Ilkley Parish Council chairman switches from Conservative to Independent (From Ilkley Gazette)

Ilkley Parish Council chairman switches from Conservative to Independent

10:22am Thursday 4th February 2010

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THE TORY chairman of Ilkley Parish Council is to complete his term of office as an independent.

Alan Morrell, who was elected as a Conservative councillor five years ago, made the shock announcement at Monday’s meeting of the parish council.

Afterwards, he said he wanted more “freedom” to speak up for the people of Ilkley.

Speaking at the town hall, the long-standing member of the Conservative Party made a short personal statement.

He said: “Although I was elected to this position as chairman of Ilkley Parish Council as a Conservative councillor, I now propose to complete my term of office as an independent member of the council.”

He said later that he could not confirm whether he would resign from the Conservative Party or return as a Conservative councillor after his term as chairman ends.

He said he was more concerned about being able to stand up for Ilkley’s interests in policy matters decided by a Conservative-led district council.

“It gives me more freedom to speak out on issues where Conservative policy is, in my opinion, not always in the best interests of Ilkley,” he said.

Coun Morrell hit the headlines last year after calling for improvements to Ilkley’s indoor swimming pool, which he described as “appaling”.

He has made further calls to refurbish existing amenities such as the town library and is following up proposals to install £10,000 toilets at the Kings Hall.

The condition of railings, paving and signs in the town was also put on the parish council agenda this month.

Coun Morrell said it was disappointing that improvements and projects such as a trial farmer’s market in the town had been blocked by the district council and that the town received a disproportionately smaller amount of funding compared to other areas of Bradford.

The Wharfedale community also suffered by being led by an Airedale administration, he added.

“It’s the lack of progress, the resistance which is encountered,” he said. “It’s disappointing we have that resistance when we have three Conservative district councillors representing Ilkley, one of whom is a parish councillor.

“I want to make it plain that we are not looking for equality with other areas, but a higher level of money than we currently have.

“Ilkley is perceived as a wealthy community but in fact the majority of people simply work hard to maintain a decent standard of living and they pay for and deserve a high standard of community facilities and a good environment to live in.

“It isn’t me coming up with the ideas, it’s the parish council’s ideas.

“It’s the first tier of local government, it should be able to represent what people would like to see done and reflect the views people put to us.”

Only two of Ilkley Parish Council’s 14 members camp-aigned as independent candi-dates, the remaining elected as Conservative councillors. Coun Morrell is due to relinquish his office as chairman in May.

District and Ilkley councillor and Bradford Conservative chief whip Anne Hawkesworth said the party whip did not apply to the parish council.

“I would hope that party politics doesn’t get involved in the improvement of Ilkley,” she said. “That’s the philosophy I work on.”

Ilkley Parish Council vice-chairman Brian Mann (Cons) said it was decision for Coun Morrell.

“We’ll all obviously continue to work for the good of Ilkley under Alan for the rest of his term as parish council chairman.”

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