*** Update: 24 March 2015 ***
Ward Councillors' Right of Reply - scroll down

Resignation Letter - Alec Denman

• Alec Denman, who resigned from the Parish Council on 5 March 2015, has requested that his letter of resignation be published so that residents understand his real reasons for resigning, as false rumours are currently circulating around the village.
   

05-03-2015:

Hi John,

As discussed in our telephone conversation as of 6pm this evening I am resigning from the PC.

My reasons are because Ward Councillors Geary, Hoskins and McLean have by Political means had the Chairman of the DCC debarred from both Chairing tonight's meeting and from speaking in support of the application. The timing of this move meant that there would be no representation of the views of the Villagers who support the High St application, nor of the views of our young people who really need affordable housing.

Wither or not you support or oppose this application I am certain you will all agree that EVERYBODY'S views should and must be heard, even if the people holding those views appear to be in the minority, this is the UK, we live in a Democracy not a totalitarian state.

After being approached this morning to see if I would stand in and speak on behalf of the application I have decided that I will.

I genuinely that the best way out of this mess and to avoid years of more infighting is that this application be given the go-a-head.

I could speak as a Private Citizen and still stay on the PC, but I don't think that would be right as it could reflect badly on the PC and I am sure certain people would seek to ensure that it did, so I have decided the Honorable and Proper thing to do is resign.

It just remains for me to thank all the PC for their support over the last 2 years and wish you and David and Ian well for the future.

Regards,

Alec.

Response by Cllr Keith McLean:

I was only made aware on Monday 23rd March of the resignation letter of Alec Denman as Parish Council Chairman and Councillor that was published on the Sherington website on 9th March, four days after he had resigned. In his letter Alec Denman asserts that I, along with Peter Geary and Dave Hosking, had "by Political means had the Chairman of the DCC debarred from both Chairing tonight's meeting and from speaking in support of the application". The Chairman had out of courtesy advised me a few days ahead of the meeting that he would be vacating the Chair for this item and would be speaking in support of the application. We did not discuss the reasons why he was doing this as this might have been construed as a proponent lobbying a member of the Development Control Committee. I was surprised on the night when Alec Denman spoke in place of Andrew Geary who was originally listed as one of the speakers in favour of the application. I categorically deny Alec's accusation that I was in any way involved in Andrew Geary's decision not to speak in favour of the application.