A councillor has expressed shock after local residents were prevented from entering a parish council meeting at Culcheth Library.
Independent Councillor Neil Johnson has expressed his shock after a video was circulated on social media showing what he describes as “chaos at the Parish Council”.
The video, filmed outside Culcheth Library, shows a number of residents from the Protect Culcheth Village Campaign Group being denied entry to the Culcheth & Glazebury Parish Council meeting.
There was a clash between residents and Parish Councillor Janet Seddon, after the door to the Library was closed and some residents were locked out! Cllr Seddon eventually allowed selected residents inside, but denied entry to others and was heard to say: “Some of you can come in, but not you.”
Cllr Johnson had given his apologies for the meeting in advance, due to an urgent family commitment. However, he described the video as “appalling”.
In a statement, Cllr Johnson said:”I am truly disheartened by what I have learned about this week’s meeting of Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council.
“I had given my apologies for this meeting in advance as I had to attend an urgent family commitment. I am truly sorry that I was not there, given what I have seen since.
“The video that has circulated is shocking and appalling. There was chaos at the Parish Council!
“Residents being locked out of the meeting and told they can not attend is plain and simple wrong. I have spoken about the attitude and conduct of this Parish Council in the past. I feel justified in having done so.
“I am appalled by the behaviour of Parish Councillor Seddon witnessed on this video. She should hang her head in shame.
“The Parish Council knew that a large number of people planned to attend. It should have been held in a bigger venue, as I expected it to be. I suggested as much, but this was obviously ignored.
“I will now be asking for an investigation into what transpired. I will also be asking whether there has been a breach of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.
“Once again, I am sorry that residents had to go through this. No one who cares about our village and our community should be treated this way. I am happy to speak with any residents who were unable to get access to the meeting. If you would like to speak to a Councillor one-to-one. Please don’t hesitate to contact me, and I will do all I can to answer your questions and help.”
Meanwhile, Gill Stott from the Protect Culcheth Village group has circulated an “Open letter” to the parish council on social media, following the incident, raising several concerns and issues.
She said the Protect Culcheth Village group ‘advertised’ the Parish Council meeting on social media to raise awareness of the meeting.
“To claim that you did not expect the numbers that turned out is disingenuous.
“The Parish Council was fully aware of the number of people that attended the Community Meeting at the Daten on the 11th August (230 people) and only 3 of the 9 Parish Councillors attended that, the Town Hall on the 14th August and at the photo shoot for the Culcheth Life Magazine on 24th August, at which only four parish councillors attended.
“It is not unreasonable to expect that you should have anticipated a higher than usual number of people and should have planned for that scenario accordingly.
“Parish Council minutes dated 10 December 2024 show that 26 people were in attendance in that same area of the library for that meeting. Can you tell me what was different between that meeting and last night’s meeting and why did the Parish Councillors, in particular Cllr J Seddon, attempt to cherry-pick, forcibly, who could and could not enter the library?”
She went on to say: “I also stated that the Protect Culcheth Village group want to work with the Parish Council, not against them, but the actions of the Parish Council last night does make me wonder if the feeling is mutual as no response was forthcoming from the Chair to working together.”
Labour Cllrs. issued a statement after the meeting saying: “A public call to attend, organised by a local Facebook group, unfortunately led to an attendance that exceeded the capacity of our usual meeting space. Due to fire regulations, the room can only accommodate 24 people. We understand that this may have been frustrating, but please be respectful of your Parish Councillors and Parish Council employees.
“Your Labour Councillors are here to listen and help, as every Parish Councillor is. We share your concerns regarding the CPS Centre. It is important to note that this specific issue was not on the agenda for the meeting. At present, we are not aware of any new proposals from the building’s owner. As soon as we have anything to share we will let residents know.
“To propose an agenda item to the Chair of the Parish Council, please contact the clerk at least 10 days prior to the monthly Parish Council meeting. Relating to the CPS Centre, this would be most beneficial once we have information about the owners’ future plans.”
Culcheth Parish Council and Cllr Seddon have been approached for comment.
