Two of Hetton’s longest serving public servants have resigned their positions with immediate effect due to an alleged ‘culture of harassment and bullying’ within the Town Council.
Cllrs Bob Heron and James Blackburn, who together have served the parish for over 60 years, are joining fellow councillors Iain Scott and Tracy Dodds in tendering their resignations.
Hetton Town Council is the only town council in the Sunderland City Council boundary, covering part of the Copt Hill ward in Houghton-le-Spring.
Comprising 21 councillors, all of whom are unpaid and work on behalf of the local community, it is made up of a majority of independent councillors and – up until last month – five Labour councillors.
Cllr Melanie Thornton, a Labour councillor for Copt Hill, recently stepped back from attending meetings due to claims she was ‘worn down by the persistent bullying and harassment’ by opposing councillors and let her seat on the council lapse as a result.
Speaking about their decision to resign, the councillors stated they had become ‘dismayed by the way community politics had descended into a chaotic talking shop’.
Cllr 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.”
Having a Town Council, under the local government reorganisation act of 1974, means residents of Hetton pay extra council tax to sustain it. However, a freedom of information request (FoI) by Sunderland Labour Group, found that despite receiving £34,000 in community funding since 2019, only £19,969.43 has been spent on the area during that period.
Cllr Phil Tye, chairman of Houghton and Sunderland South Constituency Labour Party, said: “As chair of the local Labour party, I have a duty of care to protect our councillors in all forums.
“Over the last couple of years, we have filed complaint after complaint in relation to the abuse of councillors by elected representatives on Hetton Town Council, however they always seem to fall on deaf ears.
“As a functioning 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. So much so, it has forced two of our longest standing public servants to step aside from their roles.
“To add insult to injury a third of those Independent Town Councillors have never been through an election and have either been gifted or co-opted to the Town Council, this is not true democracy and is why – as well as vacating our seats – we are calling for residents to have a say on the future of Hetton 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.”