BRAMSHOTT and Liphook Parish Council was in turmoil last week following the resignation of its assistant clerk Ann Haussauer. Accusations were flying in all directions after she quit with a sideswipe at an unnamed "long- standing" councillor who she accused of making her life "unbearable. – although she refused to name names. Mrs Haussauer said in a statement to The Herald : "A long-standing councillor appears to be undermining the credibility of the parish council, and this continues to let the whole council down. "This behaviour has created such unwelcome stress that I am compelled to resign my job with the parish council. "I would like to thank the chairman (Dr Tough) and vice chairman (Mrs James) and other supportive councillors for their help during this testing time for the parish council." The statement added that Mrs Haussauer, who has worked for the council for 13 years – first as an information officer and for the last 11 years as assistant clerk – also offered "thanks and appreciation" to parish clerk Tony Groves "for his unstinting support during this difficult time." She added: "I will miss the team that makes up the parish staff, and wish them well for the future." The statement concluded that council members "are very sad" at Mrs Haussauer's resignation. Dr Tough said: "We will miss Ann very much. She has always presented to parishioners and councillors a friendly and helpful face, always dealing with matters in a very professional and sympathetic way. "During my nine years as a member of the parish council I have found her a wonderful person to work with, always cheerful, helpful and encouraging. "I will particularly miss her handling highways, transport and rights-of-way matters, and for clerking the highways, byways and transport committee which I chair. "She has provided a very efficient channel to highways and transport officers very much to the benefit of the parish." The council refused to elaborate on its statment – except to say that Mrs Haussauer would remain in post until the end of May. Nigel Newman, chairman of the recreation committee, said: "I would like to say how devastated I am by the loss of Mrs Haussauer, who is extremely popular and has an immense wealth of experience and knowledge, apart from being the kindest person to everyone, who will always go the extra mile to help." Mr Groves, who said that he is personally "devastated" by the resignation and is acting as spokesman for Mrs Haussauer, who does not wish to make any further comments and has refrained from making any statements, because the matter was between the employer and an employee. The animosity is thought to go back years, to the council's controversial handling of the Millennium Hall including a bitter row with its trustees and court action over a lease for the scouts and guides. The council has spent hours trying to thrash out its problems, which are understood to have included complaints about the stress suffered by staff and even claims for compensation.
