Calls for Causeway council chief and senior officials to resign following damning audit report

There have been calls for the Chief Executive of a Northern Ireland council to resign following the publication of a damning report.

The Local Government Auditor's highly critical report on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council concludes that two land deals agreed by the council may not have been lawful.

Collette Kane also identified a culture of "bypassing best practice" in the council's transacting of land disposals and easements.

Politicians, including two whistleblowers who are referenced in the report, have now called for immediate action to be taken.

Welcoming the report, TUV leader Jim Allister said it is "truly shocking and well beyond the tolerance level where the Chief Executive and other senior officers can cling to office."

The North Antrim MLA said: “The £1 land deal to assemble a site for a hotel developer illustrates the cavalier disregard for the ratepayers’ interests and the lamentable failure of oversight by compliant councillors.

"I welcome the Auditor’s belief that the disregard for legal process renders the granting of this easement unlawful. The Council must now address this challenge. “At the heart of all of this is how this Council prioritised other interests over best practice and securing for their ratepayers the best value for publicly owned assets.

"Whose interests was this council serving? It is hard to see that the ratepayers’ interests featured very much, if at all." He added: "In light of the indicators of ‘wilful misconduct’, I am calling for a PSNI investigation of relevant senior officers in respect of the offence of misconduct in public office. “The public should be grateful to the NIAO for the thorough way in which it has shone a light into the dark corners of this failing Council. Now, let’s see the Department act."

Independent Councillor, Padraig McShane has called for the Chief Executive and other senior officials to be dismissed following the report.

Cllr McShane said: "The audit from the NIAO is incriminating, ruinous and ultimately damning in its findings against Council members and senior officials.

"Yet it remains unsurprising to those of us who campaigned for the audit in the first instance."

He added: "I've called on the CEO to resign since 2019. Given the content and the nature of findings against this individual, I believe he should now be dismissed.

"There are three additional senior officials identified in the report who mislead the council and the audit office. Our policies and procedures are quite clear. The policies and procedures should be followed and the ratepayers of the borough should finally be afforded the protection they deserve."

Meanwhile, the the Ulster Unionist Party Group on the council have said the view the report "with the utmost seriousness."

In a statement, they said: "This is a detailed report which needs close scrutiny and careful analysis. We believe the report should be tabled at a Special Meeting of the Council to allow the NI Audit Office to present the report and answer questions.

“Thereafter Council must take whatever action is deemed to be appropriate.”

Sinn Féin councilllor Leanne Peacock has called for the recommendations from the Local Government Auditor to be implemented immediately.

“The findings of the audit office report on land deals carried out by Causeway Coast & Glens Council are deeply shocking and disgraceful.

“This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Actions need to be taken right away and the recommendations highlighted within this report implemented without any delay, not by waiting for an August council meeting.

The party’s council group leader has written to the other parties to take forward a proposal for the beginning of disciplinary actions against those involved.

A spokesperson for the DUP said: the report "raises serious questions for the council."

They said: "It is our view that all recommendations should be implemented. We are not convinced that the current council leadership is best placed to take these reforms forward."

The party statement added: "It is clear the conduct of some senior council officers fell well short of the standards one would have expected.

"Public bodies, funded by ratepayers, must be able to command the confidence of the community and their elected representatives. This confidence has been eroded."

It is understood the audit could cost as much as £120,000.

A spokesperson for Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said time would be required to assess the report and consider the next steps.