LEGAL costs of £7000, incurred by Cllr Liz Harvey in the run up to the judicial review, which she brought successfully against the town council, look set to be paid back to Cllr Harvey from the public purse.

But first of all, Cllr Harvey must provide the town council with a statement as to why those costs were "reasonable and proportionate".

The matter was discussed at last week's full Ledbury Town Council meeting, when the chairman of Ledbury Town Council, Cllr Nina Shields said: "Cllr Harvey had legal expenses before the judicial review, and given the ruling has quashed everything back to 2016, she has asked whether we can meet those costs as well."

Cllr Harvey had left the meeting while this matter was discussed, because of a pecuniary interest; but Cllr Shields said that Cllr Harvey would be "happy" to provide a statement about the costs, for the council to consider.

The council then voted to pay Cllr Harvey her pre-judicial costs of £7000, subject to the town council getting the appropriate statement.

Cllr Shields said: "I want us to look forward now, rather than look back."

But discussions regarding the judicial review had not been entirely harmonious during the meeting.

Earlier, Cllr Tony Bradford had taken objection to Cllr Andrew Warmington smiling when Cllr Bradford said he did not know the town council's standing committee, of which he was a member, had taken advice from two barristers concerning the council's legal position before the judicial review.

The council received conflicting legal advice.

An angry Cllr Bradford said to Cllr Warmington: "You can't bully me, mate."

And during the discussion about Cllr Harvey's pre-judicial review costs, Cllr Bradford warned that he too would consider legal action, if any accusations were made against him.

He said: "If there are allegations against me, there will be another judicial review."

Cllr Harvey brought a judicial review against the town council after she was accused of bullying staff, and after sanctions were subsequently imposed on her and extended.

The judicial review found this had been procedurally unfair, because Cllr Harvey had not been given a fair chance to respond, and because a Code of Conduct review found that Cllr Harvey had not been in breach of the Code, which covers how councillors must treat others, and which lists bullying as an example of a breach.