Town Poll – The Results are in

Hadley and Leegomery residents were voting yesterday, not on the General Election, but on the Town Poll which was instigated by Stuart Parr, a voter unhappy with not only the decision to sell off one of it’s biggest assets, but also the moves to change the rules that enabled the Parish Council to make that decision.

The question on the Poll was:
“Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council have removed the requirement to consult with residents on the sale of assets from their Financial Regulations. Should the council consult with residents on the sale of Hadley Cemetery Lodge and on the sale of other assets such as the community centre in future?”

Following a days voting, the decision by voters was clear. 249 said Yes, the council should have consulted residents as opposed to 23 No Votes.

Even though the difference would be considered an emphatic victory for the residents, Town Polls are not binding and there is no guarantee that any changes will be made to the rules.

It’s not over yet though. A group of residents are planning to follow this up with calling on the Council to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting to bring them to account.

Paul Savage, a resident who campaigned for the Yes vote, said “There is an election coming up for Hadley Manor and the result of the poll is focusing the attention of potential and current councillors.

“We have seen three sitting councillors support the result of the poll after of seeing mood of the voters on the stack of ballot papers.

“Our next step is forcing an Extraordinary General Meeting to force an official response and see if we can get the rules overturned to prevent community assets being sold against the wishes of the community.”

Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council Clark told Telford Live “Unfortunately the Council is currently in Purdah so is unable to comment at this time.”

Pic: Telford Live!