Villagers try to oust councillors working from home in France

ONE might imagine that a parish councillor ought to live at least within the vicinity of their parish.

Jon and Fabienne Hughes, however, serve Bearsted, a village in the Kentish countryside, from their home in France.

The couple attended the annual parish meeting on April 27, but they were last present for a council meeting on Jan 25. Mrs Hughes is French-born and has family in France.

More than 70 villagers are now trying to oust them. They argue that the couple, who spent more than two decades living in Bearsted and raised two children there, are unable to fully take part in the business of the parish council.

Crucially, they cannot vote without being physically present. Tony Grieve, of Cross Keys, is one of 70 residents who signed a letter to the local newspaper calling on the councillors to resign.

“It’s quite unreasonable for the pair to carry on being councillors,” he said.

Mr Grieve, who has lived in the village for 50 years and has served as a parish councillor, said: “The parish has some important issues to decide shortly, and it’s important that the parish councillors are here to understand the feelings of the village.

“If they can’t be here, they should resign and make way for new councillors to be elected – that’s democracy.”

Erin Sugden, the parish clerk, defended the absent couple. She said: “These two councillors are still doing a lot of work for us even though they are not physically present in the parish.”

It is believed the couple have let their former home in Bearsted, where the average house price last year was just below half a million pounds.

Mr and Mrs Hughes were approached for comment.