Strife is continuing to disrupt the business of an Isle of Wight parish council after 4 Shalfleet councillors broke their silence over recent walkouts.
Councillors Jonathan Hill, Chris Beane, Jacky Laurie and Jane Timbrell released a statement setting out their perspective on a dispute with the chair and vice-chair of Shalfleet Parish Council, councillors Steve and Thomas Cowley.
It came prior to Wednesday’s meeting at the Wellow Institute, which the 4 councillors did not attend.
At the meeting, Cllr Steve Cowley said of the four absences:
“I don’t understand why they are members of Shalfleet Parish Council. If they can’t attend meetings, I think they should consider their positions.”
An agenda distributed to the press before Wednesday’s meeting included motions relating to tree planting in Bouldnor field, the parish council’s website and other items relating to council finances, planning applications and a grant application from Shalfleet CE Primary School.
Last month, councillors Hill, Beane, Laurie and Timbrell walked out of the parish council’s November meeting.
Councillor Steve Cowley subsequently wrote to Island media denouncing the move, lamenting the disruption of ‘official business’ and claiming Councillor Beane had ‘broken the law’ by not submitting information on his election expenses to the Isle of Wight Council’s returning officer.
Shalfleet parishioner Jeff Smithers took issue with Councillor Cowley’s narrative, claiming it was a ‘deliberate attempt’ to ‘publicly demean’ Councillor Beane.
Councillors Hill, Beane, Laurie and Timbrell said their November walkout was a ‘direct response’ to an ‘untenable environment’ caused by ‘inappropriate behaviour’ and ‘bombast’ from the Cowleys.
They said:
“This has included disparaging comments in emails, on social media platforms, and in local media outlets.
“This all came to a head on the evening of the walk out. These remarks have painted a deeply unfair picture of individuals who joined the council with the sole intention of serving the community.”
The statement said the Cowleys’ ‘unacceptable behaviour’ explained the 4 councillors decision not to attend Wednesday’s meeting.
Actions to address the continuing dispute, including ‘training and mediation sessions’, have been ‘consistently agreed’ by the 4 councillors who said they remain committed to creating a ‘cooperative environment’ and serving the community.
There is a reason why four previous Councillors and a superb Parish Clerk all left from Shalfleet Parish Council.
I witnessed Steve Cowley voting himself as chair when two long standing councillors objected.
It is time for the Cowleys to relinquish their bullying hold over this local parish council and let someone else have a go.
Local residents should be able to vote who goes onto the local council, this way they can get rid of these two bullies with their childish behaviour which is doing no good to the community.
Ahhh here we go again,the cowleys,both abhorrent human beings,do as i say not as i do,how are the 16 house being built on your agricultural land going?
pair of utter deliquents,parish councils should be abolished,lots of wannabes wanting to interfere in decisions that the majority do not agree with
go away cowleys most people see you for what you are!
I happened to be unfortunate enough to be at a SPC when Thomas Cowley blew a kiss to Daddy and walked out of the meeting half way through. He was having a discussion with a far more intelligent and qualified Councillor and didn’t agree with the excellent point raised. I was warned about the Cowley family when I arrived in the Parish several years ago, now I know for very good reason. The other four Councillors are passionate about the Parish and anti-bullying and will do a very good job when the Cowley’s resign or are asked to leave by the Isle of Wight Council.