A FORMER policeman has been welcomed back to a council’s top team after a stormy week at Middlesbrough Town Hall.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston saw five of his leadership team walk out following a bombshell open letter from the group saying they had lost confidence in him.

The independent mayor strongly denied allegations about his conduct and behaviour levelled against him by former deputy mayor Antony High and four other councillors from the Middlesbrough Independent Group.

On Thursday evening, the “white smoke” emerged on a new appointment to the Middlesbrough Council executive team – with former member for children’s services, Cllr Barrie Cooper, confirmed in a new role.

The move means the executive can now legally make decisions after its meeting to sign off millions of pounds of funding for school improvements was delayed.

An executive meeting to rubber-stamp works at three primary schools in Nunthorpe as well as a £2.4m extension to The King’s Academy, in Coulby Newham, will take place on May 24.

Cllr Cooper worked for 30 years at Cleveland Police before retiring in 2003.

He was elected to the Newport ward on Middlesbrough Council in May 2019 – and became an executive member in charge of children’s services.

But former deputy mayor Cllr High took the reins of the role in early 2020 in the wake of a damning Ofsted report into the department.

The watchdog raised how Cllr Cooper hadn’t had time to understand the issues facing children and young people in the town after inspectors visited in late 2019.

Cllr Cooper later relinquished his revised education and skills role on the executive in August 2020 to “devote more time” to his ward.

As of Friday morning, the independent councillor had been given a brief in charge of environment, finance and governance, and regeneration on the executive.

“I just think it’s the right thing to do for Middlesbrough,” said Cllr Cooper.

“When the other executives left, there were things like education and finance to increase capacity just standing there.

“I just couldn’t stand by and let them down. Somebody had to step up and sort it out, so I did.”

After the appointment of Cllr Cooper had been confirmed, Mr Preston said he was “laser-focussed” on Middlesbrough – adding the council was “functioning just fine” despite what he called the “distractions of the last couple of days”.

The mayor added: “We’re ready to crack on with all the important work for the good of the town.

“Thank you to Mieka for her ongoing professionalism and commitment to Middlesbrough – and welcome to Barrie, who rejoins the team.

“I will bring other people onto the team – but, in the meantime, it’s business as usual.”

Green spaces

Cllr Cooper campaigned as an independent candidate in the recent race to become Cleveland’s police and crime commissioner.

Conservative Steve Turner won with 74,023 votes with Labour’s Matt Storey in second with 39.467.

Cllr Cooper gathered 16,667 votes and came third in the four candidate race.

He confirmed the mayor had approached him about a role on the executive – adding he was up for sorting out spending on children’s services and looking after the vulnerable and elderly.

“All of that I’m fine with,” said Cllr Cooper.

“But what I can’t do – and I told him quite politely – is I cannot support anything to do with building on green belt spaces.

“Lots of people know my feelings on that and I would be dishonourable if I changed it just to get on the executive.”

Referring to future decisions on green spaces, Cllr Cooper said it was “going to be a difficult one”.

He added: “At the end of the day, he (the mayor) has been accused of not allowing democracy in the town hall.

“But if he sits and allows me to vote against it, or abstain from it, or just not be in that particular meeting – or does that through some other process – that’s entirely up to him.

“But if he does that, it shows there is democracy in the town hall.”

The letter signed by the five former executive councillors this week alleged Mr Preston had made “direct and indirect attempts to prevent democratic decision making processes” at the council.

The mayor hit back strongly in denying the accusation this week – setting out the allegation in public, and stating he’d never interfered with any democratic process.

Mr Preston added: “Public smears and attempts to force my resignation are exactly that – a direct attempt to prevent democratic decision making by seeking to overturn the decision of the 59% who voted for me at the election.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Cooper said he had “unfinished business” after departing the executive team last year.

He added: “I’m involved in looking after the Middlesbrough people – and because there is unfinished business that I believe needs to be dealt with, I’ve stepped up to deal with that.

“I believe I’d be letting people down if I didn’t.

“I have explained to the mayor what I’m prepared to do and what I’m not prepared to do.

“He’s accepted that.

“It’s early days – we’re just going to have to see.”