One council chief was dismissed for furloughing staff in order to create glamping stations, lay turf and get rid of a dead Pig from her personal vineyard.

Clare Pestell runs Melbury Vale Winery near Shaftesbury, Dorset, which she bought with her brother Glynne in December 2003, according to its official website.

After joining South Somerset District Council as a 2012 member, she rose to become the director of income and commercial development in 2017. She was then appointed to interim chief executive in May 2018.

But she dropped out the next month ‘for personal reasons’ before she had formally taken up the post, and was summarily dismissed in October following allegations of taxpayers’ money and council resources being misused, Somerset Live reports.

A whistleblower made the claims in a letter to council leader Val Keitch in April 2021, and independent external investigator Richard Penn produced a report which found she had breached the council’s code of conduct numerous times. 

Ms Pestell denied all allegations, stating that the council employees were self-employed workers who work on their own. 

However, Mr Penn’s investigation found that she failed to disclose that her council staff were used in council time to construct glamping platforms, cut grass, lay turf and remove a dead porcine from her property in February 2020.

Clare Pestell joined South Somerset District Council in 2012, rising to become its director of commercial and income generation - and was even in line to succeed Alex Parmley as interim chief executive, with the council confirming her appointment in May 2021

Clare Pestell joined South Somerset District Council in 2012, rising to become its director of commercial and income generation – and was even in line to succeed Alex Parmley as interim chief executive, with the council confirming her appointment in May 2021

Ms Pestell runs Melbury Vale Winery near Shaftesbury, Dorset, which she bought with her brother Glynne in December 2003, according to its official website

Ms Pestell runs Melbury Vale Winery near Shaftesbury, Dorset, which she bought with her brother Glynne in December 2003, according to its official website

On February 24, 2020 she wrote an order to an officer asking him to bring the pig to Frome Vale near Maiden Newton.

Mr Penn said Ms Pestell had ‘risked bringing the council into serious disrepute’ by paying council employees cash in hand or in kind for work done on her winery.

Some employees received furlough payments under the Coronavirus job retention plan, while others were being shielded by the Covid government restrictions.

Penn stated that Ms Pestell was guilty of a serious misappropriation council resources. This included repairs to her tractor as well as other vehicles stored at Yeovil’s Lufton depot.

North Dorset District Council granted permission to the glamping pods in May 2018.

Penn served as the Chief Executive of Bradford City Council for 10 years. He was also commissioner for Standards for Wales National Assembly for Wales (2000-2010).

Ms Pestell had failed to declare that council staff had been used - in council time - to build glamping pods (pictured), trim grass, lay turf outside her cottage and, in February 2020, remove a dead pig from her land, a report found

According to a report, Ms Pestell failed to disclose that she had used council staff in council time to construct glamping platforms (pictured), lay turf around her cottage, and remove a dead porcine from her property in February 2020.

Ms Pestell, who strongly denied the allegations, was summarily dismissed in October after the council's appointments committee reviewed a report from independent external investigator Richard Penn

After the October council appointments committee had reviewed the report of Richard Penn, an independent investigator, Ms Pestell was dismissed. She strongly denied all allegations.

After Richard Penn’s independent investigation, Ms Pestell strongly denied all allegations and was dismissed by the council’s appointment committee in October, Pestell was summarily fired.

Penn was chief executive at Bradford City Council for ten years and served as commissioner for standards for Wales’ National Assembly for Wales from 2000 to 2010.

After interviewing several staff members including Ms Pestell and identifying numerous instances when she used council workers to perform work on her Dorset vineyard, his report stated that she had violated council’s code. It also recommended that she undergo a disciplinary hearing for gross misconduct. 

Ms Pestell stated that her business was an interest and said some training sessions or meetings had taken place at her property. 

She worked initially full-time in the city council office. But, due to the growth of her winery, her weekly work schedule was cut to only four days each week after an agreement with Alex Parmley.

Ms Pestell had declared her business as an interest, saying some meetings or training for the council had been held at her premises

Ms Pestell stated that her company was her personal interest and said some meetings or training had taken place at her location.

According to Mr Penn, the council heard that gross misconduct was the result of all the conduct by the Director.

‘I believe that CP has abused the position of council director by failing to declare and document correct information.

‘CP also ignored government guidance, and paid Council employees who received furlough payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This could have been seen as enabling benefit Fraud and a risk to both the Council and its spirit to keep employment.

CP was negligent in her carelessness to the council by failing to make sure that staff were not working for herself and that council resources weren’t being used at the same moment as she is paid by council. This resulted in a loss for the council.

Ms Pestell was already on notice and had resigned. Her resignation was effective October 21, 2021.

Ms. Pestell, who was initially selected by Mr. Parmley to be his interim chief executive successor, was confirmed on May 4th by the council’s appointments committee.

However, she resigned from the position in June 2021 due to ‘personal reasons’. In July, the committee met to nominate her replacement.  

Val Keitch and Mr Parmley received an anonymous letter on 22 April 2021 from a whistleblower.

According to the letter, Ms Pestell was accused of violating the code of conduct of the council by failing “to declare conflicts of interests between her official duties for council and her private enterprise, her personal relationships, and other interests”.

After an initial investigation of the South West Audit Partnership’s facts, Richard Penn was commissioned by the council to carry out an independent investigation.    

Penn claimed that there was sufficient evidence from employees and managers in the council’s business services arm to show that Ms Pestell knew about the misuse of council resources and had ordered the work herself in “a number of cases”.

Asking Ms Pestell what she thought the public would think of her conduct, she said that it was ‘doubtful the public will be interested in how council employees spend their time in self-employment and would be more worried about their bins being missed’.

She stated that she had ‘never missed any deadlines, never failed to respond, nor delivered for the council for nine years’. Her work also generated substantial income, which allowed front-line services to continue being delivered.

According to the council, “This was a complicated and challenging investigation.” All those who participated were commended for their hard work and we also thank our colleagues who assisted in this process.

“We are proud of our reputation of going above and beyond for our communities. It is important that all employees follow the code of conduct. This sets expectations and practices that all staff must adhere to.

“The investigation also revealed a variety of steps that need to be taken to learn from the lessons learned. These include, but are not limited to, reviewing the training we offer and the implementation our financial policies. They will also be taken seriously.

“Be assured, this has shown that we take allegations of misconduct or gross misconduct seriously so we can protect our residents and partners.