HERE we go again - Civic Illuminations Ltd are suing us, that is they are suing you, me and every other unfortunate council tax payer in the district. They are suing us because they insist that the council has breached a legal and binding agreement with them. The council it appears insist they have not done so because this agreement was modified or amended by a new schedule which was, according to their own version of events "drawn up" at a meeting between personnel from CIL and council officers. The problem for the council is that the new schedule that was drawn up does not exist or cannot be found in documented form...so far.

This time someone has gone too far. The public has a right to know which public servants were present when this allegedly modified or amended agreement was 'drawn up'.

The term 'drawn up' clearly implies this second agreement was put in writing - so who is responsible for 'losing it' and probably it could cost us another tidy sum possibly running to six figures. Not for the first time there appears a clear case for investigation.

This cannot be a misunderstanding or a matter of interpretation. Either there was a new schedule, (the council's own words) or there wasn't.

If there was such a new schedule agreed then Civic Illuminations would obviously know about it. If that's the case then CIL would clearly be trying to get money from the city council which they are not entitled to.

If that was the case then surely they would be guilty of committing a serious offence?

On the other hand, if someone claimed that there was a new agreement with CIL and there wasn't then that company could be cheated out of its rightful dues for Breach of Contract or any other similar legal action.

If whoever was responsible for this knew there was no such agreement in existence then that too could be grounds for a serious investigation.

This is a matter which demands rigorous investigation from all sides and at the highest level and the public needs to be made fully aware of the outcome.

'Aelfric'

Details supplied

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.