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Heated Misterton meeting as council vote to stop resident from speaking up
EMOTIONS ran high at a meeting of Misterton Parish Council on Tuesday as the rift between residents and council members rumbles on.
Councillors voted to prevent resident Alan Stead from speaking in public discussions at council meetings until May as a result of his ‘inexcusable’ disruption at meetings both in July and November of last year.
The Standard revealed last week that the troubled council has experienced months of difficulties with several complaints under investigation by the police and other authorities.
In the public discussion period, one resident who has been attending meetings for over 20 years, accused the council of calling anyone who disagreed with them a ‘detractor’ and called for ‘reconciliation’.
Chairman Hazel Brand responded, saying: ”We nominated three members to talk with residents last year and then we heard there were four code of conduct complaints against the council. If that’s what reconciliation means then it’s an interesting definition.”
When Mr Stead tried to question the council’s decision about his ban on speaking, council clerk David Wright told Mr Stead that he was no longer permitted to speak at meetings.
Later in the discussion, he quoted the words of Mr Stead from a previous meeting back in May when Mr Stead had criticised the council’s transparency, saying: ”The parish council has done for public relations what myxomatosis has done for rabbits.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Wright said that the council has a duty to uphold its reputation and the people that are causing some of the current troubles are ‘detractors’.
Following the decision at the Church Room, Mr Stead, who served on the council in 2007-2008, said: ”In the light of what is currently happening in Misterton then openness, transparency and freedom of expression seemingly have taken a back seat.”
”But I am hopeful that this will change following the forthcoming parish council elections in May when a change of councillors may herald a new enlightened council.”
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Weather for Gainsborough
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
