Row erupts over claims Flintshire council meetings end ‘early’

A furious row has erupted at a special meeting of Flintshire County Council after an opposition group accused fellow councillors of ending meetings ‘early’.

Buckley Bistre West Cllr Carolyn Preece of Flintshire People’s Voice used a requisition notice to call a special meeting of full council to call for the council to agree to change its constitution to ensure that council meetings run until all business on the agenda is dealt with – however long it takes.

Currently the council’s constitution states that meetings  – which start at 1pm – must finish at 5pm.

Councillors in the leading coalition hit back at claims meetings had been ended ‘early’ arguing uncapped meeting times would have an unreasonable impact on council staff and risk breaching the Equality Act by discriminating against carers and those with families.

“All of us are here today because at the last local election the people of Flintshire put their trust in us to represent them,” said Cllr Preece.

“Our residents expect us to show up, listen and debate the issues that affect their communities and their lives. And yet in this year alone this council has repeatedly failed in one of its most basic duties – to work through the business of full council meetings.

“Instead a majority of councillors have chosen three times to end meetings before that business has been concluded. This year there are just six ordinary meetings of this council where we come together to debate the issues that matter to our residents and yet some councillors have chosen to cut these meetings short.

“We cannot and should not allow this to continue. It is not unreasonable to expect councillors to work more than 24 hours a year – the bare minimum to attend full council meetings.

“This motion represents a  simple commitment – that meetings of this council must continue until the work is done. Flintshire People’s Voice is giving those councillors who vote to end meetings early an opportunity to recommit to doing the job you were elected to do.”

Independent coalition cabinet member for Housing and Communities and Hawarden Aston Cllr Helen Brown accepted changes were needed but refuted claims the council was finishing early and not representing residents effectively.

“Working harder for Flintshire is something that all elected members should be doing daily,” she said.

“Lately there has been some misleading information stating that members are voting to go home early to have our tea or simply being lazy. That is very unfair and incorrect.

“It has also been suggested that as Flintshire County Council meets six times a year that councillors only work 24 hours a year. Again, that is incorrect. There are numerous other meetings that members are required to attend as part of their role.

“This council should conduct its business in a timely, structured and professional manner. Recently it’s become an arena for grandstanding and gaining social media hits.”

Cllr Brown tabled an amendment suggesting rather than unlimited-time council meetings, that meetings begin at 10.30am instead of 1pm.

Her amendment also said the chair and the head of democratic services should agree on time limits for the discussion of each agenda item and that councillors make better use of time by liaising with officers between meetings to deal with minor questions that don’t need to go before full council.

It was a suggestion supported by Argoed and New Brighton Liberal Democrat Cllr Hillary McGuill, who raised a concern that unlimited time meetings would have a negative impact on council staff.

“People employed by Flintshire County Council need to have some work-life balance,” she said. “They need a start and a finish time so they can work their life around it. That is essential.”

Llanasa and Trelawnyd Cllr Gina Maddison went one step further, suggesting that uncapped meeting times could breach the Equality Act.

“Meetings that carry on beyond five’o’clock in the evening are extremely unfair to carers and childcarers.  The majority of care, whether it’s older people, disabled people or children, finishes at around six’o’clock.

“We would be disadvantaging carers by carrying on into the evening and moreover actively discourage women and carers who wish to be a councillor from standing. This is in breach of the Equality Act 2010.”

Cllr Preece’s fellow Flintshire People’s Voice Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson of Penyffordd spoke out against the amendment.

“One of the things that has been suggested in this amendment is that there ought to be a time limit on each individual item of business.

“What time limit would you put on the budget? There is no appropriate time limit on a discussion if issues remain unresolved. To do so would leave public funds open to gross misspending.”

Councillors voted in favour of Cllr Brown’s amendment over Cllr Preece’s original motion, approving an earlier start time to give members more time to scrutinise matters in the council chamber.

By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter