Top Peterborough City Council legal executive claims disciplinary process brought against her was 'illegitimately constituted'

A dispute over a disciplinary meeting between Peterborough City Council (PCC) and one of its top executives is due to be settled next week.

Rochelle Tapping, the council’s Director of Legal and Governance, claims that she was brought in front of a panel for a disciplinary meeting that was “illegitimately constituted”.

The panel, which was formed at a full council meeting on 26th July, met on 14th August to discuss the outcome of the disciplinary matter.

But Ms Tapping says that she has obtained legal advice suggesting that, because the members of the panel were not officially named at its formation, its subsequent meeting was essentially invalid.

PCC says that its own legal advice suggests that this isn’t the case – but it has recalled councillors to an ‘extraordinary meeting’ on 31st August to reform the panel “for the avoidance of doubt”, this time with their names (Grant Osbourn, Stuart Webster and Mike Sofianos) in writing.

The exact reason Ms Tapping was brought in front of the panel is unclear, with more details about the proceedings contained in reports available to councillors but exempt from the press and public.

A PCC spokesperson also said that the council is “unable to comment on individual staffing matters”.

Currently, Ms Tapping remains employed by PCC, although council documents now title her deputy Adesuwa Omoregi 'Interim Head of Legal and Deputy Monitoring Officer'.

Ms Tapping's role, one of the most senior at the council, comes with an £100,000+ pay packet and involves advising PCC on the legality of its decisions and offering guidance to elected councillors.

Ms Tapping says that she alerted the council to her concerns over the formation of the panel before it met on 14th August but that her emails were “ignored”.

She was not present at the 26th July meeting when the panel was formed.

The panel will be ratified “to the extent required” on 31st August, PCC says.

It forms part of a disciplinary process which can result in actions up to and including dismissal.

The cost to the council of undertaking this process will exceed £3,000.