Political rivals report Calderdale councillor to the police after council meeting

Calderdale Council Conservative councillor Jacob Cook (Greetland and Stainland) had just started proposing an amendment to a joint Labour-Liberal Democrat motion on home insulation and fuel poverty when Liberal Democrat group leader Coun James Baker raised a point of order to halt proceedings.

The Conservative amendment urged the council to set up a home insulation project under an existing Government scheme and to work with “energy suppliers and local businesses” to insulate properties.

Coun Cook said he had worked in insulation for the last eight years and knew about insulating homes.

But Coun Baker said Coun Cook’s involvement breached the 2011 Localism Act.

Coun Baker said Coun Cook had just said that he has worked in insulation, and is a director of a company C12 Ltd as well as a company Energise Britain Gas and Electric Ltd.

“On his website he boats about working in insulation in West Yorkshire and he is proposing the motion to the council that suggests we increase our work with local energy suppliers and local businesses to set more targets for insulation.

“It is a clear breach of the Localism Act, he should have left the chamber immediately, he (has) direct pecuniary interest in this item – and we will be reporting it to the Police,” said Coun Baker.

Coun Cook said he did have a company that fits insulation, but said: “We’ve never actually had a contract with Calderdale Council and will never be seeking such a contract in the future either.”

Coun Cook said it was very unfair of Coun Baker to suggest he might receive financial benefit but Coun Baker said Coun Cook’s own website said he had done work within the borough.

Mayor of Calderdale, Coun Chris Pillai (Con, Rastrick), who was chairing the meeting, reminded Coun Cook of the early item on the agenda reminding councillors to declare any interests and asked: “Have you any interest to declare?”

The Mayor agreed to adjourn the meeting when Coun Cook requested time to speak with the authority’s Head of Legal, Ian Hughes, to seek advice.

When councillors returned to the chamber, Coun Cook was not present.

Mr Hughes told councillors: “Members, as you are aware declarations under the Code of Conduct are always a matter for individual members.

“Councillor Cook was very clear in the conversation I had with him that it wasn’t a case of him not looking to declare an interest, it was he hadn’t fully thought through.

“He did acknowledge that if the amendment was passed by this meeting then the company for whom he works and is a director could benefit even if (he) wasn’t benefiting directly and there could be knock-on effect for it.

“So he has acknowledged that he should have declared a disclosable pecuniary interest, has now done so and stepped out of the meeting and will not participate in this part of the meeting.”

In the event, Coun George Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe), presented the amendment which argued it offered a practical solution available, but this was defeated.

Proposing the Labour motion, accepting a Liberal Democrat amendment that the council urgently consider what it could do over the issue of home insulation, Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden) said while welcome Government schemes to tackle fuel poverty did not go far enough and represented a piecemeal approach.

Her successful motion calls on Government to impose stronger insulation requirements on all new homes, adopt a strategic approach to retrofitting older homes including rolling out a national scheme and to adopt a strategic approach to energy generation.

Supporting her, Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot) said he was sure he was not the only councillor receiving comments and concerns from residents about the spiralling cost of living and fuel poverty.

Coun Patient said people had got in touch with him saying they were rationing how they cook, and the time that they put their heating on in the cold months.

“When your home isn’t properly insulated and you have to make these stark choices for your family, that is a massive concern,” he said.