Former Oakham Mayor and Town Councillor, Zoë Nealson, has shared her resignation letter to Oakham Town Council following a heated Council meeting on Wednesday 7 December 2022.

Mrs Nealson wrote to the Chairman, Councillor Sally-Anne Wadsworth:

Dear Chairman, 

I am writing to tender my resignation from Oakham Town Council. I do not require a response. 

Over the last two months, and due wholly to your own behaviour and conduct, I have been embarrassed to be a member of Oakham Town Council. Last night this embarrassment escalated to shame.

Last night, we held a council meeting where we were to discuss and vote on a proposal to provide a skatepark provision on Centenary Field. The council, under your leadership, showed itself to be a disgrace. Speaking to members of the public afterwards, the overwhelming feeling was that OTC did not comprise the knowledge, intelligence or integrity to be managing a large public purse.

The public were disappointed that the council could not support a positive move for the town's typically overlooked older children and teens. The urban sports catered for by a skatepark often appeal to children who struggle to access mainstream sports. Solitary children, SEN children, vulnerable children etc, as a council we offer nothing for this age range or demographic of children and that is frankly disgusting. This disappointment was to be expected, it is part of any controversial democratic process. The key problem was that having been asked to offer reasoning for a 'no' vote, so many of the council chose to follow your example and remain resolutely silent. You all displayed a level of cowardice and meekness that reflects you being unfit for a position on any council. 

Your efforts were particularly poor on this as you were a member of the skatepark working group. As council Chairman and communications officer, your contribution to this process should have been substantial and yet you failed to attend most working group meetings or send any apologies for not attending. You did not attend either public meeting (the second public meeting you drove past, then messaged me to say it looked a bit too busy so you hadn't come in - surely you can see this laughably poor leadership?) and you failed to comment at all during the council debate. One of the biggest criticisms the working group faced was a lack of adequate communication with the public. As communications officer for the council, the blame for this falls squarely at your door.

Further to this, and as has so often been the case, you allowed Cllr Lowe to attack and slander me in public session. I appreciate you do not have the tenacity to stand up to bullies such as Cllr Lowe, I am not unsympathetic to your feelings. However, you nominated yourself for the position of Mayor and Chairman of the Council, and you should not have done that knowing you would not be capable of keeping order in debate or providing unbiased support to other councillors. Cllr Lowe is a bully and you are complicit in his behaviour, you have even lied to attempt to gain him inclusion in to confidential meetings, it is unacceptable behaviour from you both.

I won the Mayoral vote in 2021 because you were not the right candidate for the role, this clearly remains true.

As you know, I have raised multiple concerns about your conduct. The way you have behaved, screaming at me in the office, sending aggressive email responses and persistently breaching guidance and employment law to target and harass a senior member of council staff has appalled me. You have, and continue to make unilateral staffing decisions that have compromised the integrity of the entire council. I do not wish my name and reputation to be sullied by your misconduct. You have requested council turn a blind eye to your terrible behaviour on the grounds that the member of staff has not been employed long enough to seek legal resolution. My integrity is not that easily broken. 

I implore you to join me in resigning, you demonstrate on a regular basis that you lack the capacity to perform the role of Chair. You would be doing the public a huge disservice by continuing with your current behaviour.

Sincerely

Mrs Zoë Nealson

Oakham Nub News contacted Chairman of OTC and Oakham Mayor, Councillor Sally-Anne Wadsworth, for comment.

None of the views expressed in this article represent the views of Oakham Nub News.