Shameful Council Executive suspend Councillors

Bracknell News

Published 23 Dec 2011 08:30

THREE councillors have been suspended from Bracknell Forest Council’s Tory group after they voted against a whip over controversial housing plans.

Chas Baily, ward member for Hanworth, Shelagh Pile, representing Harmans Water, and Michael Sargeant, ward member for Bullbrook, voted against a motion to press ahead with plans for thousands of homes across the borough.

Eight Tory councillors voted against the decision to move ahead to the next stage with the Site Allocations Development Plan Document at a full council meeting on November 30 – but council leader Paul Bettison said that five other Tories who voted against the party whip had been given a special dispensation to do so because the houses would be in their wards.

Cllr Bettison said: “It was necessary to insist [Tory councillors] did support it. In order for a whip to be put on something, the group has to vote; there has to be a vote.”

Full story can be found at:

http://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/ascot/articles/2011/12/23/56009-housing-vote-rebels-suspended/