

Coun Sharp continued: “We need to establish if she has left the area and is not serving the district, we are entitled to know as a council whether that money will be paid back.

“Especially when you have got someone who is supposedly the head of standards for this council.

“Standards have not been met in this case have they?

“The leader has just said she was asked to resign.

“She didn’t do that off her own back did she?”

The Mayor replied: “If you have got questions that you want to raise around Isabel Owen and the surrounding of her resignation, may I suggest you e-mail the chief legal officer (Gillian Marshall) and copy Denise Jeffery and councillor Hemingway into those e-mails.”

Ms Owen’s resignation letter, issued on Tuesday, said: “After many years of living in Normanton ward, my family and I have moved out of the area.

“It is right I now stand down to allow an election to take place on May 2 for my replacement so the ward can continue to have strong local representation into the future.”

Her term of office was due to end in 2026.

The resignation means two council seats in Normanton will now be contested at this year’s local elections

Ms Owen is listed as being paid £2,093 on the register of councillor allowances and expenses for February.

According to the information, published on the council’s website, she was paid a basic allowance of £1,159, a special responsibility allowance of £873, plus a £60 travel supplement.

Ms Owen is not registered as attending any council meetings since the start of this year.

She sent apologies for absence for full council meetings held in January and February.

Only one standards committee meeting has been held during 2024, on February 9, which Ms Owen did not attend.

Committee members were told she had tested positive for covid.