Wixams Parish Council has asked two councillors to resign after a vote of no confidence was held.
But parish councillors David Whiteley and Clinton Taylor deny the accusations made against them and said no evidence of any wrongdoing was provided.
Parish councillor Debbie Bowman told last night’s Extraordinary Meeting (Tuesday, August 20) that the vote was following requests by Wixams residents at the previous week’s meeting and via emails.
“The public requested councillor David Whiteley to resign”, she said.
“We don’t have the authority to make him resign, but we can do a vote of no confidence”.
The parish council reported that the vote for parish councillor Whiteley was in response to, “misogynistic behaviour, behaviour in breach of the Nolan principles and breach of the Code of Conduct and to stand down with immediate effect”.
Read: Wixams councillor told to resign in row over planning application response with “racist overtones”
A second vote, which was not on the meeting’s agenda, was held for parish councillor and vice chair, Clinton Taylor.
The parish council said this vote “was in response to aggressive behaviour” towards parish councillor and new chair, Saqhib Ali on August 13, and “behaviour in breach of the Nolan principles and breach of the Code of Conduct and to stand down with immediate effect”.
“Issues from day one”
Both votes were passed by the five parish councillors present. The chair did not vote.
However, parish councillors Whiteley and Taylor did not attend the meeting.
Ward councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative) said: “This parish council has been through a period of significant turmoil.
“It has been difficult to make decisions and to get things done.
“I can put a lot of that down to one person joining this parish council, and that was David Whiteley.
“Ever since he arrived we’ve been at loggerheads, there have been issues from day one.
“I can’t remember anything positive that David Whiteley has brought to this parish council, and I think he has brought it into disrepute.
“I think if David Whiteley had any shred of integrity he would read the room and he would take himself off and go and find something else to do,” he said.
Following the meeting, parish councillor Whiteley sent an email to the parish council, and others, including the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
He wrote: “You provide not a scintilla of evidence or any details of an investigation, this behaviour has never been proven as such to suggest any sanction without a full investigation is deemed harassment, and will be dealt with accordingly.
“The vote today has no validity, and the parish council cannot sanction a councillor without proven allegations and a determination of the hearings panel of the principal council.
“Since joining this council I have championed professionalism and the observance of legislation, unfortunately the inability of some to follow rules has led to these false allegations which is disgusting and will not be tolerated.”
In his own email to the parish council, parish councillor Taylor said: “The meeting was largely a waste of time and public money hiring rooms and a clerk.
“Half the councillors attended and five voted, a minority.
“Some serious accusations have been made and [I] refute all.
“I will furnish in time my evidence files (containing screenshot of emails and texts and social media) with a series of complaints against those involved and I will pass at least one to the police because of the malicious communication distributed,” he said.
In a statement to the LDRS, parish councillor Taylor said: “This accusation is fiction, and lacks credibility.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
