Report commissioned into Nottinghamshire County Council members’ travel expenses

A report is to be drawn up investigating travel expenses submitted by councillors, with one claim said to be for enough miles to the moon and back.

Nottinghamshire County Council has confirmed a report is currently being drawn up by bosses over councillors’ mileage claims.

The report will be presented to the council’s governance and ethics’ committee on September 6.

It comes after the controversial claim one Conservative councillor could have driven to the moon and back on the mileage he was paid.

Another is said to have publicly admitted that she had claimed for senior Conservative Group meetings, not allowable under the council’s own mileage rules.

This led to senior Liberal Democrat, Independent Alliance councillor Steve Carr calling for the expense claims to be formally investigated due to the anomalies in the claims.

Councillor Boyd Elliott, who represents Calverton, does not hold a cabinet position on the council and is said by the Independent Alliance to have a ten-mile trip to County Hall yet claimed £3,472.55 in expenses in a year.

His individual claims were more than triple the total expense claims made by the whole of the Independent Alliance opposition group.

Francis Purdue-Horan, an independent councillor who represents Bingham East welcomed the report.

Speaking at a meeting, he said: “I speak on behalf of other Independent Alliance councillors when I welcome a review of councillor’s travel expenses.

“I noticed that there was significant, adverse publicity in the local press.

“I understand that at least one serious allegation has been submitted for investigation.

“What format will the review follow to ensure we re-establish or at least reassure public confidence in the scheme and who will be invited to give evidence?”

Chairman of the governance and ethics’ committee Philip Owen said: “It will be a full and frank discussion and members of the committee at the time will be free to make what observations and comments they wish to make.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Purdue-Horan said: “We are not querying legitimate claims – quite the opposite.

“We are awaiting detail however over what format this review will take.

“We have the situation that some councillors are claiming way and above what others do.

“One could have driven to the moon and back for each of the last two years and other claims need investigation.

“Any councillor found to have made inappropriate claims not related to their work as a county councillor should be forced to pay them back at the very least.”

The total travel expense claims for the 2022/23 year by political party was: £35,206.42 Conservative; £7,281.10 Labour; £1,189.70 Independent Alliance.