FRUSTRATED Henley residents left a meeting of the parish council en masse on Monday night after councillors effectively drew the curtains on any discussion on the town's controversial "purple shop."
Some 30 residents turned out to the meeting of Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council on Monday evening, drawn in by the promised discussion on Bespoke Curtains and Blinds of Henley. The 'purple shop' has been a hot topic of conversation in the town ever since the Herald ran an article stating that the proprietors of the shop felt "ousted out of the town" by the parish council.
Some residents have even gone so far as to say they believe the parish council's behaviour to be racially motivated especially after Cllr Carsina Goodman declared to shop proprietor Zak Miah that it was her town and he was not welcome here.
The parish council meetings usually attract a maximum of three or four members of the public.
All week, Henley News On-line has been running a poll on whether residents approve of the parish council's conduct over the curtain shop. The poll attracted well over 100 voters with only one vote in favour of the parish council's behaviour. Those who voted were also allowed to leave a comment on the website and the majority have been incensed by the behaviour of the councillors.
However, if the residents who turned up to the meeting on Monday evening were expecting a full and frank discussion on the shop, or in some cases, according to comments posted on Henley News On-line, an apology, they were sorely disappointed as councillors voted for the discussion to continue in private session.
What the residents were given was a statement read out by parish clerk Jenny Walsh, but even that proved a source of confusion and provoked several mutterings about its inadequacy from the assembled residents.
Initially, Ms Walsh declared this was the council's statement in response to residents' questions at the last meeting. However, on being called up by Cllr Bill Leech over the statement which he said should have been circulated three days prior to the meeting if it was to represent all the councillors views, Ms Walsh then declared this was a personal statement from one councillor, which residents could only assume was Cllr Carsina Goodman who has been at the centre of residents' discontent.
In short, the statement read that the matter of the curtain shop was about the contravention of planning regulations and was therefore nothing to do with being "ousted out of the town."
It continued that when Cllr Mrs Goodman said it was her town this referred to the fact she had been born and bred in Henley and at this point she had been talking as a private resident.
Refuted
The statement added that the claim Cllr Mrs Goodman had said that Mr Miah was not welcome in the town has been refuted by Cllr Mrs Goodman and Cllr Chris Milsom, who was also at the meeting where the comment was allegedly made.
During the public participation section of the meeting two residents rose to Cllr Mrs Goodman's defence.
One said that Cllr Mrs Goodman had done more for the town than others and had worked tirelessly and relentlessly for many hours outside of council meetings to help residents with their problems.
Another resident seemed to be speaking for the majority of the assembled residents, judging by the cheers that his comments received, when he said he had been so ashamed to read what Cllr Mrs Goodman had said. He asked councillors what they were going to do to address the ill feeling and bad image generated by her actions. He continued that there was no point spending money on the town's tourism and trade if all Cllr Mrs Goodman was going to do was "kick them out when she doesn't approve."
Cllr Roger Hubbocks called for any discussion of the curtain shop to continue in private session. The vote was carried by three votes totwo. At this point around two-thirds of the residents who had turned out for the meeting got up and left.
Report by Philippa Mingins - Stratford Herald - Thursday 4th February 2010
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