Leigh residents silent protest at town council meeting

Throughout Tuesday night’s meeting more than 100 residents held up signs saying “resign” and “slow hand clap” after previously being accused of “intimidating and abusive behaviour”. 

The residents are campaigning for nine Tory councillors who were elected unopposed during the 2023 election to stand down over concerns about the way the town council is run.

They are also demanding clarity over rumours about staff being suspended, the future of Leigh Community Centre and claims from the town council that Leigh Community Centre has a “£115,000 deficit”. 

Residents staged a silent protest with banners calling for nine councillors to quit (Image: James Preston)During the meeting, town council chairman Bernard Arscott was appointed as the “proper officer” until the ongoing suspension of the the town clerk, Helen Symons, is resolved.

He claims this will prevent overspending until a town clerk is put in place. 

Mark Taylor, 50, added: “I am horrified at what has happened at Leigh Town Council over the past year.

“Huge damage is being done to the council’s reputation. Multiple staff suspensions, putting out misleading information on the financial viability of the community centre, wasting police time by making 999 calls to deal with peaceful protests.

“Somebody needs to hold these people to account and thankfully there are plenty of community-minded people in Leigh prepared to do just that.”

Leigh resident, James Preston, 48, also claimed “previously unanswered questions remain unaddressed”. 

He added: “This was more than just another council meeting - it was testament to the unwavering dedication of Leigh’s community to hold their representatives accountable and demand better service.

“It underscored the depth of dissatisfaction and the urgent need for change to the governance of the town council.”

Mr Arscott disputed the numbers in attendance.

He added: “The atmosphere was far better than previous meetings. 

“A number of questions were asked, and answers were provided, whether those wanted to hear those answer is another matter. But behaviour was better and much better than before.”