Anger at parish 'dictatorship'

Widdrington Station and Stobswood Parish Council leader David Baron has admitted asking two fellow councillors not to attend the Druridge Bay Community Forum.  And when pressed, he owned up to making the same request of others.

Furious resident Susan Cook said: "This is a dictatorship. That is not what this Parish Council is about. Every member of this Parish Council was elected to make up their own minds. It is a dictatorship if you tell them they can't attend a meeting."

The angry scenes erupted as the Council discussed the Druridge Bay cluster group following months of protests from residents at not being allowed to vote or stand for key positions in the forum and concerns from Northumberland County Council that it is not adhering to protocol.

Last month Parish councillors Carolynn and Richard Lillico resigned as forum representatives, saying they were denied the chance to present public views and Coun Jacqueline Bexfield proposed that the Parish should withdraw from the body and set up its own.

But when the debate took place this month councillors were still divided on the subject and it emerged that Coun Baron, who backs the forum, had urged members not to show their support for residents' complaints.

Coun Carolynn Lillico said: "I don't think it is right of the Chairman of the Parish Council to ask Parish councillors not to attend a meeting of the forum as a Parish councillor or a resident. That is not representative of a community in my eyes.

"To be asked not to attend a meeting as a councillor or a resident of this village, I find terrible."

And Coun Richard Lillico told the Chairman: "You phoned me and told me not to go to that meeting. You asked me not to go as a Parish councillor and when I said I would go as a resident you asked me not to go as a resident either."

Coun Baron admitted making the request and said he had also asked others not to attend.

"I thought that would be showing the residents that you were giving them support," he said.

Coun Bexfield urged the Chairman to review his position in light of the admission.

"I have a lack of confidence in you and I think you need to review your position. I think you are abusing your position as Chairman and you have not treated councillors with respect," she said.

There was also anger among members that Coun Baron had failed to show them a letter from the County Council expressing its own gripes with the forum.

Coun Bexfield said: "I'm a bit disappointed that you haven't distributed the letter that was sent to you as Chairman of the Parish Council because that was pertinent to this vote. I'm a bit disappointed with that and also concerned at what other correspondence has been withheld from the Parish Council."

Coun Baron said he regarded the letter as personal mail.