Ousted councillor storms out of meeting

A Bognor Regis councillor stormed out of a meeting after he was ousted from a regeneration body in an unprecedented secret ballot.

Cllr Francis Oppler became involved in a shouting match as he left the latest meeting of the Joint Western Arun area committee of parish, district and county councils.

He yelled: 'The people of Bognor are losing faith in the regeneration process.'

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The raised voice of the committee chairman, Cllr George Blampied, drowned out the rest of Cllr Oppler's comments as he left the meeting room.

Cllr Oppler's fury was provoked by two private votes to determine which county council members of the committee should belong to the Bognor Regis Regeneration Board.

This is an Arun District Council-run group which brings together companies and organisations with a big interest in Bognor '“ Butlins and the University of Chichester '“ and the council to discuss the town's revival.

The board can influence the council's thinking but it has no decision-making powers. Those rest with a separate Arun sub-committee and all the council's members. The county council is entitled to two members among the 17-strong board. Initially, the places were filled by senior councillor Louise Goldsmith, from Chichester, and her nominee of a Worthing councillor.

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Ms Goldsmith changed her mind after protests and chose Cllr Oppler, the county councillor for Bognor Regis East. But the process was then ruled by county officials to be flawed. They said the decision could only be made by the six county council members '“ five Conservative and one Liberal Democrat '“ of the joint western area committee at its meeting last Wednesday.

They were faced with choosing two from four candidates. Three of them are Conservatives '“ Cllr Robin Brown (Bognor Regis West and Aldwick), Cllr Mike Coleman (Nyetimber) and Cllr Goldsmith (Chichester West) '“ and one a Liberal Democrat, Cllr Oppler.

Cllr Oppler stated that the residents in his area '“ which included the Hotham Arts Centre, Butlins and the possible marina '“ would be the most affected by the regeneration. They deserved their councillor to be fully involved in the discussions.

Local democracy demanded that should be the case.

Cllr Robin Brown said his ward covered the other part of Bognor and the town's regeneration would affect everyone in the area.

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Cllr Coleman declined to press his case and Cllr Ms Goldsmith was not present.

But the county councillors, unusually, first held a vote to decide how to vote for the board members.

The traditional show of hands was tied at 3-3 and Cllr Blampied used his casting vote to determine a secret ballot should be held.

This turned into two ballots, amid chaotic scenes, with one candidate eventually being chosen at a time.

First selected was Cllr Mike Coleman, with Cllr Ms Goldsmith dumped from the process.

The run-off saw Cllr Robin Brown defeat Cllr Oppler to prompt his walk-out.

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