Councillor claims evidence of private meetings as parish council row escalates

An independent councillor has raised serious concerns about transparency and decision-making within the council he serves on, claiming that key decisions are being made outside formal meetings and that he is being prevented from properly representing residents.

The comments from Cllr Andrew Benion, a former Conservative councillor, now independent representing the Apley ward on Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council, come as part of what he says will be a wider effort to bring attention to issues within the council.

Speaking to Telford Live, Cllr Benion said he feels increasingly unable to influence decisions because of how council business is being conducted.

“I feel like I’m working with one hand tied behind my back,” he said. “The frequency of meetings has been dropped to one every other month, and I have seen evidence suggesting that Labour councillors are meeting privately before the official meetings.”

Cllr Benion alleges that decisions are effectively being agreed in advance of public votes. “They are deciding who gets which official role before a vote is cast,” he claimed. “On one occasion I discovered that a councillor had been appointed to a position through a LinkedIn update before the meeting and vote had even taken place.”

He further alleged that some matters are being discussed outside public meetings to keep them “out of sight.”

However, the Chair of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council and Mayor of Telford & Wrekin, Cllr Eileen Callear, has issued a stinging rebuttal to these claims. She suggested that the allegations appear to “completely misunderstand how representative democracy actually works.”

“If a political group hasn’t even met collectively for over a year, the idea that it is somehow secretly ‘pre-determining’ decisions in private becomes rather hard to sustain,” Cllr Callear said. “Discussing views with colleagues is not only normal—it’s an essential part of political life. Calling that ‘predetermination’ is like accusing jurors of bias for watching an episode of Judge Judy before they enter the courtroom.”

Cllr Callear insisted that all decisions are made in full council meetings and that the outcomes often align with the Labour group’s position because they were elected as a majority.

Regarding the LinkedIn claim, she stated that informal discussions are standard, but formal decisions only occur when the council votes.

The Mayor also addressed Cllr Benion’s claims that he had been “treated like a bully,” stating that while she was not aware of anyone describing him as such, council officers had reported feeling bullied by his approach.

She also pointed to Cllr Benion’s own attendance record, suggesting he was not always present to take part in the decision-making process and “it would be a positive change to see Cllr Benion do some work for his ward – as his achievements to date could have been delivered with both hands tied behind his back, let alone one. “

In a further response, Cllr Benion described the Mayor’s remarks as “defensive” and “dismissive,” and revealed that his recent absence was due to caring for his wife during a serious illness.

“To use that as a point of criticism, rather than addressing the governance issues raised, speaks volumes,” he said. “Information that should be shared with all elected members is not being disclosed. Scrutiny is being treated as an inconvenience rather than a duty.”

Cllr Bennion claimed he has evidence of structured decisions being made outside the proper process and internal discussions about withholding information. “This is only the beginning,” he warned. “There are a number of matters I believe residents should be aware of, and I intend to bring them into the public domain.”

A spokesperson for Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council added that the council “always follows due process and acts wholly in accordance with the law.”