A resident with local government experience is putting himself forward to bolster the ranks at Oakham Town Council. 

John Harris, who has lived in the area for three years, has put his name forward for consideration to become a co-opted member of the council. 

Currently only seven of the 12 available spaces are full, after a number of departures and changes over recent months.  

In his application Mr Harris says he has experience of business as a senior level as well as having worked across local government. 

He wrote: "I have held senior positions in Local Government at Milton Keynes Council as head of public realm, I have been operations director at Focsa Services (UK) Ltd, an environmental services business which held several local authority contracts for waste collection, grounds maintenance, parks management, highways etc and I am a mentor at The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust)". 

Following a number of complaints by councillors against their colleagues, Rutland County Council, which investigates misconduct matters, declared this week that there appeared to be an issue within the town council and commissioned an independent report, which will be discussed in private at next week's misconduct meeting. 

The recently elected town council mayor Chris Nix has said he wants to put past issues behind the council and move on. 

Each year the council levies a £300,000 precept on local taxpayers, which it uses to provide services and town-enhancing projects. 

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The next meeting is on Wednesday (July 9) and the council is set to discuss a building survey about Victoria Hall, which the council is intending to move its headquarters to. The survey has found the condition of the listed building to be sound.