News / Politics
Councillor banned from meeting after returning one minute late
A furious councillor was banned from taking part in a planning committee after returning back from a comfort break one minute late.
Green councillor Lisa Stone was not allowed to take part in the debate or vote over plans to build offices, flats and a hotel on Temple Island in her Windmill Hill ward.
The four-hour meeting on April 1 was punctuated by two short breaks. Before the first one, Labour councillor and committee chair Don Alexander instructed attendees to return at a set time.
Most of the committee members heeded his instruction and had sat back down in their seats.
However, Stone did not and later suggested that she was busy getting a drink of water. She did return shortly after the meeting began discussing the Temple Island plans but was slightly late.
Alexander said: “You missed unfortunately the beginning of the public forum so you will not be able to participate in this particular item.
“I’ve ruled on who is participating and who is not participating, and people may make what complaints they like about that,” he added.
The Temple Island development under debate sits in Stone’s ward – image: L&G
During the meeting, Stone said: “He (Alexander) knew I was in the building and he decided to start the meeting, knowing full well that I wouldn’t be able to participate. And that’s the reason he decided to do it.
“I’m going to make a formal complaint about his actions as chair, because it’s outrageous. All he had to do was wait for a few seconds. We should actually walk out of here, right now.”
Stone was threatened with being “removed” from the City Hall’s main chamber, for “disturbing the meeting”.
The rest of the committee ended up voting unanimously in favour of Legal & General’s plans to build on Temple Island, a former diesel depot next to Temple Meads, which is the site where Bristol’s new arena was originally going to be built.
Main photo: Green Party
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