Outrage as public gagged at Area Boards

11.18.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 5th Sep 2009

Wiltshire Liberal Democrats have expressed outrage at the decision by the Conservative Council to refuse the public the right to ask questions at the local Area Board Meetings.

Lib Dem Councillor Jon Hubbard commented, "This is yet another example of the ruling Conservative group trying to distance themselves and the council from the people they represent. Here in the old West Wilts area Town and Parish councils have been stripped of their right to call in planning applications and now local residents are told that to ask a question at an Area Board they have to submit it in writing in advance and hope that it is selected for inclusion in a future meeting. This is not democracy, this is censorship"

Councillor Hubbard continued "Why are the Tories afraid of letting people ask questions about their council - after all it's the local people who, through their Council Tax, pay for the council. I believe local residents are quite intelligent enough to realise they won't get immediate answers to every question, but they deserve the right to ask questions and to hold their elected representatives to account."