PORTS of Jersey has declined to comment on allegations surrounding one of its senior board members, despite growing concerns over her role at a Scottish conservation charity facing accusations of poor governance and mismanagement.
Jane Smallman, who has served as Ports of Jersey’s senior independent director since March 2020, is also chair of the John Muir Trust – a conservation charity which owns and manages some of Scotland’s best-known natural sites, including Ben Nevis and Sandwood Bay.
The charity has come under increasing scrutiny after former trustees, employees and one of its founders publicly called for Ms Smallman to resign.
According to Scottish newspaper The Herald, the trust has been engulfed in an ongoing governance “crisis”, culminating in the removal of founding trustee Professor Denis Mollison.
Prof Mollison claimed he had been treated as “the enemy” by Ms Smallman after raising concerns about the charity’s governance and finances.
He alleged there had been an “exodus” of trustees over the past year because of the “mismanagement and behaviour” of the chair and the trust’s chief executive.
Former John Muir Trust chair John Hutchison also criticised the organisation’s leadership, saying the current “regime” had “closed down debate and openness” and “brooked no challenge”.
The charity has also been reported to be under investigation by Scotland’s charity regulator.
Asked whether it had any concerns about the allegations involving one of its senior directors, a Ports spokesperson said: “Ports of Jersey does not comment on matters relating to individual board members or employees.”
Ms Smallman chairs Ports of Jersey’s Harbour and Airport Authority Committee and sits on its Investment Committee. As senior independent director, she receives £34,000 a year.
Responding separately to questions about Prof Mollison’s departure, a spokesperson for the John Muir Trust said: “The trust always welcomes constructive suggestions for improvements and strives to deliver its charitable purpose to the highest standards of governance.
“We take our responsibilities as a charity extremely seriously. Our focus remains on delivering our charitable purpose and on protecting wild places for everyone, now and for the future.”
