Anger as councillors move to Lincolnshire and retain their seats on the Council.
30
Oct
Last week we broke the news that husband and wife councillors Alan and Jean Willicombe have sold up and moved to another county whilst retaining their positions on the Council and many of you were quite rightly disgusted.
Today it has hit the front page of the Sittingbourne News Extra and in their defence Alan Willicombe claims that “it is pointless to force the council to pay for a by-election when their Woodstock will disappear in 2015 under boundary changes.”
However, and you’d think they’d know given their position, this isn’t entirely true.
(Above illustrates new wards to be adopted in 2015)
The Woodstock ward is to retained, but is set to be reduced in size. It is true that at one point it was set to be renamed as the ‘Sittingbourne South’, but this was subsequently overturned.
With a joint income of around £9,500 plus expenses which they will retain, it might seem a little insincere to then voice concerns over saving costs by not having a by-election
I know that residents of Tunstall are not at all happy and the fact that the announcement only came during the course of a Council meeting hasn’t been well received.
So if the ward has 'disappeared' will the Tories be fielding a candidate come the next election?
It has been interesting to watch the reach of this news as it has now appeared on BBC South East and in the Sittingbourne News Extra, Kent Messenger, Lincolnshire Echo and the Daily Mail.
It was most amusing to watch Council leader Andrew Bowles squirm on BBC South East news slot as he tried in vain to defend Cllrs Alan and Jean Willicombe move to Lincolnshire.
It is very unfortunate that all concerned can not see the problem with the move, and perhaps demonstrates just how detached from public opinion they have become.
Everyone interviewed thought it was disgusting, surely there is a clue in there somewhere.
Maybe on this basis we could outsource Councillors to a call centre somewhere.
Andy Hudson
Sittingbourne.Me
Today it has hit the front page of the Sittingbourne News Extra and in their defence Alan Willicombe claims that “it is pointless to force the council to pay for a by-election when their Woodstock will disappear in 2015 under boundary changes.”
However, and you’d think they’d know given their position, this isn’t entirely true.
(Above illustrates new wards to be adopted in 2015)
The Woodstock ward is to retained, but is set to be reduced in size. It is true that at one point it was set to be renamed as the ‘Sittingbourne South’, but this was subsequently overturned.
With a joint income of around £9,500 plus expenses which they will retain, it might seem a little insincere to then voice concerns over saving costs by not having a by-election
I know that residents of Tunstall are not at all happy and the fact that the announcement only came during the course of a Council meeting hasn’t been well received.
So if the ward has 'disappeared' will the Tories be fielding a candidate come the next election?
Update
It has been interesting to watch the reach of this news as it has now appeared on BBC South East and in the Sittingbourne News Extra, Kent Messenger, Lincolnshire Echo and the Daily Mail.
It was most amusing to watch Council leader Andrew Bowles squirm on BBC South East news slot as he tried in vain to defend Cllrs Alan and Jean Willicombe move to Lincolnshire.
It is very unfortunate that all concerned can not see the problem with the move, and perhaps demonstrates just how detached from public opinion they have become.
Everyone interviewed thought it was disgusting, surely there is a clue in there somewhere.
Maybe on this basis we could outsource Councillors to a call centre somewhere.
Andy Hudson
Sittingbourne.Me
Comments
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They should both resign living that far away. I do not think they can fulfil their commitments if they have moved out of the area. They did not give me much help when I asked for it when they lived here so how can they do the job living away. Surely there is someone that can fill the position even temporary. They are the ones that wanted to move so decision made for a new life.
Yvonne read
Yvonne read