Portishead PACT chairman resigns after bust up with councillor

THE chairman of Portishead's PACT committee has resigned following a bust up with a local councillor.

Brian Clayton, who took over the role of the town's Partners and Communities Together (PACT) group in April, has thrown in the towel following comments by councillor Arthur Terry.

Mr Terry accused the PACT committee of setting its own priorities, rather than those by local councillors and claimed the concerns of the council were being ignored.

He also said that the PACT was made up of un-elected members - although Mr Clayton was voted officially into the post of chairman when he took over.

Mr Terry, who is also a member of the Police Authority, made his comments at a meeting of Portishead Town Council earlier this month.

Following the meeting Mr Clayton wrote to Mr Terry asking him to withdraw his comments and apologise.

But Mr Terry has so far failed to respond and Mr Clayton has now taken the decision to resign.

Mr Clayton said: "I was gobsmacked at Councillor Terry's comments and thought they were very ill informed.

"As Councillor Terry is a member of the police authority, I would have though he understood how the PACT process works.

"As they were said at a meeting of the town council there was no opportunity for me to respond.

"He said that I was not elected, which is untrue and that it was committee that was setting the priorities which needed to be tackled.

"This is not the case as the public put forward issues of concern and together, as a group, we decide the priorities.

"He also said he felt the concerns of the council were being ignored.

"Members of the council regularly attend PACT meetings and are quite welcome, along with everyone else, to put forward and discuss issues for action.

"I was also disappointed that no member of the council spoke to support the PACT process or myself.

"PACT is a way for the public to get their concerns heard and dealt with.

"If the council, and Councillor Terry who is due to be council chairman next year, has no confidence in the PACT then I felt it was my only option to resign.

"I am very disappointed it has come to this."

PACTS were set up by the police but are run by the local community with an aim of tackling issues of concern from local residents.

The meetings are attended by representatives from the police, council, fire service and other organisations such as housing and youth groups.

Each month issues of concern are raised, with the priorities being voted on by those attending the meeting.

The priorities are then taken forward and dealt with by the relevant organisation, whether it be police, local council or housing developers.

The PACT has got off to a successful start this year, working with the police to tackle parking problems in the High Street and anti social behaviour at Merlin Park.

The PACT has also highlighted problems at the town's new marina development with vandalism, which they are working with dock developers to tackle.

The future of the PACT now looks uncertain unless a new chairman can be found.

Mr Terry said: "I have no intention of apologising or withdrawing my comments and I stand by what I say.

"I do not believe that a handful of local residents, which in my view are not representing the local community, should determine the policing priorities for Portishead.

"It is not acceptable for local councillors, who have been elected by local residents, to have to go to a PACT meeting and argue their case to get their concerns and issues treated as a priority.

"It the process of how the PACT works that concerns me and I will be highlighting this to the district commander."

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