Council leaders hit back at MP's criticism

The North Herefordshire MP also blasted the council last week for its handling of the Hereford bypass and how it “gave up” defending a 625-home planning appeal in Ledbury.

Council leader David Hitchiner and infrastructure and transport cabinet member John Harrington have released a joint statement. In it they say:

“The decision of the council not to defend the Bloor Homes planning appeal in Ledbury was made by the monitoring officer of the council, not any councillors – i.e. an employee not a politician.

“This is in accordance with the council’s constitution, which requires that it is an officer decision as to whether the council engages in costly legal action which presents a high risk to public finances. We believe in following the constitution.

“The planning inquiry will still go ahead and it remains possible that the people of Ledbury will have the upper hand as they continue to argue their case at the appeal hearing. I wish them well. Mr Wiggin may also choose to respond to his constituents’ letters and wishes and lobby for the Secretary of State, as the ultimate elected representative, to make the final decision. That, however, is a matter for him to decide.”

They also said council staff, councillors and contractors all worked tirelessly with the emergency services and Environment Agency to prepare for the flooding and continue to do so in the recovery phase.

“Council officers gave up their own time to go out and help residents who had been flooded and our refuse collection partners agreed to send vehicles around every week to collect water damaged goods in order to save householders extra expense and additional work at this difficult time.

“I am proud of the county’s response to this unprecedented event, and our MP should be encouraging and supportive of his constituents in these testing times. They all deserve and should receive our public thanks. Council leaders and senior officers were on-hand throughout.

“However, we did not see or hear from Mr Wiggin during the flooding emergency – in marked contrast to his colleague in the city and south, Jesse Norman.

“Mr Wiggin’s BBC Hereford and Worcester radio interview on March 2, in which he ridiculed the council for its response to the flooding, contained further inaccuracies. He asserts that Bellwin (a grant from central hovernment to help local authorities deal with the immediate aftermath of a flooding event) can be used for rebuilding our roads, and that we have been granted an extension to the grant period by the minister, Robert Jenrick.

“However, what he says is contradicted by the professional civil servants at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. It would be great if what Mr Wiggin said were true. But it’s not – at least not yet.

“Neither can we use the money from the sale of the council-owned farms, as Mr Wiggin suggests we should, because financial rules prevent us from using capital receipts (property sales) on revenue projects (maintenance and repair). It is unfortunate that Bill does not seem to understand this distinction.

“Herefordshire has only two representatives in Parliament. It is important that they lobby effectively and work closely together and with the county council in the interests of the people we all represent.”