This week’s Neath Guardian carries yet another story about the extraordinarily personal and bitter in-fighting that has been a feature of Blaenhonddan Community Council in Neath in recent months. It is a pitched battle between Labour and Plaid Cymru Community Councillors in which no prisoners are taken and no quarter is given. No wonder the Cadoxton ward elected a Welsh Liberal Democrat County Councillor last May.
In this week’s paper an Independent member of the Community Council has claimed that the “lies” of a senior Plaid councillor were responsible for that party losing their majority on Blaenhonddan Community Council. He claims that Councillor Martyn Peters made false statements about the financial viability of the Longford Memorial Hall, operated by Dyffryn Clydach Community Council. That claim is rejected by Councillor Peters.
In January a Labour member of Blaenhonddan Community Council claimed that her husband almost died as a result of in-fighting among her fellow councillors. Councillor Doreen Jones told an extraordinary meeting of Blaenhonddan Community Council that sustained persecution through political and personal attacks on her and her husband, Councillor Elwyn Jones, were contributory factors in him suffering a heart attack. She was speaking at a session during which members of the council passed a vote of no confidence in her ability to act as council chair.
As a previous edition of the Neath Guardian explains, Councillor Jones had come under fire from Plaid Cymru Members as a result of their unhappiness at the way she ran the December meeting of the Council.
As late as last Monday an extraordinary meeting of Blaenhonddan Community Council ended in chaos with outbursts from the public, a motion of no confidence in the chair and a 10-minute recess to calm high-running emotions.
Two motions were considered: One to defer the closure pending further information; and one to put it back three months to June. After a 7-7 vote with two abstentions, the chair, Coun Janice Dudley, voted for the former – despite being advised otherwise by the clerk. Coun Doreen Jones, who stopped chairing meetings in December after a vote of no confidence in her ability was passed, called for a similar vote to be taken over Coun Janice Dudley.
She said: “You have gone against the voice of the clerk. I propose a vote of no confidence in the chair.”
That vote did not take place, the meeting ended and Coun Dudley insisted on the 10-minute timeout before February’s full council meeting started.
The slightest thing can prompt an outburst on this Council. In December there was an almighty row about whether a fridge could be bought for a community centre ending in a ruling by the Chair that as the matter was not on the agenda all further debate must cease. In September the Chair refused to accept apologies because they had not been given through the Clerk.
Back in June 2008 the Chair was accused of failing to run the meeting correctly and making up council rules during a row as to whether the Council should have a Finance Committee. Run-ins between Councillor Doreen Jones for Labour and Councillor Linda Ware for Plaid Cymru in particular have led to referrals to the Ombudsman for alleged breaches of the code of conduct.
With the Council now finely balanced between Plaid Cymru and Labour, we do not expect things to settle down anytime soon.
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