LYDNEY Town Council (LTC), sent me a letter last October stating that the council had taken legal advice against me personally because I had named the Town Clerk (CEO) in a context of criticism in a newspaper letter.

I wish to make this quite clear that the CEO’s name was only mentioned by me because it was contained within a previous letter written by a Lydney Town, Forest of Dean District and County councillor, which prompted my response.

The letter also stated that: “as an employee of the council/trust the Town Clerk (CEO) is unable to respond to such criticism and the town council has a responsibility to protect its members of staff from unwarranted attacks.”

Should LTC continue to give excessive delegated powers to this staff member, or indeed any other member, putting them in the front line, for example permitting them to go on site and to act as a clerk of works to oversee the blocking of residents’ entrances, confronting residents and making unwarranted comments, then such staff must be expected to be criticised.

It appears that the answer is for councillors to consider diminishing delegated powers and to control such situations to avoid such confrontations.

In addition, they could govern what its councillors write to newspapers, albeit they are entitled to represent their views by doing so.

Of course letters to newspapers provoke re­plies.

I too have taken legal advice on the qualification of a councillor.

A police caution for shoplifting, which gives a councillor a police record, neither a censure for behaviour at a public meeting, nor a summons for personal non-payment of Council Tax are reasons that prevents anyone becoming a councillor.

In 2011 many of the sanctions for deterring poor conduct were abolished so there is not even a legal authority to suspend or remove any councillor, as it does not breach the councillors’ Code of Conduct.

So in a nutshell, should anyone be desirous of becoming a councillor, you are able to go shoplifting and take a caution, which will give you a police record, be censured for behaviour at a public meeting, get a summons for non-payment of Council Tax and if elected not be suspended or removed because these qualifications do not breach the councillors’ Code of Conduct.

This is the case, but it seems unbelievable.

The letter in last week’s paper from Lydney Town Council, so obviously written under delegated powers, stated that facts are often missing.

I would like to assure the readers that the contents of this letter are based entirely on fact.

– Gordon Blake, Lydney.