Hetton Town Council Labour Party members quit blaming ‘intimidation and bad behaviour’ by fellow councillors

Hetton Town Council members Bob Heron and James Blackburn, who together have served the parish for over 60 years, have joined fellow councillors Iain Scott and Tracy Dodds in tendering their resignations.

A fifth member, Coun Melanie Thornton, let her seat on the council lapse after claims she was ‘worn down by the persistent bullying and harassment’.

All five are Labour Party members.

Made up of 21 unpaid members, the majority independent, Hetton is the only town council in the Sunderland City Council boundary.

Speaking about the decision to resign, Coun Heron said: “Over the years there has been ‘consistent intimidation and bad behaviour’ by members of the independent controlled council.

"We all sign up to a code of conduct when we agree to serve the Town Council however this has just been completely ignored by a number of our elected officials who are supposed to be helping their communities, not hindering them.

“In my 30 years as a town councillor, I’ve never seen anything like it. It has become so worthless going to meetings as you’re just lambasted and insulted. It really pains me to say this, but it has become a badly-conducted talking shop.

“I have even seen councillors pushed to tears over some of the abuse they have received. I’m afraid it really is that bad.”

Residents of Hetton pay extra council tax to the town council, known as a precept, but a freedom of information request by Sunderland ruling Labour group found only £19,969.43 had been spent since 2019, despite the council receiving despite receiving £34,000.

Coun Phil Tye, chair of Houghton and Sunderland South Constituency Labour Party, said: “We have filed complaint after complaint in relation to the abuse of councillors by elected representatives on Hetton Town Council.

“All representatives are expected to abide to an agreed code of conduct but with nobody seemingly able to police it, it has become completely redundant.

“A third of those Independent councillors have never been through an election and have either been gifted or co-opted to the Town Council.

“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, it seems absolutely absurd for local people to be paying extra council tax for a dysfunctional council.”

Hetton Town Council confirmed Councillors Blackburn, Dodds, Heron and Scott had resigned with immedaie effect.

A statement said: “The Town Council thanks the former members for their service to the community.

“An established procedure exists for anyone wishing to complain about the standard of behaviour of a Councillor in any alleged breach of the Code of Conduct.

"By law, this process is managed exclusively by the principal authority, Sunderland City Council.

“The Town Council has committed to sign-up to the Civility and Respect pledge – a national initiative for the local council sector to demonstrate that it will stand up to poor behaviour.

The council allocated an agreed amount to fund Community Grant Awards each year, it said, which were made to community groups upon application.

But demand had been suppressed from 2020-2022 as a result of the Covid pandemic.

The council’s precept had been frozen for the last four years - with Band D properties paying the equivalent of £1.20 a month.

Because Coun Thornton was removed from the council more than six months before her seat was due to be up for election – and not enough ward voters have requested an election – the council is legally obliged to co-opt a new member to replace her.

However, as Couns Heron, Blackburn, Todd and Scott all resigned within six months of a scheduled election, the council is permitted to wait for the arranged poll to fill the vacant seats.