Meeting halted after row over chairman (From Barry And District News)

Meeting halted after row over chairman

A MEETING of Barry Town Council was forced to come to a halt on Monday night after a war of words broke out between members of the board.

Councillors had been debating the contentious issue of the appointment of an additional trustee onto the Memorial Hall Theatre management committee.

By eight votes to seven they decided to withdraw the delegated powers given to the selection panel and to determine the appointment of a sixth councillor to serve on the committee as a trustee.

But when a heated exchange took place between the mayor, Cllr Theo Stenstrom, and Conservative councillor Tony Hampton, over the chairing of that debate, Mr Stenstrom adjourned the meeting.

Cllr Hampton questioned whether the mayor should be chairing the discussion, based on the fact Cllr Stenstrom had declared an interest in the Memorial Hall at the start of the meeting.

Deputy mayor Shaun Barnsley offered to take over the chair, but, on the advice of council executive officer Derek Wolfe, Cllr Stenstrom remained in his role.

Cllr Stenstrom ordered Cllr Hampton to leave the meeting, which he refused to do, so the mayor adjourned the meeting.

Cllr Hampton said after the meeting: "The fact of the matter is that the mayor declared an interest at the beginning of the meeting, so he should have sat back.

"I have been a member of the council for 24 years, and I know that I was in the right. The mayor has only been there for 18 months and he is breaching the code of conduct."

Cllr Hampton, who led the selection committee, said he believed it would be in the applicant's best interests to be chosen through a small panel, which he hoped would be reconvened.

Cllr Stenstrom said he felt he had no choice but to adjourn the meeting when Cllr Hampton continued standing when he was asked to leave the room.

"This is the first time it has ever happened," he said.

"But I had to for the sake of decorum and because things were getting very personal towards certain members."

Labour councillor Dennis Harkus, who was among those at the meeting keen to appoint a trustee swiftly by disbanding the selection panel, defended Cllr Stenstrom's actions.

Cllr Harkus said: "In the face of the Conservative spokesperson's disruptive behaviour, Cllr Stenstrom was left with no alternative but to adjourn proceedings."

Plaid Cymru Cllr Shirley Hodges said: "I am very disappointed the meeting ended in this way.