Ellie Ames 17 May 2024

Council suspends meeting amid disorder over 20mph ‘frustration’

Council suspends meeting amid disorder over 20mph ‘frustration’ image
Image: Henry Franklin / Shutterstock.com

A Ramsey Town Council meeting was suspended and a man was asked to leave after the agenda descended into a heated discussion about a 20mph traffic zone.

The council, in Cambridgeshire, said the chair asked a man to leave the meeting on 9 May after he spoke over a councillor despite being warned about ‘disorderly conduct’.

When he did not leave, the chair suspended the meeting.

The council meeting was so busy it reached capacity under fire regulations amid a 'misconception' that it was a public meeting about the speed restriction, leading the chair to extend the alloted time for public partipation from 20 to 30 minutes.

In a statement, the council said: ‘Strength of feeling does not mean that a full council meeting can turn into a public debate about a single issue, in this case 20mph.’

It added: ‘Councillors should be able to respond without interruption, heckling or abuse.’

The council said members did see the ‘emotion and frustration’ about the 20mph zone.

Cambridgeshire County Council agreed to introduce the speed restriction within the built-up part of Ramsey in November.

Ramsey had consulted on the plans, receiving 10 ‘formal communications’, consisting of three complaints, two in favour and five questions.

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