TEMPERS have flared over the lack of a formal slot for public questions at an initial Mid Devon District Council meeting linked to the future of local councils.

The extraordinary meeting was called to discuss the government’s devolution white paper, which has the twin aims of creating fewer, larger councils and having several of these overseen by a regional mayor.

Similar meetings at Devon’s other councils were also called, with local authority leaders trying to get initial responses in by a January 10 deadline.

While Devon County Council had a public question time slot, some of Devon’s other district councils did not.

Some of those angry about the lack of opportunity for the public to put their points in Mid Devon claimed that previous extraordinary meetings had allocated such time.

But the council said its constitution states that extraordinary meetings “shall be restricted to the item of business contained in the request [for the meeting]”.

The recommendations voted on by councillors at the meeting focused on Mid Devon’s response to the government’s consultation, rather than making specific decisions about how the council operates.

Resident Nick Quinn said he believed that the previous 17 extraordinary council meetings – going back to 2015 – had all had public question time on the agenda, and the meeting this month was “the first without”.

Barry Warren, a former councillor, had hoped to ask questions too.

“I didn’t submit them in advance as I was trying to make a point that we shouldn’t have to under the constitution,” he said.

“It’s never been a problem before, but the monitoring officer is trying to say that not having public questions at an extraordinary meeting is in line with the constitution, but the constitution hasn’t altered since 2015.”

Cllr Nikki Woollatt (Independent, Cullompton St Andrews), who attended the meeting online because of the weather, felt it was “deeply contradictory” for the council leader’s report for the meeting to emphasise public consultation yet make an “unprecedented and, in my view, unconstitutional decision to exclude public question time from the agenda.

“During my nearly 14 years as a member of MDDC, there has never before been an extraordinary council meeting without public question time on the agenda,” Cllr Woollatt said.

“It is a sad day for democracy that some members of the public were prevented from participating in a meeting as they normally would.”

In a response to residents who contacted the council about the public question time issue, it said: “As there is to be no other business conducted at extraordinary council meetings, the chairman did not have to consider any request in accordance with our constitution.

“The constitution does not give a right to public questions at extraordinary meetings. I note the comment regarding precedent in previous extraordinary meetings, however, I advise based on the current version of the constitution.

“This is MDDC’s position [and] we will not be changing this. It is up to the chairman if they choose to use their discretion at any meeting.”

Bradley Gerrard