LEDBURY Town Council has confirmed that the need to pay legal fees following a Judicial Review it lost has been a major drain on the public purse, to the tune of at least £219,925.

Building reserves, which until recently stood at over £100,000 are down to around £14,000, which could pose problems for the council in the future if listed buildings in its care, such as the Market House, require significant attention.

However, a recent wood wasp infestation at the town council offices has fortunately not proved costly to reserves, being dealt with by pest controllers for a modest fee of £84.

But it was a wood wasp infestation which caused major problems for the Market House in 2006, and that time the bill was £200,000.

Of the £219,925 paid out in legal fees, the town council has confirmed that £96,261.66 has been paid out to Cllr Liz Harvey’s solicitors.

At least two former town councillors have questioned this sum, with one, who does not wish to be named, saying he understood the legal costs awarded to Cllr Harvey were £30,000.

But Ledbury’s interim town clerk, Mel ab Owain said in response: “The Court awarded costs in favour of Cllr Harvey. The Town Council scrutinised these then paid them as per instruction of the Court.

“We are having the financial aspects of the whole process, dating back to early 2016, scrutinised by an independent auditor.”

Cllr Harvey took the town council to Judicial Review after being sanctioned following accusations she bullied staff: accusations she strongly denied and for which she was cleared by a Herefordshire Code of Conduct investigation, before the Judicial Review.