8th September 2025

North Yorkshire Council and Police Scrutiny Panel in Turmoil

August 1, 2017

Just weeks after a damning civil court judgment shook North Yorkshire County Council, the authority is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The council, based at County Hall in Northallerton, hosts the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel – a body tasked with holding the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to account. But mounting allegations suggest the Panel is struggling to fulfil its duties.

A troubled leadership

The senior officer overseeing the Panel Secretariat, Barry Khan, wears several hats: Assistant Chief Executive, Head of Legal and Democratic Services, and Monitoring Officer. Since his move from Stockport Council in 2014, Khan has faced controversy both past and present.

Campaigners still raise concerns about his role in securing a restraining order against peaceful Stockport protester Michael Parnell, who later died. More recently, Khan has been criticised for the handling of safeguarding concerns in Whitby and for his Secretariat’s conduct towards journalists and members of the public.

Failures of scrutiny

The Panel’s record under PCC Julia Mulligan has raised eyebrows. Complaints about costly failed prosecutions, poor handling of FOI requests, and the controversial appointment of Deputy PCC Will Naylor were all brushed aside – despite subsequent evidence that many concerns were valid.

The unexplained long-term absence of Chief Executive Joanna Carter has also fuelled speculation. Two “acting” replacements, both with controversial backgrounds, have been drafted in at significant expense, while questions to the PCC about Carter’s fate have gone unanswered.

One insider suggests Carter left on stress grounds following disagreements with Mulligan, but the lack of transparency is stoking rumours of a costly legal dispute.

Rising costs and secrecy

The PCC’s office costs jumped by more than 20% in a single year, from £741,000 to £908,000, not including additional legal bills. Yet Panel minutes make no mention of these increases.

Equally troubling are repeated refusals to accept public questions. At a July 2017 meeting, a journalist’s detailed inquiry about Freedom of Information compliance was blocked by Secretariat staff, with suggestions that emails had even been intercepted before reaching the Panel.

A Panel under pressure

Sources claim frustrations are mounting behind the scenes. Panel members allegedly complain that minutes do not always reflect what was actually said in meetings, while some members feel pressed into service against their will. Relations between the Panel Chair, Cllr Carl Les, and the PCC are also said to be strained.

Meanwhile, Mulligan’s push to take over North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has drawn criticism from senior Conservative figures, one branding the plan “crazy.”

Calls for overhaul

With rising costs, disputed appointments, and secrecy over key decisions, critics say the Panel is failing in its basic duty: to hold the PCC to account on behalf of the public.

As one source close to the Panel put it: “It’s not a happy ship – and it needs a rapid overhaul, tip to stern.”

Neither the PCC’s office nor the Panel Secretariat responded to requests for comment.

© Neil Wilby 2015-2016. Unauthorised use or reproduction of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from and links to the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.