Councillor deserves our thanks for hard work
Villagers defend Cold Ash Parish Council member facing vote of no confidence
PEOPLE in Cold Ash and Thatcham have come out in support of a parish councillor who is facing a vote of no confidence later this month.
Cold Ash Parish Council is planning to hold the vote against member Richard Crumly, because of his low attendance at meetings and his refusal to take his turn on the planning application presentation rota.
However, Dorothy Le-Cornu of Bowling Green Road, Thatcham, said that people must want Mr Crumly to represent them as he had been voted on to three councils – Thatcham Town Council and West Berkshire Council, as well as Cold Ash Parish Council.
Defending Mr Crumly, she said: “Someone like Richard Crumly, who chooses to represent the residents over a period of years for little or no remuneration, should be rewarded and applauded for their actions and not reprimanded for their nonattendance of meetings.
“Richard Crumly takes pride in his work, both in business and in helping and supporting residents with their queries or their concerns and is very thorough and likes to see things through.
“I wish all of the councillors, elected or otherwise, were the same.”
She added: “Anyone is entitled to suffer illnesses from time to time, have family commitments
and, even more so, have work or business commitments that sometimes prevent attendance, but it is a way of life.
“Richard is a family man and also runs his own business, yet still finds time to help people, for
no matter what reason and gives up his time as much as he is able to honour his commitments whenever and wherever is possible.”
Mrs Le-Cornu also agreed with Mr Crumly's comments in the Newbury Weekly News last week, that it would make more sense for the planning application system to have one person on the parish council responsible for it, a system used by to run like Thatcham Town Council.
She said: “This allows for continuity regarding applications.”
A resident of Cold Ash, who asked not to be named, said that although he did not know Mr Crumly, he felt that the parish council was treating him unfairly.
He said: “The fact that their member is a member of two other councils is an advantage to them.
"It's outrageous the way they are reacting.
“Villagers have expressed concern about what they perceive as a petty and mean spirited attitude by the council.”
The vote of no confidence takes place on September 27 and the parish council said that it was calling for the motion after members had so far not been happy with Mr Crumly's response to the issues raised with him.
