Strife is continuing to disrupt the business of an Isle of Wight parish council after four Shalfleet councillors broke their silence over recent walkouts.
Councillors Jonathan Hill, Chris Beane, Jacky Laurie and Jane Timbrell released a statement setting out their perspective on a dispute with the chair and vice-chair of Shalfleet Parish Council, councillors Steve and Thomas Cowley.
It came prior to Wednesday’s meeting at the Wellow Institute, which the four councillors did not attend.
At the meeting, Cllr Steve Cowley said of the four absences:
“I don’t understand why they are members of Shalfleet Parish Council.
“If they can’t attend meetings, I think they should consider their positions.”
An agenda distributed to the press before Wednesday’s meeting included motions relating to tree planting in Bouldnor field, the parish council’s website and other items relating to council finances, planning applications and a grant application from Shalfleet CE Primary School.
Last month, councillors Hill, Beane, Laurie and Timbrell walked out of the parish council’s November meeting.
Cllr Steve Cowley subsequently wrote to Island media denouncing the move, lamenting the disruption of ‘official business’ and claiming Cllr Beane had ‘broken the law’ by not submitting information on his election expenses to the Isle of Wight Council’s returning officer.
Shalfleet parishioner Jeff Smithers took issue with Cllr Cowley’s narrative, claiming it was a ‘deliberate attempt’ to ‘publicly demean’ Cllr Beane.
Councillors Hill, Beane, Laurie and Timbrell said their November walkout was a ‘direct response’ to an ‘untenable environment’ caused by ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and ‘bombast’ from the Cowleys.
They said:
“This has included disparaging comments in emails, on social media platforms, and in local media outlets.
“This all came to a head on the evening of the walk out. These remarks have painted a deeply unfair picture of individuals who joined the council with the sole intention of serving the community.”
The statement said the Cowleys’ ‘unacceptable behaviour’ explained the four councillors decision not to attend Wednesday’s meeting.
Actions to address the continuing dispute, including ‘training and mediation sessions’, have been ‘consistently agreed’ by the four councillors who said they remain committed to creating a ‘cooperative environment’ and serving the community.
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