AN investigation has determined a parish council chairman did not breach code of conduct in relation to a dispute with the village hall committee and her involvement in a proposed housing development.

Dodderhill Parish Council chairman Alyson Keane had refused to answer any questions while the probe was ongoing, launched by Wychavon District Council in February following complaints against her.

Councillor Keane had made a proposal to manage the hall building works under her business, which would see her take 10 per cent profits in return, creating a “huge conflict of interest” in the committee’s eyes.

At a full council meeting in February, members agreed to recover £2,700 in expenses it believed the hall committee owed, with Cllr Keane claiming it had broken a ‘gentleman’s agreement’.

At another meeting in April, former councillor Peter Evans questioned whether the chairman stood to make any financial gains out of the proposed 33-home development off Chequers Lane.

He said: “The issue is whether that agreement is transparent and not in conflict with the role of chair of the parish council.”

Cllr Keane had also been criticised after displaying a notice asking people to put their names down for one of the new homes – with the plan not yet approved.

Following the probe, Cllr Keane said it’s now important that all parties “work together to secure the funding to ensure our village hall has a sustainable future and meets the needs of all aspects of the community”.