Residents vote to end town council debate

8:30am Wednesday 12th November 2008

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KINGTON Town Council looks to set to finally put a long-running dispute over the way it is run to bed after residents voted to draw a line under it at a public meeting last week.

The majority of those who met with councillors and mayor Allan Lloyd at the town’s Burton Hotel on Friday wanted to bring discussions regarding council conduct that began more than six years ago to an end.

Coun Lloyd said: “We are representing the people and people must have their say.”

The gathering went ahead after Councillors Bob Widdowson and Janet Thomas resolved to discuss audit results from 1999 to 2008 which found overpayments had been made to a former clerk and at times condemned council practices.

But in 2007 a newly elected (but uncontested) council was formed and changes suggested by the Audit Commission were deemed to have been made by 2008.

Coun Lloyd said: “One thing that is very, very obvious in this new council is that it is transparent, it is open. This is the fifth public meeting I have had since May and this is the way I want to go on.”

The matter will now be discussed at Kington Town Council’s next meeting in December.