Clevedon facilities could close again warns council chairman

Clevedon Town Council closed a number of services and facilities due to an issue with its insurance policy

A council chairman has warned that a town's facilities could close again as its insurance renewal is not guaranteed.

Last month, allotments, tennis courts, a park and a community centre were locked after the town Clevedon Town Council briefly lost its insurance.

It was after insurers became aware of issues with councillor Carl Francis-Pester's personal financial record.

Aviva said the council will be invited to renew their policy next year.

"We have continued to work closely with the council and in the summer we reinstated their insurance cover," said a spokesperson from Aviva.

"We are happy to continue to offer cover to the council and they will be invited to renew the policy in the usual way when it comes up for renewal next year."

Clevedon Town Council confirmed Aviva had granted it a temporary insurance policy, and this will run until 2024.

"Councillor Francis-Pester is not permitted to have any financial dealings with the council due to his personal financial history," the council added.

Trevor Morgan, chair of Clevedon Town Council, is worried about the town's future

Council chair, Trevor Morgan, said Clevedon's future was uncertain.

"We are worried that we could be back into the same positions we were before where the insurance company may decide to withdraw our insurance again," said Mr Morgan.

"If that is to happen this time around, I think there's no going back and I think we'll definitely be in extremely uncharted waters once again.

"It turns us back into a cycle of not knowing where we stand. Not knowing whether we're going to have insurance, whether we're going to have to lock down the facilities again."

In August, a temporary closure notice was put near allotment entrances

Last month, the BBC saw documents from the insurance brokers Aviva, which confirmed the insurer made the decision to withdraw the town council's insurance cover when they discovered that Mr Pester had county court judgements for businesses connected to him.

The council's facilities reopened on 17 August, but now insurers have warned the council that the reinstatement of the its insurance policy is on the proviso that Mr Francis-Pester is not on the council and therefore not on the policy.

The council will be contacted around April 2024 to discuss renewal, but this will be on the understanding that Mr Francis-Pester is no longer on the council.

The council has told the BBC that Mr Francis-Pester has the support of "a group of councillors" and is refusing to step down.

"There is only a small number of categories whereby a councillor can be disqualified under the Local Government Act 1972," the council added.

Mr Francis-Pester is the councillor for the West Ward of Clevedon

The BBC has contacted Mr Francis-Pester for comment.

In relation to the matter, Mr Francis-Pester previously said: "This spurious allegations was made that the council cannot get insurance because of County Court Judgements related to either limited companies with which I have been associated, or me personally."

It was only after Clevedon Town Council gave assurances Mr Francis-Pester's role within the council would be limited that insurers agreed to give the council most of its cover back.

A special meeting was held Thursday evening, organised by Mr Francis-Pester's supporters, who have put forward several proposals which would restore the old system of decision-making.

Supporters said the council must "rescind the ban preventing councillor Francis-Pester from carrying out his full role", and "reinstate the council's original committee structure".