Council stumped over tree fiasco
A COMPLAINT has been lodged against a parish councillor after a row over atree.
An allotment holder has sent an official complaint to Sitlington Parish Council regarding the behaviour of Coun Keith Bray.
The row started when the parish council decided to cut down a tree near to his allotment plot at Windy Bank, in Netherton, and another councillor, vice-chairman Roger Bennett, let another allotment holder have the wood.
The female allotment holder has put in a complaint to Wakefield Council's Standard Committee after Coun Bray went to her house to object.
And Coun Bray has sent acomplaint to Sitlington Parish Council about Coun Bennett giving the wood to someone else.
At its monthly meeting last Tuesday, Sitlington Parish Council heard members had decided last month that atree, which was growing in the
boundary area near to coun Bray's rented allotment, needed to be cut.
The council arranged for T&D Contractors to do the work.
Vice-chairman coun Bennett had already told an allotment holder at Windy Bank, on Upper Lane, they could have the wood to save the council paying for its disposal.
But the meeting heard that Coun Bray spoke to T&D Contractors and asked them to leave the wood behind his shed.
The meeting heard that when he discovered it had been taken by the other allotment holder he visited her home to object to her actions stating it was his wood.
At the meeting on Tuesday evening, May 4, Coun Bray said he had done nothing wrong and considered the tree to belong to him because it was growing behind the fence on his allotment.
Coun Bray, of Thornhill Road, said: "I'm sure that David Dransfield (the parish clerk) will recall that Icalled him and said that Ihave made
arrangements with the contractors to leave this tree behind my shed.
"I told him that Iwanted this tree left there and I would deal with the disposal of it. It was heading for my log burner."
After the incident Coun Bray sent an official complaint against Coun Bennett to the parish clerk, David Dransfield.
Coun Bennett said: "The tree that was re-moved in Netherton Cemetery last year costs 175 to dispose of. I therefore assumed that my actions would save (the council) that amount.
"I was not aware at that time that Keith Bray wanted to keep that wood."
Speaking about the confrontation with the woman coun Bennett added: "Coun Bray has brought the council into disrepute."
Clerk David Dransfield informed the council that they could not make any progress until it was established who owned the tree in question.
He said: "This is an unfortunate incident when parish council rules and regulations have not be adhered to."
Under the strict rules governing parish councils, elected members are not allowed to profit from council property.
If it is found that either parish councillor benefitted from the tree then they could be asked to stand down.
The matter will be discussed at the next parish council meeting on Tuesday, June 1, at Netherton J&ISchool, at 7.15pm.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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