Two leading Hadleigh town councillors have declined to defend their town clerk who has been accused of exceeding her authority.

Cllr Rickaby Shearly-Sanders, chairman of the Hadleigh Market Feoffment Charity (HMFC) and town mayor Gordon McLeod have both failed to explain the actions of Wendy Brame who organised a party without first getting approval from elected members of the town council.

While councillors were not against the principle of a party being held for the now-defunct Friends of Hadleigh Guildhall group, they questioned the authority of Mrs Brame to organise, sending taxpayers money, without a motion going to and being approved by the committee of Trustees.

Wendy Barme alleged to have exceeded her authority

Cllrs Huw Roberts and Andrew Knock both asked what authority Mrs Brame had to organise the event, or where in the council's procedures it was allowed.

Mrs Brame maintained she had the authority, but did not produce any evidence of proof to back her claim.

As the responsible financial officer (RFO), Mrs Brame is authorise spend up to £500 in an emergency, for example if there is an immediate heart;th and safety issue, but that is not the same as authority to approve an event to go ahead.

Hadleigh Guildhall (Picture creit: Nub News)

As HMFC is a charity of which HTC is the sole trustee, councillors are meant to make the decisions.

Cllr Shearly-Sanders was also asked at the meeting what authority had been used to allow the party but he only said 'you have had your answer' when clearly neither councillor had been given a satisfactory response.

Nub News contacted Cllr Shearly-Sanders to ask on behalf of Hadleigh residents:

• Did you fail to answer satisfactorily because you did not know the answer?
• Or, did you know the answer but did not respond adequately because you are aware the clerk does not have the legal authority, even under delegated authority to organise events on the council's behalf, without it being passed by elected members?
• If you believe the clerk did have authority, under what policy, law or authority was she allowed to exercise that?

But Cllr Shearly-Sanders was either unable or unwilling to answer those simple questions and has failed to respond.

SALC were also asked if the clerk did have authority but they were unable to confirm she did.

Cllr Shearly-Sanders was also asked how much the event cost the HMFC, why was no breakdown of costs available to the committee at its last meeting.

Hadleigh mayor McLeod failed to respond to questions over town clerk (Picture credit: Nub News)

Cllr McLeod was also asked by Nub News on behalf of councillors and residents for a response to allegations against the clerk, the events surrounding the issue and the SALC response, but has failed to respond.

*Non practicing solicitor Cllr Shearly-Sanders felt compelled to resign as a councillor in 2019 when an email he wrote referenced 'roughing up' a member of staff. He was reelected in an election in May 2021.