WHITEHILL Town Council this week voted not to discuss a list of talking points submitted by its minority party.

The Whitehill & Bordon Community Party - a new group which holds three of the 15 seats on the town council - formally proposed a debate on a number of issues, including the provision of banks in the town, policing and working with Mill Chase Academy to explore linking the town council with a youth council.

However, the ruling Conservative members voted to throw out the letter as it had “political implications”.

It was also felt that the letter’s wording, “correspondence for decision”, did not specify “what the council is required to discuss”.

And finally because, with a by-election scheduled for September 4, “purdah begins six weeks before an election date”.

Town clerk Andrea Mann confirmed that these reasons came after advice was sought from the Hampshire Association of Local Councils. She said the council had always observed a six-week purdah before an election. A guide from the Local Government Association says councils should “not publish any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party” in the pre-election period.

But prior to previous elections, town councillors have not ceased communication and have often continued to debate issues both in and out of the chamber in the six-week window.

Community Party member Roger Russell, formerly a Liberal Democrat, proposed the list of topics.

“I was disappointed that my letter was not discussed to give councillors the opportunity to vote on our suggested action points,” he said. “It is a shame that the chairman (Conservative member Colin Leach) did not contact me before the meeting to talk this through and find a solution, as the objective of the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party councillors is to work proactively with all councillors for the benefit of the town. It is very sad.”

Fellow Community Party member Duncan Sande added: “I totally agree and support all the points raised in the letter that Mr Russell proposed and was expecting them to be placed individually on the agenda itself.

“Following the statement from the chairman to have the entire letter removed from the agenda, I abstained as I was not sure I could vote against what I was being told was confirmed legal advice.”

The new party was started by former town council leader Andy Tree who, despite no longer sitting on the council, is still the group’s leader.

“I went to the meeting as a member of the public. The proposals were based on direct feedback from the public on our Facebook page,” Mr Tree said. “It is very frustrating that the Conservative chairman and councillors were more interested in blocking the discussion instead of finding a solution whereby the concerns of residents were heard.

“If I had been leader of Whitehill Town Council I would never try to cancel a debate and would always look to find a solution to accommodate members, regardless of whether they were in the same political party.

“I support the councillors in the Whitehill & Community Party from outside the council and try to do my best to be helpful to them.”

Whitehill Town Council has 10 Conservative members, three Whitehill & Bordon Community members, previously Liberal Democrats, and two vacancies - for Whitehill’s Hogmoor and Deadwater wards.

The motion to ditch the letter and move on received unanimous support from the Conservatives present at the meeting. Following the decision, the Conservatives stayed firm on the issue of purdah, with council leader Mark Davison declining to comment.