Latest news with #TewkesburyBoroughCouncil
Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Times
Council worker who earned £230k juggling four jobs convicted of fraud
A worker who earned more than £230,000 from four jobs at various local authorities has been convicted of fraud. Bryn Howells, from Ebley in Stroud, Gloucestershire, submitted false time sheets, misrepresented his hours to his employers and failed to declare his multiple jobs. Gloucester crown court heard that between February 2022 and June 2023 Howells was employed as strategic housing and enabling officer at Tewkesbury borough council, senior development surveyor at South Gloucestershire council and valuer and estates surveyor at Publica Group — a delivery organisation set up by four other councils. In total he received salaries and other benefits of approximately £236,000, the court heard. It was said that Howells also held a fourth role with another local authority via an agency but this employment was not included in the case. Howells told the court he was not motivated by money or greed but instead a desire to 'work as many hours as possible' to help stretched and understaffed councils lacking in expertise. He claimed that his failure to declare his other employment to each council was an 'unintentional oversight' and the false hours he declared on his time sheets were actually the hours that he was available to work. The prosecution said that Howells had been dishonest and he was aware that he would have faced action if he declared his other jobs. The fraud was uncovered through a review of payroll data by the Tewkesbury borough council's Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit (CFEU), as part of the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative (NFI). At the time Howells was still employed by Tewkesbury borough council and Publica Group, having recently resigned from South Gloucestershire council. A disciplinary investigation was launched alongside a criminal investigation by the CFEU. Howells was suspended by both remaining employers and later resigned before disciplinary hearings could take place. The crackdown followed an increase in employees working from home since the pandemic creating a surge in those with two or more full-time jobs without their workplaces being aware. In April, the NFI said it had identified 23 cases in preliminary investigations of London boroughs and discovered half a million pounds of overpaid salaries over a period of a few months. Simon Dix, Tewkesbury borough council's executive director of resources, said: 'We are deeply disappointed by Mr Howells's actions, which fell far short of the standards expected of public servants.'By receiving four publicly funded salaries and benefits, Mr Howells's conduct was wholly dishonest and represents a serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds.' Howells is due to be sentenced on August 28. The councils involved are seeking to recover salary and pension and national insurance contributions.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Daily Record
Man found guilty of pocketing public funds while working four council jobs
Bryn Howells has been found guilty of fraud after pocketing more than £230,000 in salaries and benefits – all funded by taxpayers. A man has been convicted of fraud after secretly juggling four separate jobs across multiple councils and raking in a six-figure salary from public funds. Bryn Howells, from Ebley in Stroud, Gloucestershire, pulled in £236,000 in salary and benefits between February 2022 and June 2023 by working simultaneously for Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Publica Group – a company delivering services for three local authorities. A fourth council role, obtained via an agency, was not included in the prosecution. He kept quiet about his existing employment while applying for new posts and submitted false timesheets, claiming he was available to work when he was actually committed elsewhere, reports the BBC. Mr Howells is due to be sentenced on August 28 for what one council branded a "serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds." During his trial at Gloucester Crown Court, Howells insisted he didn't intend to mislead anyone and denied being motivated by money. He claimed he was simply trying to help councils struggling with staff shortages and that any failure to disclose his other jobs was an 'unintentional oversight.' He told the court he believed the hours logged on timesheets represented time he was 'available' rather than actively working. But prosecutors described his actions as 'nothing short of dishonest' and said that if any of the councils had known about his other full-time roles, they would not have hired him. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The roles he held included strategic housing and enabling officer, senior development surveyor, and valuer and estates surveyor. The fraud came to light after a routine payroll review by Tewkesbury Borough Council's counter-fraud team. Simon Dix, executive director of resources at the council, said: 'We are deeply disappointed by Mr Howells' actions, which fell far short of the standards expected of public servants. "By receiving four publicly funded salaries and benefits, Mr Howells' conduct was wholly dishonest and represents a serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds. "We have a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and take matters of integrity extremely seriously. "We have reviewed our internal procedures to help prevent similar incidents in the future.' The councils involved are now seeking to recover salaries, pension payments, and national insurance contributions linked to the deception.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- BBC News
Gloucestershire man with four council jobs found guilty of fraud
A man has been found guilty of fraud after moonlighting in four separate jobs at multiple councils, accruing a large salary from public February 2022 and June 2023, Bryn Howells was employed by Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Publica Group - a company providing services on behalf of three district councils. He failed to disclose his existing employment when taking on new roles and submitted false timesheets, accruing a salary and benefits totalling £236, is due to be sentenced on 28 August for what one employer described as a "serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds". Mr Howells, of Ebley in Stroud, Gloucestershire, told Gloucester Crown Court he did not set out to deceive and was not motivated by greed or he described a strong desire to "work as many hours as possible" to support local authorities where skilled staff were in short also claimed any failure to declare his employment to each council was an "unintentional oversight", and the hours declared on his timesheets were, in his mind, hours he made himself "available" for the council's barrister said Mr Howells' actions were nothing short of dishonest. Had he disclosed to each council that he planned to retain full-time employment elsewhere, he would not have been employed by them. Mr Howells simultaneously held the roles of strategic housing and enabling officer, senior development surveyor, and valuer and estates surveyor. He also held a fourth role with another council via an agency during this period, but this was not included in the prosecution case. 