THE clerk of Four Marks Parish Council has resigned in the latest development in the controversy surrounding the village Burial Ground.
Bob Park resigned as clerk at the councilÕs meeting last Wedneysday, citing numerous abusive letters and phonecalls regarding the burial ground issue as his reason for leaving.
The cemetery in Brislands Lane has been an extremely delicate issue in the village, ever since a fierce debate took place between the parish council and a large group of villagers during the annual village assembly meeting back in March.
The dispute concerns the rules which govern items of remembrance which can be placed on graves, and more importantly, items that cannot.
The debate has centred around the grave of Jack Innes, a four-year-old boy killed in a tragic fairground accident in Spain.
The issue has led to the formation of the Four Marks Action Group, which is actively campaigning against the ruling of the parish council. Councillor Bryan Timms was designated as the only point of contact between action group and parish council.
After a lengthy and emotional series of debates on the subject, the parish council made a decision at last monthÕs meeting, on how the rules would change. The revised regulations remained unpopular with the members of public present at the meeting.
The conduct of Mr Park was also in question at WednesdayÕs meeting, as item 16 on the agenda was designated to, Òconsider a written complaint by Mr Timms against the conduct of the clerk, regarding a letter the clerk wrote to Mr InnesÓ - Mr Innes being Tony Innes, JackÕs grandfather and member of the Four Marks Action Group.
The press and public were excluded from the discussion on this topic, so the details of the letter in question remain unclear. The Herald learned after the meeting, that any claim of misconduct was dismissed by the rest of the council.
After the meeting, Mr Park told The Herald: ÒI have received a large number of offensive letters and phonecalls regarding the burial ground, plus I have had anonymous phonecalls that have been highly abusive. All of this has upset my family as well as myself, and I donÕt want to work for people like that anymore.
ÒA letter came through my door which was read by my wife, who got very upset by it. This was the final straw.
ÒAt the end of the day, I am paid to enforce the regulations set by the parish council and I am only doing my job. But because my name and my name alone appears at the top of the letterheads, I have been the main target for abuse.
ÒThe claim of misconduct was investigated thoroughly by the other parish councillors, and was found to be completely without foundation.
ÒMany councillors have asked me to reconsider my decision to resign, but there is no likelihood of that whatsoever. I have given three months notice as I said I would when I started as clerk, so I will remain as clerk until the end of October unless the council finds someone else beforehand.
ÒI have been clerk in Four Marks for eight years, and have been clerk at Medstead for 18 years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as clerk to the parish council of Four Marks, and I am disappointed that it has to come to this. I will continue to serve the parish council of Medstead.Ó
Mr Timms said: ÒThe agenda stated that I had made a complaint against the conduct of the clerk, but it was merely an observation that some of the contents of Mr ParkÕs letter to Mr Innes may, in my opinion, be inflammatory and inaccurate.
ÒThe item was put on the agenda at the request of other councillors, not mine, and I found myself having to answer the challenges at the meeting.
ÒMy aim was not to make the clerk resign, and at no time did I think that it would result in the clerkÕs resignation. My intention with the issue was to reinstate the status quo that all communication between the parish council and the Innes family come through me, an agreement that was no longer being adhered to by the parish council. If I had wanted the clerk to resign or be sacked, then I would have said so. At no time did I so much as suggest that the clerk resign.
ÒThe clerkÕs resignation is a matter for him and him alone. It was his decision, and I wish him every happiness in his retirement.Ó
Mr Innes said: ÒÒThe situation should have been handled better. At the end of October or November last year when requests were first made to take items off some graves, compromises were made and items were removed. All was then quiet over the winter, and then in March they started to take it up again. They should have been satisfied with the compromises.
ÒThere are lots of ways forward for the burial ground issue, but the parish council needs to accept that people still grieve. One wonders if the parish councillors have relatives buried there. I would suggest that once they do, they may show a bit more compassion.Ó
Council chairman Peter Hobbs said: ÒI think itÕs a sad day when someone who has worked so hard in public service for such a long time, has to resign in order to live a life free of abuse. This reflects on our society, when a vociferous minority can cause something like this to happen.
ÒAt the end of the day, you have to ask yourself why a situation like this has arisen. The simple answer to this is that there are a few people in the village who do not want to abide by the rules.
ÒThe parish council seeks to represent the 3,000 electorate in the village of Four Marks, and we cannot do what the minority want us to do, we have to think of the wider community.
ÒAll that the clerk has been trying to do is carry out the instructions of the parish council, and it has come to the point where for the sake of his well- being, and his familyÕs well being, he could not let the situation continue.
ÒThe effect his resignation will have on the village will come down to whether we can find a replacement as effective or as hard working as Bob. A parish council is run through the efforts of its executive officer, and Bob will be a hard act to follow. He is the most qualified clerk in the district in terms of qualifications, he knows his stuff and works very hard.
ÒAll of the parish councillors are most concerned and desperately did not want him to go. At the same time, we are all sympathetic with his reasons, and we all wish him well for the future.Ó