'The Charity Commission was informed': Mayor of Ludlow defends her position over the upkeep of a collapsed wall

At a meeting last month, Ludlow Town Council discussed a letter it had received from the Parochial Church Council’s legal team in respect of who is responsible for the upkeep of the wall by St Laurence’s Church.

Despite the collapse happening in 2013, only temporary measures have been used to prop it up. However, even though it agreed to pay £1,500 to look into the safety concerns, the town council maintains it is not responsible for it and accepts no liability, arguing that it lies in the hands of the church.

The PCC, though, is also accepting no responsbibility, and unless an agreement can be made between the respective parties, solicitors are likely to get more involved.

At the meeting on July 28, members said they were not told of the enforcement action threat by the PCC’s solicitors and were only made aware when it was in the agenda. It also included a response from the town council’s legal team, asking for more information.

During the debate, Councillor Stacey Harris asked the mayor, Councillor Diane Lyle, if she was still a member of the Ludlow Town Walls Trust (LTWT) after previously serving as secretary. The LTWT is registered charity that was reformed last year to look into the conservation and preservation of the walls.

Addressing Cllr Lyle, Cllr Harris said: “My fear is you’re sitting on both sides of the argument – how do we know that the Town Walls Trust isn’t instructing the PCC to write letters to us? she asked.

“We need to have clarity on who has membership on the town walls trust and how they’re going to vote.”

The Mayor of Ludlow issues a statement in response to the inquiries

In response, Councillor Darren Childs said that allegation has been made by Cllr Harris on a number of occasions, and the Mayor has already said she is no longer secretary of the town walls trust.

Cllr Lyle has now issued a statement on the Ludlow Residents Group’s Facebook page clarifying her position.

“I resigned as a trustee and as secretary from the Ludlow Town Walls Trust in May,” she said.

“I had omitted to request that my name was removed from the Ludlow Town Walls Trust website. This has now been rectified.

“The Charity Commission was informed of my resignation as a Trustee on May 28, date of resignation effective from May 15.

“My name and role as secretary of the Ludlow Town Walls Trust appeared on my Register of Interests because at the time of submitting it, I was still registered with the Charity Commission as its secretary.

“I felt it was important to be honest and transparent about that as I know from past experience that the Charity Commission can be slow to respond to such requests.

“I have now updated my Register of Interests and have deleted the entry referencing my role as secretary to the Ludlow Town Walls Trust.

“I am still a signatory for the Ludlow Town Walls Trust until a replacement can be made. This process takes considerable time.

“I attended the July meeting of the Ludlow Town Walls Trust to explain the reason for my resignation and to provide an update on the fundraising events I had been coordinating with the Trust’s chair, Colin Richards. I took the notes of that meeting, and circulated them, as a farewell gesture.

“I declared an interest at the Full Council meeting on July 28. I stated I knew Colin Richards, that I had resigned as a Trustee of the Ludlow Town Walls Trust, but was continuing to work with Colin to help him deliver the immediately forthcoming fundraising events which I had coordinated.

“Because of my poor hearing, and the acoustics in the council chamber, I did not hear Councillor Stacey Harris and did not therefore respond or correct the assumptions she apparently made about me and about the Ludlow Town Walls Trust.

“Finally, I am not and have never been secretary or a member of the PCC and no member of Ludlow Town Council is a member of either the PCC or the Ludlow Town Walls Trust.”