David Parkin on Jan Fletcher and Leeds Arena and problem for lawyers

IT’S been a costly week for Jan Fletcher.

The Yorkshire businesswoman lost her £43.5m damages case against Leeds City Council over a contract to develop the Leeds Arena.

Her Harrogate-based Montpellier Estates business had claimed for damages from the council, accusing it of deceit and breach of contract under European procurement law.

The dispute centred on the 2007 tendering process for the Leeds Arena when Montpellier Estates put forward its 10-acre “City One” site, in Holbeck, as a potential location.

The council terminated the process in 2008 and later went on to build the arena on a site in Claypit Lane which it owned with Leeds Metropolitan University.

Ms Fletcher, who may appeal, is said to have costs estimated to be around £3m and the council is likely to pursue her for the £4m it spent to defend itself in the case.

That’s just the money.

In his judgement, Mr Justice Supperstone found that Jan Fletcher’s evidence during the nine week High Court case was “unsatisfactory in material aspects” with the businesswoman and boss of Montpellier Estates having a “tendency to exaggerate”.

Pretty damning words from a High Court judge.

Montpellier Estates made allegations of fraud and dishonesty against eight individuals, including former Leeds City Council leader Andrew Carter; the Council’s former and present directors of city development Jean Dent and Martin Farrington and former Arup director and current Leeds and York Chamber of Commerce president Nigel Foster.

Referring to Ms Fletcher’s evidence during the High Court case, Mr Justice Supperstone concluded: “In some instances she may have misunderstood what was being said to her. However in other instances she appears to have heard what she wanted or expected to hear.”

Ever since the glamorous and wealthy divorcee was named Veuve Clicquot British Business Woman of the Year in 1994 she has sought to keep her public profile tightly controlled.

From employing a PR agency which claimed its job was to keep her out of the news, to being the focus of fawning attention from local businessmen, she has been surrounded by people who have probably told her what she wants to hear rather than what she should hear.

It was a surprise when she took the role of chairman of Marketing Leeds when it was launched in 2004.

Some wondered at the time whether it was appropriate for someone looking to develop a key site near the centre of Leeds to take the helm of the agency promoting the city to the world.

Ms Fletcher said after the judgement this week: “I continue to remain committed to and passionate about the city of Leeds and wish every success for the opening of the Leeds Arena later this year.”

Let’s hope the opening act isn’t One Direction.

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IT’S not been a great week for law firms, what with redundancies at several big firms and then the shock demise of Cobbetts.

Given all our learned friends are likely to be a little unsettled by the news, I waved a cheery hello to one legal eagle in City Square in Leeds this week.

He nodded, grimaced, put his head down and strode into the stiff wind slicing through the square.

I wondered what I had done to upset him. Then I glanced at the umbrella I was carrying – carrying the logo of one of his firm’s biggest rivals.

Whoops. I either need a plain black brolly, or one from every firm in town.

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