PORTLAND councillor Tim Munro has been disciplined over allegations he advocated breaking a traffic law.

The town council has suspended him from being a member of any council committee or outside body until the end of his term after it found he had brought the council into disrepute for failing to respond over comments made.

The suspension was sanctioned following comments made at a meeting last September regarding the Spring Gardens/Ventnor Road junction in Fortuneswell, a hotspot for drivers performing illegal manoeuvres in the one way-system.

Police have previously warned drivers about making an illegal left turn to cut up towards Verne Common estate after receiving complaints from residents and the local lollipop lady about dangerous driving.

In a recording of the meeting, Cllr Munro, a former borough and county councillor, is heard saying that drivers performing the turn do it carefully and there had been no accidents.

Speaking at a council meeting on Wednesday, Mayor of Portland, Rob Hughes, said the council was taking action after the matter was raised by resident Paul Snow in November.

He said: “Mr Snow brought up this subject because Cllr Munro suggested people should make wrong turns against the law into Ventnor Road from the top of Spring Gardens.”

The council said clarification had been sought over Cllr Munro’s comments since November yet none had been received. It was agreed at February’s full council meeting to send a letter to Cllr Munro asking for a written response, but none was received.

Councillors agreed on Wednesday that Cllr Munro’s failure to respond to the letter brought the council into disrepute.

Cllr Glenn Chadwick said: “The fact remains we have asked him to supply a written reply to this council and he has failed to do so.”

Cllr Richard Denton-White, who served a similar suspension last year but for different reasons, backed calls for Cllr Munro’s suspension.

He said: “You can’t have one law for one councillor and one for another.”

Cllr Munro was not at the meeting.

Speaking to the Echo yesterday, he said: “It’s an example of the council making a mountain of a molehill. I refute the suggestion that I condoned or incited anyone to break the law. I didn’t do that. I wouldn’t do that.”

Cllr Munro said he would advocate altering the one-way system to facilitate a change at Ventnor Road. He said: “There are always two opinions. If you’re just talking about laws, if there’s a law you’re unhappy with, you’re allowed to oppose that law.

“It’s freedom of speech.”

 

CLLR Munro said he’d expected to receive a transcript of what he’d said before clarifying his comments. He said if he had been sent a transcript, he would have replied.

Full Portland Town Council meetings have been recorded since last summer.

In a recording of September’s meeting, which can be listened to on this website, Cllr Munro says: “They (vehicles) come up very carefully. It’s very dangerous for them to do it.

They don’t knock anybody over.

There have been no accidents there. I don’t know what the kerfuffle is.”

Cllr Chadwick says: “They’re going against a one way system.”

Cllr Munro replies: “So what?

I’m not a policeman, do you know what I mean? Nobody’s been killed.”

Cllr Chadwick: “So we wait until someone is and then we do something about it?”

Cllr Munro: “There’s hardly a turn. What you’re talking about is they're contravening turning left into Fortuneswell.

You’re not even turning left before you’ve crossed the road.”