Third senior officer departs following £800,000 Lyme Green scandal

Another senior officer has left Cheshire East Council (CEC) as a result of the Lyme Green fiasco.

Lisa Quinn, Director of Finance and Business Services, has left the Council today by mutual agreement.

She had been suspended from work pending further action in January, following a meeting of the Lyme Green staffing sub-committee.

Councillor Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council, said: "Lisa Quinn, Director of Finance and Business Services, left the Council's employment on Friday, February 15, by mutual agreement. This follows the departure of two senior managers during December.

"Arrangements are already in place to cover her role, while the Council continues with the planned introduction of a new management framework, which will be less opaque, more accountable and effective and less costly.

"I would like to thank Lisa for her hard work and commitment to the job during her time at Cheshire East and I wish her well for the future."

Lisa Quinn is the third senior officer to leave Cheshire East Council following the DIP's (Designated Independent Person) report into the causes of the failure of the Lyme Green development project.

John Nicholson, Strategic Director Places and Organisational Capacity, and Caroline Elwood, Borough Solicitor, whose actions were also examined by the DIP, resigned in December - just days after the confidential report was passed to the Council's staffing sub committee for consideration.

Councillor Rod Menlove, also resigned from his role as Environment Portfolio Holder, in January - as a result of the Lyme Green debacle.

The Council's aborted plans to build a recycling station at Lyme Green Depot in Macclesfield have cost Cheshire East taxpayers in excess of £800,000, they broke planning rules, as the main contractor commenced work on the site before planning permission had been granted, and officers did not comply with EU Procurement Regulations.

Cheshire East Council were due to make a final decision today, Friday 15th February, as to whether to disclose the report into the Lyme Green fiasco - as soon as we receive confirmation of their decision we will publish an update.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council, Lyme Green
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Chris Wigley
Friday 15th February 2013 at 6:44 pm
I do wonder if it has just been 3 senior officers that have left Cheshire East and Councillor Rod Menlove. We did have the departure of Erika Wenzel and the Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald as council leader was their departures anything to do with Lyme Green.

I see an advertisement is out for a permanent Chief Executive with a closing date of 15 March but there is no salary disclosed. Given that Ms Wenzel went months ago it seems strange to me that an acting Chief Executive has been in place so long and been instruemental in developing a new staffing structure that a permanent replacement will have to run with, that is unless Mr Ryley becomes permanent.
Dave Cash
Saturday 16th February 2013 at 1:54 am
Chris,
Cllr Rod Menlove is still an active, elected member of CEC. He only resigned his sig extra allowance position as Environment Portfolio holder, which he held at time of Lyme Green debacle, which exposed him to related criticism.
The question is how many ex-Officers and seving Cllrs will avoid being 'held to account'?
Elaine Napier
Saturday 16th February 2013 at 1:06 pm
It seems unlikely that the public will ever know the truth of the Lyme Green matter unless the full, unredacted DIP report is published. Aren't the taxpayers tired of the hide and seek behaviours of the Cabinet, some councillors and officers?
Pete Taylor
Saturday 16th February 2013 at 10:30 pm
Kim Ryley is being paid £2693: 31 (approx) per week to head up CEC until March.
http://bit.ly/VY3MuJ

I am absolutely convinced that he has been worth his weight... etc.

Michael Jones continues to bluff and bluster (did he really have all those discussions with our MP (George Gideon Oliver Osbourne, heir to the Irish baronetcies of Ballentaylor and Ballylemon) http://bit.ly/10qVcp

http://bit.ly/YCFXtc regarding the HS2 route, or was it all a plot by the BBC to discredit him? http://bit.ly/Z4Ol1a