...as Langport Town Councillor refuses to keep quiet about 'confidential' meeting...
A woman on Langport Town Council - who has spoken publicly about a meeting of the Town Trust last month at which the council leader and clerk allegedly 'pushed through' a vote on asking the Freemasons if they'd like to buy the Hanging Chapel - has now had a formal complaint made against her.
Val Saunders, pictured below, has been reported to South Somerset District Council in Yeovil.
Ms Saunders not only disagreed with the idea of selling off the medieval building without a word of consultation to the general public but strongly objected to the way it all happened.
She claims it wasn't correctly listed on the agenda and that it was brought up and voted on in about 5 minutes - with two councillors absent who had no idea it was being voted on.
Sounds like it's she who should be making a complaint to the district about the leader and clerk - not the other way round.
Town Council leader Janet Seaton has told Ms Saunders that she can't go around breaking confidentiality protocol just because she doesn't like something she was outvoted on.
But Mrs Seaton appears to have missed the point entirely here, surely it's the apparent underhanded way it was all done that Ms Saunders seems to be objecting to...as well as the end result.
Since the news went public, several people have messaged this blog and spoken to our news team about ways the building can raise money (to pay for structural problems which we think is why the vote to offer it to the masons took place)
These include substantially raising the Freemasons' rent - they get it for peanuts apparently - opening it on Saturdays to tourists and giving the place a licence to hold civil ceremonies and weddings.
These are obvious money-spinners aren't they? If people down the pub can think of that, why can't the Town Trust?
This lady wasn't for turning but perhaps Mrs Seaton should be - on both the Hanging Chapel and the complaint against councillor Saunders - who it appears has done us all a service by showing us what sort of town council we have.
Oh dear oh dear - I feel another election coming on.
Note - Carry On Langport strongly believes in the journalistic right of reply and will happily publish correspondence from those who oppose Councillor Saunders' stance.
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