A bitter dispute continues to engulf the business of an Isle of Wight parish council, with fresh infighting following a recent meeting.
Shalfleet Parish Council chair Steve Cowley said councillors Jonathan Hill, Jackie Laurie, Jane Timbrell and Chris Beane had ‘let down’ the Shalfleet community by ‘failing to attend’ a meeting last Wednesday.
In a letter, Cllr Cowley claimed the ‘extraordinary meeting’ was ‘legally-called’ and ‘confirmed’ by the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils.
He said:
“An extraordinary meeting had been called by the chair to try to catch up with some of the parish business that should have been dealt with when they absented themselves from the previous two meetings.
“Thirteen concerned local residents, a large number for a parish council meeting, had come to the meeting to hear suggestions of how their council tax is to be spent in 2025/26.
“Strong dissatisfaction was expressed by the public about the failure of the new councillors to attend to carry out their duty and make decisions about next year’s spending.
“The new councillors failed to give plausible reasons for not attending this meeting, or December’s meeting, or for walking out of November’s meeting.
“Projects put at risk are the grant-funded VE Day Commemorative Orchard at Withyfield, support for Shalfleet School’s Active Children programme, tree planting to meet the parish’s biodiversity commitment and renewal of a butterfly garden on Wellow Millennium Green.”
However, last Wednesday, Cllr Hill told the press:
“Tonight’s Shalfleet Parish Council extraordinary meeting, called by Councillor Steve Cowley on January 2, will not be an official parish council meeting.
“It is not correct to discuss or make decisions on resolutions and budgets without the guidance and judgement of a responsible financial officer (clerk) – who will not be there.
“For this reason, four councillors will not be attending. We will attend the scheduled February meeting to discuss these issues with the support of our clerk and our commitment remains to serve the parish to the best of our ability.
"But we need a cooperative environment to do so.”
Shalfleet Parish Council’s next meeting is scheduled to take place on February 12 at Shalfleet Village Hall.
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