Coun Stockwood was appointed to be the council’s representative at their meeting in May but there has been no meeting of the CDP since that date, and it has been implied there will not be until Coun Stockwood is replaced.


In an e-mail to the council, Mr Schofield said both the CDP and the Development Trust were ‘private organisation which are not answerable to the Town Council’ and he declined an invitation to attend a council meeting to discuss the issue.


Suggesting the council’s representative be changed, Coun Deb Barker said the problems had appeared to have arisen since Coun Stockwood was voted in as the council’s representative.


As an independent member of the CDP, she suggested it should return to the system whereby she reported to the council on CDP matters.


Coun Andre Wilkin said Coun Barker’s suggestion was ‘disgraceful’.


“Her first responsibility is to this council and she should resign from the CDP immediately,” he said.


“An organisation that purports to represent the interests of Caistor, with masses of public funding, won’t allow the representative of the town council to attend meetings. Why would that be?” he wanted to know.


Coun Deb Barker said they were accountable to the people who provided the funds and that everything was properly audited.


Other councillors said Coun Stockwood was elected and the CDP should accept that.


“It seems Roy Schofield doesn’t want us to know what’s going on and doesn’t want the people of Caistor to know what’s going on?” said Coun John Cole.


Coun Shirley MacDonald said: “Although I accept they are private companies, who elected them on to this? I wasn’t asked?”


At the suggestion of the mayor, Coun Steve Webster, the council will be writing to each member of the CDP to make sure they are aware of the situation.