APOLOGY TO ASHFIELD COUNCIL AND TO THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
LAST week's Dispatch article about the land sales, headed 'Green Oasis Was Sold Illegally By Council', contained the assertion that "the ruling Liberal Democrat party tried to cover up" a report on the sales "by making it an exempt item on the agenda" of a meeting of Ashfield District Council's Cabinet.
We now accept that this was not the case. Instead the decision to place the item on the agenda as exempt was made by the council’s chief executive, Alan Mellor, under the Local Government Act 1972, because the report contained legally privileged information.
In the event, the Cabinet made the decision to deal with the report in public – on the suggestion of the ruling Liberal Democrat party, so that its contents would be made available to all.
We apologise to Mr Mellor, to the ruling Liberal Democrat party and to the council for any misrepresentation or misunderstanding caused by the Dispatch article.