Ryburgh Parish Council suspended after mass resignation

Neil Dandy, former vice-chair at Ryburgh Parish Council, announced that following an extraordinary meeting on December 11 six councillors, including himself, stepped down after they felt they could no longer serve.

Mr Dandy said the councillors from the village, in between Fakenham and Dereham, joined the former chair, Elizabeth Savory, who had been on the council for at least 45 years and the clerk, who both resigned "a couple of weeks ago".

“The meeting was to agree to a budget and after that was sorted at the end of the meeting at the memorial hall some of the councillors decided they were going to resign with immediate effect,” Mr Dandy said.

Neil Dandy, former vice-chair at Ryburgh Parish Council (Image: Neil Dandy)

“It all came down to pointless complaints aimed at the chair.

“All the complaints were around proper procedure, all how a chair should manage a meeting, or a disagreement between councillors, and how should the chair resolve it, which was all utterly pointless in my view.

“Everyone had enough, they are all volunteers who had enough of this pointless criticism.”

The minutes of the meeting name the six councillors who resigned as Jane Binstead, Ian Wilson, Andy James, John Savory, Kate Wilson and Mr Dandy.

When asked who made the complaints, Mr Dandy did not wish to comment.

Ryburgh Parish Council hold their meeting at the memorial hall Annex, in Ryburgh (Image: Google Maps)

The council is now suspended, and North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has been made aware of its current state.

A spokesperson for NNDC said; “The council has received resignations from members, and is aware that Ryburgh Parish Council is now inquorate and will be supporting them through the process of becoming operational once again.”

The minutes add that one councillor remains sitting, Christopher Buxton, but the council will not be able to function until new members are elected or co-opted.