Town councillors in Marlborough have asked their new town clerk Derek Wolfe to re-apply to the National Association of Local Councils for the quality council status previously granted but which lapsed under his predecessor Liam Costello.

The town council won quality council status during the period when Pam Dobson was town clerk and before she was dismissed for what an employment tribunal agreed in April 2010 was “gross misconduct”.

Mrs Dobson had been in arrears with the rent on the Salisbury Road cottage own-ed by the town council and where she lived – a fact that was kept from the council.

Mrs Dobson, who is now town clerk of Whitby in her native Yorkshire, had the necessary local government qualifications for the town council to successfully bid to become a quality council.

However Mr Costello, now clerk to Wootton Parish Council, did not have the required qualifications and when the quality council status expired after five years Marlborough lost its status.

Mr Wolfe, who started in December, has the required LG qualifications so last week councillors agreed unanimously that he should re-apply.

Coun Stewart Dobson said he was “very much in favour” of re-applying but reminded colleagues there were some conditions including regular training for councillors that were not complied with last time, and he said councillors would have to hold regular surgeries again to listen to issues raised by townspeople.