MP's questionnaire angers parish councillors

The questionnaire, aimed at residents, asks questions on a number of issues, some of which relate to the work of the parish council.

Questions like ‘Does Sompting need a parish council?’ and ‘Are you aware how much Sompting Parish Council costs local council taxpayers and what it pays for?’ have angered some councillors, who see the questionnaire as an attempt to undermine them.

Others say it is just a way of scrutinising the elected body.

James Butcher, Conservative councillor for Peverel South said Mr Loughton was asking the right questions.

He said: “The problem with Sompting Parish Council is it lacks vision.

“If you were to ask Sompting Parish Council where it wants to be in 25 years time, the majority of members would probably tell you that they’d like to see Sompting as it was 25 years previous.”

Mr Butcher added: “If it turns out from the MP’s survey that the people of Sompting have few good words to say about the council, then the council will have to start asking itself some tough questions.”

Independent councillor for Peverel North, Chris Servante, said “Parish councils have been around for a very long time. I don’t know what Tim Loughton is trying to prove here.

“Personally I’m furious. The questions are loaded as if to say Sompting Parish Council is a waste of time and money and we should get rid of it.”

Other questions relate to the Sompting Big Local fund and Adur Local Plan.

Parish council chairman Barry Mear said: “I don’t know what he’s up to or what he thinks he’s doing, but it’s very political. If he thinks he can abolish this parish council, he’s wrong.”

MP for East Worthing and Shoreham Tim Loughton defended the questionnaire, saying: “I’m not in favour of abolishing the parish council. In some cases I’m in favour of giving parish councils more powers,”

Mr Loughton said he had included the questions about the parish council because of the number of complaints he had received.

“They are appalling at responding to cases raised by their own council tax payers,” he said.

“We are not picking on Sompting, but I’m getting questions from residents. They are completely in the dark about what the parish council is actually doing.

“On the Adur Local Plan, they have done absolutely nothing. They should be accountable to their council tax payers.”

The questionnaire is at www.timloughton.com/2013/sompting-local-plan-survey