Parties clash over reputation of BCP Council amid claims of toxic atmosphere
A SENIOR councillor has claimed there is often a toxic atmosphere at BCP Council meetings.
Cabinet member Nicola Greene said she has been insulted and abused, writes Trevor Bevins of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
She will now raise those allegations with the council’s chief executive, Graham Farrant.
Another senior member, Cllr Bobbie Dove, said abusive emails and tweets had been sent to councillors during debates, especially those who had spoken up for women.
The comments came during a meeting which included a plea by Liberal Democrat Cllr Millie Earl to improve the council's reputation through for changes to its constitution, which is currently under review.
She said it had suffered from questionable financial proposals with scrutiny committee findings ignored and councillors sometimes unable to see official documents.
Among the issues she raised was Conservative Cllr Drew Mellor being both council leader and in charge of the financial portfolio. She called for the removal of cabinet members from directorships on council-owned companies, which she said “just looks bad”.
Deputy leader Cllr Phil Broadhead accused Cllr Earl of pushing "a version of reality" to politicise the debate to help the Liberal Democrat cause.
“The idea that elected members shouldn’t have oversight of council-owned companies is absolute nonsense,” he said.
Cllr Mike Cox, Lib Dem member for Christchurch, said that it was clear from the press and petitions that trust had been lost in the council.
He claimed the only reason the council’s finances had improved was because there had been a moratorium on virtually all spending, apart from statutory items.
Cabinet member Cllr Mike Greene said despite the claims by opposition councillors of “woe, disaster and even bankruptcy” the authority had improved its financial position and was well-placed for the years ahead.
“The council is not in the dire straits that some, wishing to score political points, want you to believe," he said.
“The scaremongering we have been hearing from a few people might win a few votes, but it’s not honest.”
