U-turn to the parish pump

Balderton has ended its unhappy eight-month flirtation with town status.

Yesterday, its 12,000 residents woke up in a parish once more.

The U-turn at Wednesday night’s town council meeting was approved with an 11-2 show of hands, after the chairman, Mr Fred Mortimore, had at first tried to insist on a secret paper vote.

He was concerned that a show of hands could affect the way people voted in the coming election for one of the wards of the town council.

Mr Mortimore said he had taken legal advice from Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The announcement caused an outcry from some of the councillors and was unpopular with the 50 residents who attended.

Mr Ken Fletcher said councillors should show the people they represented how they voted on the issue.

“This should not be done under cover,” he said.

Mr Neil Allsopp complained that he was fed up being dictated to by the chairman.

Mr Pat White suggested that if they had to have a paper vote, then councillors should have a proper discussion in public about the name change first.

Mr Norman Sheppard pointed out that seven years ago 700 people voted in favour of Balderton remaining as a parish.

Mr Mortimore finally allowed the vote to be taken in the usual way.

He and Mr Walter Hurst were the only two to vote in favour of Balderton Town Council. The 11 others voted in favour of returning to Balderton Parish Council.