Conwy council resignation calls by Welsh Secretary David Jones
Wales' most senior Conservative MP says councillors in Conwy should consider their positions after a series of costly issues.
By Chris DeardenBBC Wales News Welsh Secretary and Clwyd West MP David Jones cited overspending on a bridge, legal battles over Colwyn Bay pier and a £125,00 grant handed to a conman. He said councillors were "shrugging their shoulders" on the issues. But the council said he is trying to make political capital and "find something negative". Mr Jones made the comments after the latest court case about who owns Colwyn Bay pier. Conwy council signed a deal to buy it in March 2012, but on Wednesday, a High Court judge ruled that another court hearing will be needed before a challenge from its former owner can be resolved. "I think that the council have got a duty to the council tax payers of the county to make sure that they're getting value for money," argued Mr Jones. "As it is, it would appear that the council has an asset that it can't deal with because there's a competing claim. "They're no nearer to getting lottery money (to restore it), and they've got a continuing dispute with the former owner. "It is, in my view a very strange way to behave, and I frankly feel that there are certain senior councillors who should be asking themselves if this whole issue has been properly handled." 'Not acceptable' The MP said it was the latest in a series of "unfortunate incidents" at the council, including an overspend of about £1m on a new bridge at Maesdu in Llandudno, an overspend on the council's school transport service, and a grant of £125,000 paid to conman Chris O'Neill. O'Neill has been jailed for three years after spending much of that cash on gambling and a boat. Mr Jones said he found it "extraordinary" councillors never considered resigning. "That's what would happen if this sort of thing happened at Westminster, and I can't see why it's not happening at Conwy," he said. "Simply to shrug shoulders and say that's bad luck and move on is not acceptable." Conwy council is run by a coalition of independent, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru councillors. The leader, Plaid Cymru's Dilwyn Roberts, said: "This is no more or less than I would expect of the local Tory MP, who is simply trying to make political capital. "I am pleased to be the leader of a coalition in Conwy that has done very good things in recent years. "You don't have to just accept my word on that - we have had very positive reports about Conwy from the Wales Audit Office in recent years and we've provided some great new facilities." He highlighted developments including the Parc Eirias Events Centre and the new Porth Eirias watersports centre in Colwyn Bay. "Yes, one or two things have gone wrong in the past, but that's life, and the important thing is that we deal with those problems properly and openly - which is what we do here in Conwy," he added. "David Jones seems to be clutching at straws, again trying to find something negative to say about this good council."