July 2, 2014
Wales

Llansteffan and Llanybri Council ‘no confidence’ vote in chair Daff Davies

Carmarthen Journal | July 02, 2014 | www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk

Community councillors in Llansteffan and Llanybri have passed a motion of no confidence in its chairman.

At a community council meeting this week, councillors in Llansteffan and Llanybri voted in favour of a no confidence motion in their chairman, councillor David ‘Daff’ Davies, due to his conduct over a controversial planning application in the area.

The motion was directly linked to Councillor Davies’s conduct and perceived influence in the recent controversial decision by Carmarthenshire county councillors to over-rule planning officers and vote in favour of a 45m commercial wind turbine at Mwche Farm, Llansteffan.

Sian Taylor, of the Taf Estuary Action Group, said: “This wind turbine will become a permanent blight on one of Wales’s most iconic landscapes. A world renowned view that was made famous by Wales’s most famous son, Dylan Thomas.

“Llansteffan and Llanybri community councillors strongly opposed the proposal when it was brought to the group during consultation, yet councillor Davies continued to fully back and publicly support the application.

“With numerous complaints from residents over the lack of representation and blatant disrespect for his constituents, questions were being raised over the conduct of the community council as a whole.”

At the meeting, Councillor David Hunter called for the motion of no confidence and said: “I have called this motion as I believe you have brought Llansteffan and Llanybri Community Council into disrepute.”

Mr Hunter added the vote in a motion of no confidence was not in the capacity as county councillor, but only in capacity as community councillor.

During the meeting Mr Davies said: “Councillor Davies read a pre-prepared statement in his defence: ‘I can tell you quite categorically I have not taken any money in a brown envelope or any other colour envelope’.” He also challenged anyone who had said that to provide hard evidence.

Mr Davies added: “I supported the application as I didn’t feel the objectors had any grounds.” He also reiterated professional and government bodies that did not object to the wind turbine and stated there had been many single wind turbine applications across Carmarthenshire that had all been approved.

All but one of the community councillors were in favour of the motion of no confidence.

Community councillor Alan Cooper objected to the motion as he said he believed the community council were at fault and should not have forced Mr Davies to be chair when he was also chair of the county council.

Mr Cooper added that by being chairman of both community and county councils put pressure onto his role and forced a conflict of interest.

After the meeting Mr Davies said that at the planning meeting two objectors had the opportunity to speak but decided not to do so because the council officers had covered everything.

Mr Davies said the comments made by Alan Copper were right.

“They are making me the scapegoat in this. They should be taking as much responsibility as a community council themselves,” he added.

Community councillors also voted in favour to form a sub- committee and report any finding back to the community council on Monday, July 21.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/07/02/llansteffan-and-llanybri-council-no-confidence-vote-in-chair-daff-davies/