FRANK exchanges were traded at a meeting of BCP Council this week as members debated a resident's petition calling for the council's political leadership to resign.

The petition, created by Ian Mark Lawrence on change.org, received 2,066 signatures from residents in the BH postcode, and was presented to members at a full council meeting this week.

In a speech outlining his reasons calling for leader, Cllr Drew Mellor and deputy leader, Cllr Phil Broadhead, to resign, Mr Lawrence cited financial issues facing the council outside of cost of living pressures, and reputational damage.

READ MORE: Petition calling for leader Drew Mellor to resign will be debated by the council

“Stop the rush to bankruptcy, government bailouts, external audits and reviews. Sixty odd million pounds of overspending, doubling transformation budget, tripling debt, hidden reports and prioritising extravagant vanity projects over the basics like failing children’s services", he told members.

During a debate, members argued over the financial stability of the council, and the 'agenda' behind the petition.

Conservative councillor Beverly Dunlop, who is also portfolio holder for culture and vibrant places, said in defence of the leader and deputy leader: “There are council leaders up and down the country who follow the same old path when the pressure comes on, they cut services, they put up council tax, they look around for something to sell, maybe use a bit of reserves and then they ring their hands over not enough funding, ‘what can you do, poor me’. 

“There are one or two who are prepared to try and do it differently, be creative, try and think of a new way of doing it in order to be able to deliver those services and also deliver things that the residents want, the things that matter to them, rather than wasting their time on empty virtue signalling motions."

She was joined in her defence by fellow Conservative councillor Bobbie Dove, who said: “I can see why the opposition want Cllr Mellor and Cllr Broadhead to go; he’s a bit of threat to them isn't he, balancing the budget, demonstration of improved services and I can see why the opposition need to make all these grandstanding statements which haven’t been justified just to get him to go a few months from elections.”

But Independent councillor Stephen Bartlett, urged the leadership to take the petition seriously.

He said: “What I will say is that we should not be dismissive of those views expressed by those residents, to stand here in this chamber and just deny that the issues don’t exist is just wrong. They’re the residents, they’ve expressed their view and people in here are saying 'well it doesn’t matter, its only a few people'. This is serious, really serious. 

“LGR was always going to be really difficult. It's been made even more difficult by the political divide in the finely balanced council that we’ve had, the leadership needs to bring us all together, each part of the conurbation for the benefit of the residents."

Poole People member, Mark Howell called on the Conservatives to listen to the latest audit and governance meeting.

"Our auditors were absolutely scathing of the financial situation of this council. They were asked if they had confidence in the financial position and they said they did not have confidence, they said there was a very long way to go to reach financial sustainability.”

Councillors Mellor and Broadhead did not take part in the debate.

No further action will be taken on the petition.