Chaos at Oakham Town Council "Serious" Staffing Incident Sparks Emergency Meetings

Chaos at Oakham Town Council "Serious" Staffing Incident Sparks Emergency Meetings

By Rutland Democracy Reporter

The ongoing saga of Oakham Town Council’s internal turmoil has taken a "serious" turn this week, leaving the authority facing soaring costs, a departing consultant, and a deep rift between elected members.

For over a year, the council has been plagued by staffing instabilities that have seen its budget blown by thousands of pounds. With next year’s precept already set to reflect a "huge increase" to cover these ongoing issues, the situation reached a boiling point earlier this week following a significant workplace incident.

According to the Town Clerk, a "serious issue" occurred between unnamed members of staff, resulting in one employee being moved to home-working arrangements for their own well-being.

The fallout triggered an immediate emergency staffing committee meeting. A follow-up session is scheduled for Wednesday evening, where formal recommendations are expected to be put before the full council.

The crisis has exposed a sharp divide within the council, Cllr Martin Brookes spoke out regarding the limitations of the public’s right to know, while simultaneously pointing the finger at previous leadership.

"There are confidentiality issues that prevent the exact nature of last week's incident being shared publicly," Cllr Brookes stated. "All I can say is we now have a new staffing committee chairman who has a very difficult task, Cllr Chris Clark, who is working hard to resolve the issues."

However, Cllr Brookes did not mince words when discussing the former chairman, Cllr Paul Ainsley:

"I strongly believe Cllr Ainsleyhas caused our staffing issue to escalate to where it is now. In his defence, Councillors are not trained to deal with staffing matters."

The council’s ability to govern itself is now under intense scrutiny. Cllr Brookes alleged that previous complaints regarding staff conduct were "unilaterally" dismissed by Cllr Ainsley. 

Cllr Brookes and another member reportedly raised formal complaints that were allegedly blocked.

A resident complaint, channelled through Cllr Brookes, was reportedly dismissed by Cllr Ainsley on the grounds that he would not investigate "third-hand complaints."

Under council regulations, no individual councillor has the authority to make such unilateral decisions regarding staffing or complaints.

"Personally, I find it unacceptable that the council is not handling the issues properly," Cllr Brookes added. "I am disappointed that one of our hardworking staff felt the need to go home to work last week. If it was left to me, I would sack the rude, unproductive member of staff who has issues with the last three clerks.

Adding to the council's woes is the loss of professional expertise. The external HR consultant, previously retained to navigate these sensitive waters, has reportedly indicated they will not be renewing their contract with Oakham Town Council.

This leaves the authority without professional mediation at a time when its staffing budget is already in the red.

The town now looks toward Wednesday’s crunch meeting. With the budget already under pressure and the workforce divided, the recommendations put forward by Cllr Clark’s committee will be a defining moment for the current administration.

Residents, already facing a hike in their council tax to pay for these failures, will be watching closely to see if the council can finally restore order—or if the "serious" issues of this week are a sign of further dysfunction to come