By-election set for Brackla community council in July

A by-election will take place later this month for a community council seat left vacant by a Labour Party member who stepped down after being accused of not attending meetings for six months. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Brackla Community Council by-election, which will take place on July 20, was triggered when councillor and former chair Margaret Phelan stood down following calls for her disqualification over the claims.
The resignation followed months of bitter arguments after independent members referred to Section 85 of the Local Government Act of 1972, which says that if a member doesn’t attend a meeting for six consecutive months or more without approval from the authority, they will cease to be a member. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Labour members contested these calls, with a legal grey area becoming the centre of a dispute. They said a HR committee meeting former councillor Phelan attended in October 2022 allowed her to remain in her position.
The five independent members on the council argued the meeting in question was “inquorate” – meaning not enough members were in attendance, as well as claiming it was not properly recorded, opened or adjourned.
While the dispute seemed to be at a deadlock and was due to be discussed again at a council meeting, a representative of Brackla Community Council confirmed the former councillor had stepped down in June, leading to a by-election for the vacant seat.
The by-election has now been called for Thursday, July 20, with members of the public able to cast their vote at Brackla Community Centre.
Independent Councillor Keith Clarke said he was happy the group could now move forward and continue represent the people of Brackla who elected them.
He said: “We welcome the resignation from Brackla Community Council of the former chair, a role that she has been unable to undertake for the last nine months.
“We look forward to getting back to community counselling now, and we believe the residents of Brackla deserve representation from all 12 of their elected councillors.”
The candidates running for the vacant seat on Brackla Community Council are as follows:
Christopher James Cadogan – Independent
Keith Hugh Israel – Independent
Aniel Pucella – Welsh Conservative and Unionist Party
Stephen Andrew Sloan – Welsh Labour ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​