CHESHIRE East Council leader Sam Corcoran says police investigations at the authority are in the past after a six-year probe ended this week.

Five years before Congleton Nub News was born, Cheshire East HQ was raided by cops over anonymous allegations.

But six years later, Cheshire Police have said they will be taking no further action after seven investigations into the borough council's affairs, which finished with the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue allegations relating to land transactions at Crewe and Middlewich.

The investigations emerged from referrals made by whistleblowers in 2015 at a time when the authority was under Conservative rule. Then council leader, Michael Jones, was accused of misconduct in awarding contracts to a company, Core Fit, run by his physiotherapist, Amanda Weston.

Mr Jones later resigned. Other allegations centred on the tampering of data from air pollution monitors and historic land deals, including the proposed Middlewich Eastern Bypass.

Since 2019 Cheshire East has been run by a Labour/Independent administration, which Cllr Corcoran says has rid the authority of its "rotten borough" tag and brought "stability".

"When I took over in May 2019 there was an acting chief executive, two senior temporary staff each costing the council over £1,000 a day, numerous police investigations and the council regularly featured in Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs section," said Cllr Corcoran.

"Since then the Labour-led administration has brought stability, a balanced four-year medium term financial strategy, up-to-date housing policies, a detailed Carbon Action Plan and a move to a committee system.

"There are now no temporary staff in senior roles, no new police investigations and the only time the council has featured in Private Eye was when a Conservative councillor declared that they would attend a Council meeting despite a positive Covid test."

The leader cited the Local Government Association's conclusion in a report last year that "the culture at Cheshire East Council had been transformed" and Cllr Corcoran added "After the death of Sir David Amess it was said that the level of political discourse in this country needs to improve and I said at the last Council meeting that we need a further step change in behaviour."

The chief executive of Cheshire East Council, Lorraine O'Donnell, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has taken the decision to take no further action with regard to investigations into historical land transactions in Middlewich and Crewe."

None of the alleged transactions were believed to be in Congleton.

O'Donnell added: "This concludes all police investigations into the matters referred by the council, following internal audit work. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to these detailed and complex investigations."

On the outstanding investigation into land deals, a spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "This has been a lengthy and extremely complex series of investigations and the Constabulary would like to recognise the cooperation of those involved."

Timeline of controversy

August 2015: Cheshire East Council receives information raising concerns about how the authority awarded contracts to a company run by then council leader Michael Jones' physiotherapist, Ms Weston. Also an alleged bullying culture among the council workforce is highlighted.

December 2015: Cheshire Police raid the council's Westfields headquarters in Sandbach.

Mr Jones, the Conservative leader of the council, resigns citing "infighting" in the authority.

Despite his resignation as the Council's number one. He still serves as a councillor for Bunbury.

2017/2018 Council auditors undertake a major review of procurement activity at the authority.

In December 2017, Jones also resigns as a Cheshire East Councillor for Bunbury, and from the Conservative Party.

May 2018: Cheshire Police hand over a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

June 2020: The CPS says there is insufficient evidence to secure prosecutions, although they revealed "there were issues in relation to procurement".

June 2020: Michael Jones slams the police investigation, saying it put him through "four-and-a-half years of hell", and calls for an inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The former leader said the probe was "vindictive" and "politically motivated" by his opponents in "collusion" with police.

June 2020: A police investigation into misconduct over grant funding for a Wistaston primary school car park is ended with no further action.

December 2020: Police drop their investigation into falsification of air quality data at the council, which emerged after a 2017 report claimed there was a "systematic manipulation of data" at local diffusion tubes used to measure pollution.

November 2021: The investigations into four allegations relating to land transactions in Middlewich (including the planned Middlewich Eastern Bypass) and Crewe are ended with no-one facing prosecution.

In all, the borough council was investigated over seven matters by Cheshire Police, with ultimately no prosecutions.

There are six Cheshire East Councillors which represent Congleton. Some of which, weren't even elected at the time of Jones' tenure.

To learn more about the Nantwich-based company Core Fit, please click here.

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