Move to accessible venue voted down

A proposal to relocate Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council meetings to an alternative, accessible venue was narrowly voted down on Monday evening, despite concerns over compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

The motion, which aimed to address the lack of disabled access to the current council chamber, was rejected by a vote of 9-7.

The council chamber, located on the first floor of Sarah Brisco House, is only accessible via stairs, preventing individuals with mobility impairments from attending in person.

Officers had recommended a move to a more accessible venue to ensure compliance with equality legislation and to accommodate both disabled councillors and members of the public. However, a majority of councillors opposed the change.

'Segregation'

Cllr Jack Lewis took to social media to express his frustration, stating, "On Monday evening, Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council, which is now a majority Conservative town council, voted to not make accessible meeting arrangements for disabled councillors and the public."

He also highlighted a comment made during the debate by Cllr Paul Harris, who questioned whether disabled councillors could be accommodated in a separate room—an idea Cllr Lewis condemned as "segregation." The vote itself was conducted via a secret ballot, as requested by Cllr Rupert Taylor.

The final vote resulted in 7 councillors in favour of accessible arrangements and 9 against, directly opposing the recommendations of council officers.

It is not known how each councillor voted.

'Dismay'

Insiders, speaking exclusively to All About Newtown, have expressed their dismay in the vote. Some councillors has even suggested they may be forced to resign due to the inability to access meetings and feel that the vote has tarnished the reputation of the town council as a progressive and welcoming environment.

Under Section 58 of the Equality Act 2010, local authorities are prohibited from discriminating against members in relation to their official duties. The Act states that councils must ensure equal access to facilities and opportunities, and that reasonable adjustments must be made to accommodate disabled members.

The failure to relocate meetings to an accessible venue may therefore raise legal concerns, particularly if disabled councillors or members of the public are effectively excluded from participation.

Prior to the vote, the Town Clerk had identified an alternative ground-floor venue within the community that could host meetings at a cost of approximately £572 per year. Technical tests confirmed that hybrid meetings would still function in the new space, allowing remote participation for those unable to attend in person.

In the long term, plans are in place to renovate Sarah Brisco House in collaboration with the Sarah Brisco Trust and the Robert Owen Museum to improve accessibility. However, this project is expected to take at least two years to secure funding and complete the necessary modifications.

Responding to our article, the Mayor of Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn, Cllr Pete Lewington said:

"Of the 16 councillors comprising [the Council] only 8 are Welsh Conservative affiliated, so therefore it is factually incorrect to say it is a Welsh Conservative controlled council."

"As it is quite rightly stated it was voting by secret ballot so it is not known how individual councillors voted and quite wrong to imply that all or some Welsh Conservative councillors voted against accessible arrangements - it is simply not known."

"Like all votes that i have participated in at the town council the way an individual councillor votes is entirely down to him or her."

"Consequently, it is completely wrong and very disappointing of Cllr Jack to try to sow distrust and division by launching a personal unfounded attack against Welsh Conservative councillors based upon his personal opinions rather than the facts."

"Cllr Harris' comments have also been taken out of context as he was trying to seek helpful means to include councillors and residents who may not have internet access at home to join council meetings - it was not to purposely exclude them in a separate room."

Also in response, Town Clerk, Ed Humphreys said:

"The debate and the council decision are for councillors to make after receiving advice from the council's professional officers.  The advice was, for reason of meeting the council's equality and health and safety obligations, to authorise officers to make reasonable adjustments by seeking alternative venues."

"Like all decisions of the council they are made by majority vote and on this occasion the majority voted against officers' advice."

"The council must act lawfully, and officers cannot be placed in a position where their actions are construed otherwise, so the town clerk is seeking further advice."