'Extended leave of absence' given to councillors who missed months of meetings

Three Somerset district councillors will be allowed to remain in public office – despite not attending any meetings for nearly six months.

Under Mendip District Council’s constitution, any elected member who fails to attend a single public meeting over a six-month period can be asked to stand down, triggering a by-election.

Three councillors – including the current chair – have failed to attend any such meetings since the spring, citing personal circumstances, ill health and work conflicts.

The full council voted to grant all three an extended leave of absence when it met in Shepton Mallet on Monday evening (September 27) – meaning they will continue to be exempt from attending until early-2022.

The three councillors in question are:

Councillor Shannon Brooke (Conservative, Beckington and Selwood)

Councillor Lois Rogers (Liberal Democrat, Wells Central)

Councillor Helen Sprawson-White (Liberal Democrat, Frome Oakfield – and council chair)

Ms Rogers had requested a short-term dispensation to excuse her from council duties due to her “current working arrangements” – a dispensation which was due to expire on November 17.

David Clark, the council’s monitoring officer, said in his written reporter: “Councillor Rogers is currently contracted to a North American company, and while still based locally her normal working hours are now focused on a different time zone.

“While she can still discharge her day-to-day duties as a local ward member, it makes physical attendance at evening meetings very challenging.”

Ms Brooke had requested a similar dispensation on “medical grounds”, which was due to expire on October 30.

Mr Clark said the councillor was “currently unwell” and classed as “being extremely clinical vulnerable” – making it risky for her to attend public meetings.

Council leader Ros Wyke was supportive of both councillors, stating: “I think it’s fairly self-evident to all of us that Shannon has been challenged during the covid period.

“Councillor Rogers is working in her community and is on a short-term contract dealing with covid issues.

“I don’t want to put into the minutes what she’s doing with the UN, but I think it’s terribly relevant and I’m more than happy to support this.”

The last meeting Ms Sprawson-White attended was a licensing sub-committee meeting on May 12.

Since then, she was allowed to take sabbatical for “personal reasons” for up to six months – meaning she would officially cease to be a councillor on November 12 unless a further leave of absence was approved.

Councillor Damon Hooton was sympathetic to Ms Sprawson-White’s circumstances, pointing to his own experiences during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “You never know what life is going to throw at you, and what circumstances may need to change. I for one am aware of that through my own health issues.

“Helen is going through some particularly difficult times at the moment, and I won’t elaborate on those since it’s not my remit to do so.

“This is not an unusual event. I know Helen is still doing casework – she doesn’t feel up to coming to meetings at the moment.”

Councillor Francis Hayden said the newly-formed Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) needed to improve guidelines to make it safer for councillors and the public to attend meetings.

He said: “The current arrangements for meetings are inadequate for people who are immuno-compromised or who are uncomfortable with attending because of covid.”

The full council voted unanimously to extend the three councillors’ leaves of absence after less than 15 minutes’ discussion.

Under the terms of the extension, Ms Sprawson-White will be allowed to be absent from meetings until January 13, 2022, while both Ms Brooke and Ms Rogers can be absent until March 1.