After calls for Whexit, now SBC faces Fexit
Council passes a vote of no confidence in borough leaders by 12 votes to one
Following Whitby’s vote of No confidence in the leadership of Scarborough Borough Council, Filey has voted the same.
“Enough is enough.”
That was the message from Filey Town Council to its borough counterpart after it took a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Scarborough Council.
At its meeting on Monday night the authority voted 12 to 1 in favour of the motion, brought by Cllrs John Haxby and John Shackleton.
Cllr Haxby said that a lack of investment, a lack of communication and the cabinet-led system of governance in the borough had lead to his actions.
He said: “Something needs to change, and it needs to change now, before Filey suffers any further decline and loss of facilities. We need to attract families to the town, offer them jobs and recreational facilities to entice, and keep them here.
“We need to improve, if not just keep tidy, our tourist facilities.
“We need to send a firm message to Scarborough Borough Council that Filey is very unhappy and deserves better treatment, and we need to support our colleagues in Whitby.
“A vote of no confidence carries no legal status but will certainly covey a message.”
He told The Mercury that he had “no political axe to grind”. “There are many very good councillors in the borough,” he added.
“But of the 50 of them only eight have any real power, the rest, and by extension their communities, get shut out.”
He added: “The cabinet has far too many devolved powers, taking decision making away from local councillors.
“Cabinet members being placed in charge of portfolios of which they have little or no
‘Something needs to change, and it needs to change now’ Cllr John Haxby
experience, taking advice from officers apparently lacking similar experience. Decisions being made in secret, without reference to the respective local councils, hiding behind commercial confidentiality. Far too much power in the hands of the few.” The only councillor to vote against he motion was Marion Wright. Whitby Town Council also passed a vote of no confidence in the council last week.
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