Hermitage Parish Council in disarray as seven councillors resign

Hermitage Parish Council has had a coup.

Seven councillors have resigned, meaning the council can no longer function.

All cite their frustration with not being able to do anything, with ‘new’ councillors clashing with the old guard.

“The village has changed and what people want is different to the ‘old days’,” said Ian Govier, one of those who has resigned.

“We need to be transparent and open to opinions of our residents.”

A parish council meeting is quorate when at least one-third of the whole number of members are present, but the quorum can never be less than three members, although there are three remaining councillors at Hermitage.

This rule ensures that enough council members are present to make decisions, preventing business from being conducted by a small minority.

“I joined the council with the hope of helping make a positive difference to the village. However, I have found the atmosphere within the council to be one of division rather than cooperation,” wrote councillor Jon Willey in his resignation letter.

“In my short time as a councillor, I have witnessed behaviour towards members of the public that I found uncomfortable and inappropriate — where a few individuals seemed to presume to speak for the whole.

“The turning point for me was seeing a fellow councillor being spoken to in a disrespectful and condescending manner — as if he were a naughty schoolboy.

“At this stage in my life, I am not willing to remain in an environment where offering an opinion risks being met with hostility or dismissal. I believe in respectful dialogue and shared purpose, and sadly, I have not found that to be the prevailing culture on this council.”

When a parish council is not quorate, it cannot conduct any business or hold meetings and becomes inquorate.

To resolve this, the parish clerk contacts the relevant local authority, West Berkshire Council in this case, who will then determine the number of temporary councillors needed to achieve a quorum, which is typically one-third of the membership, but no less than three.

The local authority may then appoint temporary councillors by order under Section 91 of the Local Government Act 1972 to allow the council to continue operating while it works to co-opt or elect sufficient members to become permanently quorate.

West Berkshire Council has yet to respond, nor has the Hermitage Parish Council chairperson or clerk.

Hermitage Parish Council currently has 11 posts for parish councillors that need to be filled, as stated in a recent Facebook post by the council.