Flintshire councillors forced back after early meeting exit

A group of Flintshire councillors has used a formal process to force colleagues back to the chamber after a council meeting ended early, leaving 40% of the agenda undiscussed.

Flintshire People’s Voice (FPV) councillors have invoked a procedure known as requisition, which allows councillors to call additional meetings, after a majority of the council voted to close the last session before all items were debated.

FPV leader Cllr Sam Swash criticised the early finish, saying: “At the last council meeting, the Labour-Independent coalition voted to go home early, meaning 40% of the agenda was not even discussed. This included vital issues like Flintshire People’s Voice’s motion to block overdevelopment in Flintshire’s villages and towns.

“It shouldn’t be too much to ask councillors, who are paid public money, to sit through less than one full council meeting a month. Voting to finish meetings early not only does their own residents a disservice but stops every other councillor from representing their residents too.”

Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson (FPV, Penyffordd) described the situation as “a disgrace,” adding: “What’s worse is that this was the very same meeting where cabinet members, who voted to close the meeting, were arguing that they’re worth the extra money they get paid because they work so hard.”

The meeting was the third to be closed before all business was completed in the current council year.

When this happens, motions tabled by councillors and questions to the cabinet are often left unheard.

FPV councillor Carolyn Preece (Buckley Bistre West) was clear on their group’s response: “If they think they can get away with doing half a job, they’re very wrong. Every time they vote to go home early, we will drag them back to finish the job.”

One of the items left undebated was FPV’s motion urging the council to begin work on its next Local Development Plan to prevent speculative housing developments.

Cllr Chrissy Gee (Broughton South), an independent councillor who sits with FPV, stressed the importance of the items that were not discussed: “Overdevelopment, including building on flood plains, is one of the biggest threats to my community. Broughton is already affected by flooding, and returning to a wild west planning system after 2030 would mean more homes flooded.

“But instead of tackling this situation, coalition councillors voted to block any discussion of the issues so they could go home. They owe an apology to the people of Broughton and Bretton.”

The requisitioned meeting will take place remotely on Tuesday, 18th March, at 2pm.