Councillor being 'bullied' over collapsed Ludlow wall saga

The issue surrounding the repair of the wall by St Laurence’s Church, which happened 12 years ago, is a contentious one.

The town council maintain that it does not own the wall and the church should take on the responsibility to maintain it, something the Parochial Church Council disputes.

However, the council has said it will “take a full and active part in joining the partnership” to maintain it “on a no liability basis” with the aim of pursuing external grant funding.

Councillor Glenn Ginger, whose views are not necessarily those of Ludlow Town Council, said that the phrase “without accepting liability” is intended to protect Ludlow’s ratepayers from potential millions of pounds of debt.

However, he said that letters he has received “aim to to derail democracy by coercing the council into making a decision that affects the precept – the annual amount paid by all ratepayers – potentially for the next 25 years”.

“The construction of the curtain wall is inadequate to sustain the weight caused by multiple layers of burials over many centuries and ground water pressure from the volume of earth behind it,” said Cllr Ginger.

“Ownership of the wall is not disputed, the wall belongs to the Church of England, yet Ludlow’s residents are being asked to not only accept responsibility for the repair of the wall but also assume long-term responsibility for its maintenance based solely on the council’s historical upkeep of the Garden of Rest.”

Cllr Ginger added that some councillors have been accused of “acting secretly” and “hiding information from other councillors and the public.”

“Three councillors, myself included, have approaching 20 individual complaints made against them to the official monitoring officer,” said Cllr Ginger.

“These accusations were not only false but potentially libellous. On all occasions, the councillors have been completely exonerated.

“All councillors have also received numerous letters to their home addresses written by a minority group applying coercive pressure on members to try to change the way they vote.

“Council decision-making is complex and aims to protect everyone impacted.

“Full Council adopts recommendations from sub-committees after consideration, debate and voting. Through this documented process, there has been no decision to accept liability for the wall in the minutes of Full Council.

“An organised minority group are attempting to influence decisions made by democratically elected councillors who have a duty to represent all residents of Ludlow.

“Councillors have not ignored this issue; they seek a solution without capitulating to historic and future liability. Despite this sustained attack, Ludlow Town Council remains open to discussions and grant applications to resolve the matter while protecting the interests of all Ludlow residents.”