A Norfolk councillor has been reported to police after declining to confirm whether she fulfilled a £10,000 charitable donation linked to a legal settlement – as a long-running dispute within a town council intensifies.
Police review under way
Taila Taylor, a Conservative councillor who serves on both Breckland Council and Attleborough Town Council (ATC), has been reported to Norfolk Constabulary by five fellow town councillors.
The complaint, also sent to Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner, raises concerns about potential misconduct and the handling of funds following a legal settlement.
A spokesman for the commissioner’s office confirmed that “the matter is currently under review”.
The settlement and the £10,000 clause
The issue centres on a 2021 settlement between Ms Taylor and Attleborough Town Council.
The agreement followed a dispute dating back to 2020, when Ms Taylor and fellow councillor Edward Tyrer were removed from committee roles after allegations made by council staff. A judge later ruled the move unlawful and found that Ms Taylor had been defamed, leaving the authority with a bill of around £114,000.
Ms Taylor received £20,000 in damages. The settlement included a clause stating that £10,000 should be donated to a local Attleborough charity or project within 12 months – but only if the council fully complied with the terms of the agreement.
Nearly five years later, Ms Taylor has declined to confirm whether that donation was made.
Ms Taylor’s position
Ms Taylor has consistently maintained that she is not obliged to disclose what happened to the money, arguing that the settlement is covered by legal privilege.
She has also said that the council failed to meet its own obligations under the agreement, including claims that defamatory material remained online and that a required public apology was later removed. She argues that this meant the condition attached to the donation was not fulfilled, and therefore the requirement to donate did not apply.
In a public statement, she said she has made and will continue to make charitable contributions locally “by choice, not because I am required to, but because I want to”.
Calls for clarity from fellow councillors
Some of Ms Taylor’s colleagues on Attleborough Town Council have called for further clarification.
The complaint to police was signed by five councillors, including members of a group known as the “Newbies”, made up largely of Reform UK and independent representatives.
One councillor, Daniel Burcham, said he would like to see evidence of any donations referred to by Ms Taylor and questioned what steps had been taken if she believed the council had not met its obligations.
He said the issue centred on a significant sum of money which many believed was intended for a local good cause.
Political context and local tensions
The dispute comes against the backdrop of long-running tensions within Attleborough Town Council, which has been characterised by factional divisions and public disagreements.
The authority has been nicknamed “Battleborough” and “Aggroborough” by observers, reflecting a period of sustained infighting between groups of councillors.
Ms Taylor is part of a group of Conservative councillors which includes members of her family, while the “Newbies” have emerged more recently as a vocal opposition bloc.
The disagreement over the £10,000 has become a focal point in these wider disputes.
MP’s muted response
George Freeman, the Mid Norfolk MP who has campaigned alongside Ms Taylor, has declined to comment publicly despite being asked by the Eastern Daily Press (EDP).
However, he has indicated support for Ms Taylor’s position by ‘liking’ a social media post in which she set out her explanation.
Other local Conservative figures, including Breckland Council leader Sam Chapman-Allen, as well as the Mid Norfolk Conservative association and the national party, have also declined to comment.
Election backdrop
The issue has gained additional attention as Ms Taylor has announced she will stand in the forthcoming Norfolk County Council elections.
In her campaign announcement, she highlighted priorities including infrastructure improvements, support for children and young people with special educational needs, flood risk reduction, and the effective use of public money.
Mystery over council email
The controversy has also taken a further turn following questions about how an official response was sent to the EDP.
After the EDP contacted Attleborough Town Council for clarification on the issue, a reply was issued from an official council email account outlining the legal context of the settlement and noting that the current council administration differs significantly from that in place at the time.
However, councillors later said at a public meeting that they had no prior knowledge of either the enquiry or the response.
Some suggested this could represent a breach of council protocol, which requires press communications to be approved by members before being issued.
The email was signed by a clerk’s assistant, and council officials have declined to provide further detail about how it was authorised.
Ongoing questions
The dispute over the £10,000 donation remains unresolved, with differing interpretations of the settlement agreement at its centre.
While Ms Taylor maintains that the condition for the donation was not met and that she is not required to disclose further details, her political opponents continue to call for greater transparency.
With a police review under way and local elections approaching, the issue looks set to remain a prominent feature of Attleborough’s political landscape.
