A FOREST councillor who was excused her public duties as she fought cancer is facing calls to resign after she moved from the district and continues to take an allowance.   

A motion passed by the full council last Thursday asks Conservative councillor for Pillowell Cllr Diana Edwards to consider her position as the authority has no powers to reverse an earlier decision to grant her a “dispensation.”

But the move against the long-serving councillor was branded “dispicable” by a fellow Tory. 

The dispensation was granted by the full council in December 2016 after councillors were told by then leader Cllr Patrick Molyneux (Con, Woolaston and Hewelsfield) that she would return by April last year or resign. 

Green councillor Sid Phelps (Lydbrook and Ruardean) said that while he was sympathetic to Cllr Edwards’s situation he had put the motion “to bring the matter to a head.” 

He said: “All we can do is ask the councilor to consider her position and hope her conscience and public opinion will encourage her to do the right thing – that is to stand down or not continue to draw her allowances. 

“As a result of the dispensation granted in December 2016 the coun-

cillor in question has received a further 12 months of allowances equating to some £4,637 on top of the six months’ grace after the last meeting she attended in August 2016. 

“Certainly much of the electorate could only dream of this level of benevolence in the event of long-term sickness. Do we see ourselves as more deserving than the people we represent?” 

Conservative group leader Cllr Brian Robinson (Mitcheldean) said it was expected Cllr Edwards would be able to return “at some time” but her mobilty was currently severely limited. 

He also rejected claims that people in the Pillowell ward had been without a second councillor as both he and Cllr Richard Boyle, who represents the area on Gloucestershire County Council, had made themselves available and Cllr Edwards’s contact details were on the coun­cil website.

He said: “We should not let councillors down and we should support people during sickness.”

Cllr Molyneux said he had not given guarantees that Cllr Edwards would return last April or resign. 

“I think its important that if we stand as councillors that we do our duty as councillors. If we can’t do that we have to think very carefully about our position.   

“I’m saddened Cllr Edwards hasn’t managed to come back and engage with the council and she has continued to draw down her allowance. That doesn’t reflect well on us as councillors.”

Labour councillors were angry that when one of their former colleagues was seriously ill, she was not granted a dispensation.

Cllr Bruce Hogan (Lab, Lydbrook and Ruardean) said the difference in the handling of the situations of Cllr Edwards and former councillor Tanya Palmer “could not be more stark.”

In a public question to the council, West Dean parish councillor Sharon Freeman said there was “serious concern” about the lack of representation by Cllr Edwards.

She said: “We all extend our sympathies to Mrs Edwards and wish her a full recovery.

“Cllr Edwards has never visited her ward since her election and has only two days ago offered her support (in relation to a planning application in Yorkley) by e-mail.

“By giving Cllr Edwards dispensation until the next election, in May 2019, a possible period of absence for two years nine months, does the decision of council disregard the importance of ward representation?”

  Council leader Cllr Tim Gwilliam (Forest First, Berry Hill) said: “Two years without full council representation is not the right thing to do.”

Cllr Len Lawton (Con, Newent Central) called for “compassion and understanding” of Cllr Edwards’s situation.

“I am very saddened that this motion appears – to do this is sad and rather dispicable”.