High Peak Borough Council Leader hits back over claims of excessive voting behind closed doors

High Peak Borough Council’s leader has accused opposition councillors of attacking the authority’s process rather than providing ‘robust scrutiny’ after a dispute over certain voting decisions being made in private.

The Labour-led council dismissed a motion from Conservative High Peak Borough Cllr Adrian Hopkinson at a recent meeting calling for less voting behind closed doors on matters affecting residents so more voting could be publicised with more details in a public arena.

Labour Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Mckeown, said: “After a debate at the Full Council meeting, a motion from the opposition was not carried.

“Officers, not councillors, determine whether reports should be lawfully exempt based on the content, so, for example, if there is detail relating to staffing matters or commercial and contractual negotiations.

“This approach and the processes around it have not changed from those followed under previous administrations. The minutes include a summary of each report and the decision made and are available to the public.

“It’s disappointing that an opposition devoid of ideas and alternatives would rather attack the process than provide robust scrutiny.”

The motion submitted by opposition Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Hopkinson, was defeated after Labour councillors refused to support it despite Cllr Hopkinson’s claims the council has been using a Schedule 12A restriction excessively to consider certain matters privately preventing information on council voting from being fully publicised.

Part 2, of a Schedule 12A restriction, under the Local Government Act 1972, allows councils to exclude the press and public from council meetings or withhold specific documents and items.

The Conservative Group claims there have been several instances where the restriction has been used including on issues relating to The Springs Development regeneration scheme, for Buxton, and they challenged use of the restriction when discussing the proposed closure of the council’s Carelink service for elderly and vulnerable people.

Cllr Hopkinson said: “The public have a right to know how their elected councillor votes, that should not be in Part 2, and is simply hiding from transparency.

“Confidence and trust has been lost by it’s excessive use and it is not helpful to councillors of all persuasions.”

The council opted to shut its Carelink service for elderly and vulnerable people after it was discussed at an Executive council meeting behind closed doors during Exempt Items despite calls by the Conservative Group for the decision to have been deferred so it could have been discussed at an open meeting.

Cllr Hopkinson said that when the Local Government Act was introduced the intention was not to have a blanket use of this legislation.

He added: “Openness and transparency are key to regaining trust and we all owe it to those who elected us to follow these principles as much as possible.”

Cllr Hopkinson claims rules state that reports should be prepared with an appendix detailing content for Part 2 and this has allowed the whole report to be placed in Part 2 and voting has taken place in Part 2 when there is no reason why the electorate should not know how their councillors voted.

A spokesperson for Buxton Action Group, which highlights public concerns, said: “This is impacting on the public’s ability to challenge the authority or current administration on numerous issues, with the regeneration of Buxton town centre being a prime example.

“On a personal level, I moved here from Grimsby in May and as a former North East Lincolnshire Councillor and Scrutiny Chair, I am shocked by how High Peak Borough Council currently do business, when compared to most other local authorities.”