Larkhall Community Council attempt to bar Advertiser for second time

May 19 2011 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

LARKHALL Community Council have attempted to ban the Advertiser from attending their public meetings – for a second time.

A group of community councillors met with council officials and Larkhall’s four elected councillors at South Lanarkshire Council’s headquarters in Almada Street, Hamilton, last Thursday.

The community council’s executive requested the meeting to try to bar the Advertiser from attending the community council’s monthly meetings.

But council officials made it clear that all community council meetings must be open to the public and the press.

It’s understood that during the 90-minute meeting, community council secretary Sheena Campbell threatened to quit if the Advertiser were allowed to report on their meetings.

The latest move came weeks after the community council attempted to bar the Advertiser from their March meeting.

It followed a report in the Advertiser on how Dovesdale campaigners had called for an investigation into the conduct Ms Campbell at meetings.

Our reporter decided to stay to report on proceedings before chairman Ally Dawson, the former Hamilton Accies manager, decided to call an abrupt halt to the meeting held at Glengowan Primary.

Speaking about last Thursday’s meeting, a source said: “The meeting was held to try to ban the Advertiser from attending Larkhall Community Council’s meetings.

“When they were told they couldn’t do that, community councillors said they would hold an executive meeting on Monday from 7pm until 8.30pm to exclude the Advertiser.

“When they were told the public had to be able to attend community council meetings, community councillors responded by saying the public wouldn’t be asked to leave – only the Advertiser would be asked to leave.

“But community councillors were told in no uncertain terms the public and press were not to be excluded from their public meetings.

“It is all just turning into a farce.

“The community council should be getting on with what they are supposed to be doing and that is helping the community.”

SNP councillors Peter Craig and Lesley McDonald and Labour councillors Andy Carmichael Jackie Burns attended the meeting last Thursday with community councillors.

Yesterday (Wednesday) a South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: “Following a meeting, Larkhall Community Council were advised that, in terms of the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils, formal community council meetings must be open to the public and the press.”

Ms Campbell this week insisted the community council were not attempting to ban the Advertiser from their regular meetings.

She said a resolution was passed prior to the last community council meeting expressing “extreme dissatisfaction” with the paper’s reporting of their meetings.

The community council considered “the actings of Advertiser to be disruptive”.

She added: “The community council have worked, and continue to work, for the community on a voluntary basis. “Personal attacks against the community council and its members, will not be tolerated any further and complaints shall now be made to the Press Complaints Commission.”

As the Advertiser went to press, it was unclear if the community council’s monthly meeting would take place as scheduled in Glengowan Primary School, Larkhall, on Monday at 7pm.