Burry Port appears to be in doom and gloom despite winning the prestigious Wales in Bloom Award. The heavy clouds hanging over the estuary on a bad day appear to have lingered over the Town Council offices and are set to remain even if Storm Ophelia comes in.
It has culminated in some heated exchanges with the town mayor having to request that a police constable attend the last meeting.
The leader of the Labour contingency of Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council is claiming that lessons can be learned from the way councillors from all political parties work together at County Hall. Councillor John James a former mayor of Pembrey and Burry Port was speaking following disharmony at the Town Council meetings.
I am a Chairman of a Scrutiny Committee on Carmarthenshire County Council that is made up of councillors of the three main groups on the Council. If members of the public were to come and observe our meetings they would not know which Councillor represented which group as we made a conscious decision from the start to work together for the betterment of Carmarthenshire and it’s working well. Cllr John James
Speaking about the Town Council meeting held on Thursday (Sep 21) Cllr James said: “The September meeting of Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council finished amid angry exchanges between members of the public and Town Councillors after Labour Party Councillors wished to discuss the sudden departure of the Council’s Technical Services Officer, Mr. Lee Fox.
“The meeting was well attended by members of the public who were concerned at the fact that Mr. Fox had finished so suddenly when he was considered by many residents of Pembrey and Burry Port of carrying out his duties to the highest standard and had been heavily involved in the preparation for the Wales in Bloom competition which Pembrey and Burry Port won the First Prize Gold Award.
“They were also hoping to find out why many of them, as well as organisations from within the community had not had responses to their written requests for information and in some cases had not had acknowledgement to letters and emails of support for Mr. Fox being received. But when Labour Party councillors attempted to discuss the issue the Chairman, Councillor David Owen said that he wanted to suspend the meeting. Cllr. Amanda Fox, the wife of Mr. Lee Fox, declared an interest and left the meeting.
“The Mayor’s proposal to suspend and so closing the meeting before the business at hand had been completed, was put to the vote, where all seven Independent councillors, as well as the only Plaid Cymru councillor, voted to close the meeting, whilst the seven remaining Labour voted to carry on and finish the remaining business.
“It was tremendous to see so many people representing different organisations, as well as individuals, attending the meeting to observe how the representatives elected by them, and who are accountable to them, work. It was a shame that the meeting finished the way it did.”
