Council leadership survives vote

Council leader Rhiannon Hughes faced a call for her removal

Denbighshire Council leader Rhiannon Hughes has survived a cross-party motion calling for the removal of herself and her cabinet team.

The motion was put forward by Paul Marfleet, a former member of Ms Hughes' cabinet team, whom she sacked in a row about the local authority's finances.

Mr Marfleet had said the council faced problems over its spending plans.

The motion, signed by 10 members from four parties, failed after the vote tied at 22-22, with one abstention.

Mr Marfleet drew up the motion after he was removed from Denbighshire's ruling cabinet after what Ms Hughes called "representations from other councillors".

Both Mr Marfleet, who represents Llanrhaeadr yng Nghinmeirch, near Denbigh, and Ms Hughes are independents on the authority, where no party has overall control.

I felt the healthiest thing to do for the council and for the people of Denbighshire was to put this to the vote Gwyneth Kensler, Plaid Cymru

Ms Hughes, councillor for Gallt Melyd/Meliden in Prestatyn, said the councillors who contacted her were concerned about Mr Marfleet's alleged attitude and approach to team working.

Mr Marfleet, who had responsibility for council policy on matters of finance, had warned about the authority's capital projects plan.

'Unhappiness'

Last month, the council agreed to changes to its spending on capital projects, which included delaying until November a decision on contributing towards Prestatyn's £3.4m scheme to reopen the town's Scala cinema.

Ms Hughes has denied the council has any financial difficulties because of its future spending plans, but - in an echo of Mr Marfleet's comments - she has also said that unless Denbighshire had some flexibility in its capital programme it would face difficulties.

One of the signatories of Mr Marfleet's motion was Gwyneth Kensler, leader of Denbighshire council's Plaid Cymru group.

Before the meeting, she said: "I signed it because I felt there was unhappiness, there was uneasiness, and I felt the healthiest thing to do for the council and for the people of Denbighshire was to put this to the vote."

Denbighshire has 47 councillors, 19 of whom are independents. Councillors had a free vote on the no-confidence motion. Two members were not available for the vote.