A COUNTY resident was barred from asking questions last week relating to Hereford’s proposed Southern Link Road.

Breinton resident Liz Morawiecka had asked Herefordshire Council’s audit and governance committee where the decision was made to spend more than £5m on professional fees relating to the project.

But council officers told her the question could not be put to the committee despite councillors going on to debate issues relating to the South Wye Transport Package which includes the Southern Link Road project.

Councillor Liz Harvey raised concerns at the meeting on January 23 about the fact the question from the public had been rejected.

“It does relate to matters that were discussed at the last meeting,” she said.

“We agreed that the South Wye Transport Package would be used as one of the projects which our auditors use to see whether the council has implemented the improvements in project management and finance control which we agreed as consequence from the learning coming out of the Blueschool House overspend.”

Mrs Morawiecka, who was at the meeting, said the matter was a key decision.

“If there is no key decision for the overspend on professional fees, the transport department are in breach of the constitution because they have not been able to provide me with the link for the decision for officers to overspend by £3m against their eight-year-old budget of £750,000,” she said.

“That was why I sent it to you. Because there is no report on this and no key decision.”

However, chairman Paul Newman interrupted her.

“Can I stop you there because we can’t allow speeches from the floor and I am consistently not allowed any questions from the floor from members, leaders of groups or anybody because this is an important committee with important business,” he said.

“These matters will not be discussed or minuted.”

Coun Ellie Chowns said she was very grateful to Mrs Morawiecka for raising the concerns.

“I note that she did submit a question, but it was ruled out of order on what appears to be to me a technicality,” she said.

“We could have avoided this situation if the question had been allowed under the rules because it does seem to me it is directly related to the matter, we have just been discussing which is clearly within the remit of this committee.”

Mrs Morawiecka’s question will be redirected to the council’s cabinet.