Heated meeting as new mayor chosen for Ludlow

The first meeting of Ludlow Town Council after the elections was a heated affair with members’ conduct brought into question.

Councillor Beverley Waite chaired the beginning of it due to being the mayor. However, she started by reading out a statement that called out three councillors – Darren Childs, Robert Owen and James Hepworth.

It centred around the ongoing issue with repairing the town wall next to St Laurence’s Church after part of it collapsed in 2013, and the council’s handling of it.

Cllr Waite believed that the three named councillors could be biased when voting for the new mayor due to making complaints about her to Shropshire Council’s monitoring officer – some of which she said were made on Christmas Eve.

“Given the strength and nature of their previously expressed views, I am concerned that a fair-minded and informed observer may conclude that there is a real possibility of bias or predetermination,” said Cllr Waite, who, following her Shropshire Council election victory for Ludlow East, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the campaign had been “vicious.”

She added that she had sought advice from the legal and democracy officer at Shropshire Council and requested that the three councillors consider whether to declare an interest or ‘recuse themselves’ from debate or voting; that should they participate, the monitoring officer be asked ‘to note this concern’, and ‘no attempt is made by this council to compel or enforce a recusal without the guidance of the monitoring officer’.

Cllr Owen confirmed he made two complaints regarding the conduct of three councillors, including Cllr Waite and Cllr Glenn Ginger, as a member of the public.

He is now a town councillor, serving Whitcliffe Ward. Cllr Owen explained that the first complaint related to an intital decision by the council not to release the structurer’s report about the reapir to the town wall to the public.

The second complaint, said Cllr Owen, was that the council denied any responsibility regarding the temporary emergency work that had been in put in place. However, he felt that ‘a reasonable person’ could conclude that he wouldn’t be biased in any voting.

Cllr Childs, meanwhile, also confirmed he complained about Cllr Waite’s conduct, which he felt had been breached. However, he added that, if the named councillors couldn’t vote, then he said other councillors shouldn’t either, especially as Cllr Waite had filed her own complaint about him.

Cllr Hepworth was less bullish, saying that everyone is very aware of the good things Cllr Waite had done, and ‘are very grateful’.

Afterwards, Cllr Waite told the LDRS that no allegations of breaches regarding her conduct had been proven,

When it came to the vote, Councillor Diane Lyle (Rockspring Ward) received nine votes, compared to Cllr Waite’s five. Councillor Katherine Cowell (Corve Ward) meanwhile was chosen as the new deputy mayor.

Later, councillors decided who would serve the various committes. However,  Cllr Waite had decided to leave the meeting by that time.

There were several abstentions, with Councillor Glenn Ginger and Councillor Tim Gill both declining offers to chair the representative committee.

Cllr Ginger had previously told the LDRS that he had been “bullied” over letters regarding the collapsed wall.

How some councillors had been behaving recently was mentioned by Gill George during the public open session.

“This council will be facing some scrutiny around this stuff and the risk of reputational harm if you get it wrong is very, very high indeed,” she said,

“What we’ve been witnessing in recent months is not normal. Anonymous hate mail is not normal, councillors reporting bullying, having their health harmed, being reduced to tears during council meetings, councillors experiencing treatment that they describe as vicious. None of that is normal.

“Whether you disagree with someone or not, that is not appropriate. There are real issues here about reputational harm, not just to this council but our town.

“As councillors, you have responsibility to look after your own behaviour, and whether you like it or not, you are becoming role models.

“So my request is to read the LGA (Local Government Association) Code of Coduct for Councillors and take it on board. Particuarly the need to display respect for to one another and the wider public you serve.”