Would-be councillor vents anger over snub

Andy Rowley, 46, of Shipley, Bradford, says he was “humiliated” when asked to leave a meeting of Silsden Town Council.

He is the Conservative candidate for Craven in the May elections for membership of Bradford Council. He said he had attended council meetings in Addingham and Steeton without trouble.

Sheena Spence, the chief officer for the Yorkshire Local Councils Association, which provides advice to town and parish councils but does not “oversee” them, said members of the public were entitled to attend any meeting of a parish council. For example, she said a friend of hers regularly attended parish council meetings while on holiday in Norfolk.

Mr Rowley’s election agent, Coun Andrew Mallinson, wrote a protest letter to the Yorkshire Local Councils Association (YLCA).

He said deputy mayor Keith Savage and mayor Chris Atkinson, with the guidance of clerk Lesley Corcoran, had incorrectly excluded a member of the public on the grounds that he was not on the electoral list and could not remain in the meeting.

Mr Mallinson said: “This action was taken before all the other councillors had arrived and the decision was not ratified by the council as a whole. I have very serious concerns that the advice given by the clerk, who has been a clerk for about eight years, is wholly incorrect and brings Silsden Town Council into disrepute.”

Coun Atkinson said: “I have no comment. It is only Tories whingeing.” Coun Savage declined to comment.

Mrs Corcoran, who is employed by Silsden Town Council, said: “This matter is being dealt with by the mayor on behalf of the council. The council has taken advice from YLCA and is in the process of implementing it.”

A Bradford Council spokeswoman said: “These are public meetings and you do not have to live in the vicinity to attend them.”