'Wholly dishonest' The fraud was only uncovered after a review of payroll data was undertaken by Tewkesbury Borough Council's counter-fraud Dix, Tewkesbury Borough Council's executive director of resources, said: "We are deeply disappointed by Mr Howells' actions, which fell far short of the standards expected of public servants. "By receiving four publicly funded salaries and benefits, Mr Howells' conduct was wholly dishonest and represents a serious breach of trust and misuse of public funds."We have a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and take matters of integrity extremely seriously. "We have reviewed our internal procedures to help prevent similar incidents in the future."The councils are also looking to recover salary, pension contributions, and national insurance contributions earned by Mr Howells as a result of his dishonesty.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's £2.5BILLION newest town next to major motorway is unveiled in blueprint for 4,000 homes, new shops & hotel
BRITAIN'S newest town will be built next to a major motorway and is set to cost £2.5bn with restaurants, shops and sports facilities. The Elms Park development, located in the north of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was approved by local authorities yesterday. 5 5 5 Councils have given the go-ahead to the massive new town serving almost 9,000 people. It will be situated on the outskirts of the Cotswolds, just off junction 10 of the M5, and will feature roughly 60 acres for employment land. Tewkesbury Borough Council described the approval of the 4,115 homes as the "biggest decision" it had ever made. And Cheltenham Borough Council also gave the development the green light, despite heavy opposition to the scheme from seven neighbouring villages. The new town is set to take more than 20 years to be developed, with work expected to be completed in phases. The plans include a 25-acre business park, a hotel, shops, cafes, new schools, healthcare facilities and a transport hub. Proposals also include state-of-the-art sporting facilities, including an all-weather 3G pitch on site. Elms Park Consortium, led by house builders Bloor Homes and Persimmon, claims that the project will create as many as 8,000 jobs in the area. It estimates that the development will provide 1,000 affordable homes while generating up to £300m for the local economy each year. The patch of land is outside the green belt and has been allocated for development in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury's joint planning strategy. Calling on councillors to approve the scheme, Rob White, agent for the applicant, said: "Approximately £25m will be spent on community infrastructure. 'It will contribute £300 million a year into the sub-regional economy, creating and supporting over 8,000 new jobs, with 30 apprenticeships a year during construction over 20 years. "Over 4000 new homes will be built, providing for a new community of around 9,000 residents, many of whom will already be living in the area. 'Approximately £50 million pounds will be spent on providing new schools, including a secondary school and two primary schools on site. 'A sports hub containing new facilities for cricket, football, tennis, and an all-weather 3G pitch will be provided on site along with significant contributions to local rugby and hockey clubs. 'They are committed to bringing forward Elms Park as a well-designed, sustainable and healthy place where the new community can thrive.' But locals are concerned that it will bring larger numbers of traffic and overwhelm public services in the area. Cheltenham Civic Society raised concerns over the design of the development. 5 They highlighted potential risks with road safety, parking, flooding and pollution. Also among the opposition is Gloucestershire police and crime commissioner Chris Nelson, who called for the plans to be postponed due to a lack of agreed funding for a new police station. He added that the constabulary was considering legal action over the issue. The councils released a joint statement on their websites confirming the decision yesterday. Cllr Mike Collins, of Cheltenham Borough Council, and Cllr Sarah Hands, of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: 'Elms Park is one of the largest schemes Tewkesbury Borough and Cheltenham Borough Councils have ever considered. "It has been a long time in the making, having been included as a strategic allocation in the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy. We're pleased that following careful consideration, the detail of this JCS allocation has been approved at both planning committees today after both detailed and thorough debate. 'Over the next 20 years, the project will provide over 4,000 much-needed new and affordable homes, community facilities and commercial floorspace. "It will bring substantial economic benefits in the future whilst also being sensitive to its surroundings, including protecting and enhancing significant areas of valuable green space and biodiversity.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans for 4,115-home development approved
The development of a new town serving almost 9,000 people has been given the go-ahead by two local councils. The Elms Park development, near Cheltenham and just off junction 10 of the M5, is expected to be developed in phases over 20 years. The plans were approved by Tewkesbury Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Council on Thursday, despite strong opposition. Some fear the development, which features 4,115 homes, almost 60 acres for employment land, a hotel, shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and takeaways, will have a "disastrous effect" on the area. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire More than 100 people and seven nearby villages objected to the proposals, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Objectors fear the development, off the A4019 Tewkesbury Road near Uckington, will lead to a huge increase in traffic and pollution, as well as overwhelming health services. They also raised concerns about the design and appearance of the housing developments, road safety, parking concerns, flood risk, overlooking and that the scheme conflicts with planning policies. However, Elms Park Consortium, which is led by housebuilders Bloor Homes and Permission, say the £2.5bn scheme will provide 1,000 affordable homes and up to 4,000 jobs will be created, including 30 apprenticeships per year during construction. Rob White, agent for the applicant, also told the meeting: "Approximately £25m will be spent on community infrastructure, including a GP healthcare centre, neighbourhoods and local community centres delivered on site." He said there would be sports facilities and a transport hub, including a 350 space park and ride interchange. The planning committee voted unanimously to approve the scheme. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Decision expected on 4,115-home development Public land set to be sold to build 4,000 homes 'Fiesta Land' owner battles plan for 4,000 homes Temporary access road proposed for 266 homes Tewkesbury Borough Council Cheltenham Borough Council
