WITNEY Town Council has learnt to be more “mindful” when taking future legal action following a £143,000 bill it saddled itself with.

But it stopped short of apologising to taxpayers over the Madley Park Hall issue.

The council was left with the huge legal bill last year after fighting contractor Beam Construction over alleged problems with the floor at the new hall.

Beam took the council to an independent adjudicator, who found in favour of the company and said the floor looked “very good indeed”.

The case was then taken to the High Court by the council, but Mr Justice Akenhead again found in favour of the contractor.

When the town council was left with the £143,000 legal bill it asked West Oxfordshire District Council for a bail-out, but district councillors refused.

The hall, in Northfield Farm Lane, cost £900,000 to build, paid for using developer cash, and opened last June.

Town council members were quizzed about the case at their annual meeting last week.

Cogges resident Chris Purple said: “What lessons have the council learnt from the legal action in connection with Madley Park Hall?”

Toby Morris, chairman of the council’s public halls committee, said: “The biggest lesson we can all learn is that while we have advice, and legal advice, we have to be mindful of the fact that advice is just one side of a particular story.

“Although we have the courage of our convictions and listen to professional advice, we have to bear in mind and be mindful of the fact it might not go your way.”

Mr Morris also apologised for the way the council informed the public about a public consultation into the future use of the Corn Exchange.

The Market Square hall was closed in November after a report showed it had major problems.

A questionnaire asking residents what they would like to see in the revamped Corn Exchange was launched shortly after the closure.

But, despite being mentioned at council meetings and on the council’s website, many residents did not know about the questionnaire until it appeared on the front page of the Witney Gazette – the Oxford Mail’s sister paper – in February.

Mr Morris said: “I apologise to those people who have not had that message, but we are trying to spread that word as best we can.”