Parish councillors have defended their record as trustees of the controversial Holme Valley Land Charity.
At a specially convened meeting held on Thursday night, a councillors stood up and said they were proud of the work they had done and that they had acted with integrity.
The meeting was called by Holme Valley Parish Council chairman Greg Christofi following recent articles in the Examiner which had highlighted the cases of individuals who were dissatisfied with the land charity’s actions.
Clr Greg Cropper, land charity chairman, admitted the organisation’s media strategy was “woefully lacking.”
The charity was set up to sell off plots of land from former quarries which were vested in the parish council in the late 1970s.
The parish councillors were appointed sole trustees with the idea that monies raised would be ploughed back into local community projects.
Critics claim that this had hardly happened, with most of the money being so far on legal costs. The land charity’s current balance is £70,000.
The Examiner reported the latest claim earlier this month. Retired Shepley firefighter Peter Phillips said he was charged £20,000 to buy his own garden.
He said he agreed to buy the plot in 1992 for £2,500 but two decades later the charity claimed to still own it – and demanded £20,000.
The parish councillors admitted that under their terms of reference, which include confidentiality clauses, it is difficult for them to speak publicly about individual cases. This has led to the charity being accused of “secrecy”.
They are eager to rebuild trust and restore their reputation within the Holme Valley. The 17 councillors present unanimously agreed to review the management terms and the media relations of the land charity with a view to greater transparency.
They also gave unanimous votes of confidence in Sally Barber in her dual role as clerk to the parish council and secretary to the land charity, as well as Clr Paul Dixon, a parish councillor of 31 years’ standing whose company, William Sykes, had been involved in some of the valuations.
He stressed that the work carried out over many years had all been donated free of charge, with the payment of a nominal administration charge.
Clr Charles Kaye said: “We have operated with absolute integrity. It is certainly hurtful to see some of the comments from individuals in the Press articles.”
Vice-chairman Mandy Walker said: “We are getting towards the end of giving the land out and towards giving the money out; it will be worth it in the end.
“We forget about all the satisfied people, those who now own little plots of land at the bottom of their gardens which they had previously rented from the council. We have to stand proud and stand together.”
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