Dear Sir,
Regarding Councillor Stead’s motion at the GATC meeting of 2nd September I feel I must question the behaviour of our County Councillors.
Councillor Stead is a new Lib Dem Councillor, having taken his seat at Woodham from the incumbent Labour Councillor Keith Henderson. I was pleased to see Michael engaging in debate and putting his motion about the unfairness of double taxation imposed upon the residents of our town.
As a Council we have 30 members to cover all the wards in Great Aycliffe and one would assume that those Councillors would represent the views and concerns of not only those persons living in their respective wards but citizens of the whole town.
I have to say that I was disgusted to find that when Councillor Stead’s motion came up for debate, all our Labour County Councillors left the meeting. Not one of our County Councillors was prepared to enter the debate, despite being members of Great Aycliffe Town Council, so why then do they bother to put themselves forward as candidates for Great Aycliffe Council if they have no interest in representing the people, surely this is not democracy. Is this deterring interested people from standing for these positions? The motion was written in the meeting notes which were presented to Council members a week prior to the meeting so everyone knew this debate was coming up and it strikes me as suspicious that all of the County Councillors left the meeting at the same time.
This is not the only time that County Councillors have refused to stand up for the people they serve as was seen in the recent battle to keep social housing in the Western Area, local people had to put together a petition to save Whinlatter Bridge and I myself had to bring up the subject of subdued lighting at DCC supported by Syd Howarth.
So whose side are these Councillors on? During the Williamfield campaign not a single Labour Councillor was seen on the doorstep, moreover it is alleged that they were in secret talks and had signed a non-disclosure agreement (hardly in the interests of the town residents).
It would appear that one of our County Councillors discussed Councillor Steads motion on Facebook in a lucid and intelligent way, so why on social media and not to his council colleagues. As a true Independent I would like to listen to the debate not be denied by a refusal to discuss.
Ken Robson, Town Councillor
