HUNGERFORD town councillors have criticised their district counterparts for being absent from an important town council meeting on Monday (September 15).
West Berkshire councillors for Hungerford David Holtby and Paul Hewer were invited to talk about topics including the bridge over the canal in the town centre, parking and traffic speed issues.
The meeting’s chairman, Richard Hudson, said: “I think we have a lot of things to say to David [Holtby] now, because it was advised at the last full town council meeting that it would be very helpful if he and Paul [Hewer] came along.
“They have accused us of not knitting together with them on important issues in the past, so I emailed them about a week ago and invited them to this meeting.
“When we were talking about the canal bridge at the last town council meeting, they said both councils should be together on this, but they haven’t bothered to turn up, and I’m not impressed.”
Mayor Peter Harries said the town council should find out why the district councillors had not been at the meeting before accusing them of not bothering to turn up, but said there was a long-term problem with the relationship between the two councils.
“We have not had the services we should have had, not only from these district councillors, but from past ones, for a number of years,” he said.
He said the discussions over possible designs for a new footbridge over the canal in Bridge Street were an example of this lack of support.
Money has been put aside by West Berkshire Council to build a bridge for pedestrians alongside the existing bridge, which has a very narrow pavement, often forcing pedestrians on to the road.
The district council has put forward designs for a footbridge that would be as high as the existing bridge, but many town councillors want to see a lower-level, less visible design considered as well, and feel they have not been supported on this by Hungerford district councillors.
“We should make sure it is Hungerford people who decide what kind of bridge it is,” he said. “Why should West Berkshire Council decide on something that is to do with where we live?”
The town council agreed to write to Mr Hewer and Mr Holtby expressing their disappointment that they did not go to the meeting and asking to be updated on matters including town centre car parking and the canal bridge.
Mr Hewer said he and Mr Holtby were due to attend the meeting, but were busy with district council business.
“At the end of the day, we’re not members of the town council,” he said. “We go to their monthly meetings, but we can’t attend everything. David and myself work quite closely with the town council, and we are always in contact with the mayor.
“We have to attend district council meetings because we represent Hungerford in Newbury.”