Councillor Who Failed To Attend Meetings Resigns

Published on: 4 Mar, 2016
Updated on: 4 Mar, 2016

A Guildford Tory councillor has resigned due to family and work commitments.

Cllr William Chesterfield was a councillor for the Stoke ward. He was elected last May, taking the seat of former Lib Dem councillor Zoe Franklin, and was the first ever Conservative to represent the ward that covers Bellfields and Slyfield.

Since September he failed to attend any council meetings, that included four full council meetings and two society meetings, as well as environment and council development executive advisory board meetings.

He had previously attended three out of four council meetings and and two planning committee meetings as a substitute since he was elected May 2015.

The Guildford Conservative Association has thanked him “for all his hard work” and wish him well for the future. It has added that he “worked hard for residents on a number of casework issues and has been involved in the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project”.

It is understood that he will donate some of his expenses that he received during he time in office to charity.

On Thursday (March 3), Guildford Borough Council issued a press release that stated: “Following Cllr Will Chesterfield’s resignation on March 1, due to work and family commitments, we have published a notice of vacancy for the Stoke ward.” It can be found at www.guildford.gov.uk/elections

Anyone interested in standing as a candidate is asked to call the council’s electoral services team on 01483 444126.

Responses to Councillor Who Failed To Attend Meetings Resigns

George Dokimakis Reply

March 4, 2016 at 9:43 am

The danger of paper candidates…
Jules Cranwell Reply

March 4, 2016 at 1:02 pm

This is a predictable result, given how the Tories stacked their ranks with ‘paper candidates’, some of whom appeared shocked to have been elected in May, and were heard asking which ward they had won.
Mary Bedforth Reply

March 4, 2016 at 1:24 pm

Was he ‘avin a larf?
James Walsh Reply

March 4, 2016 at 1:31 pm

If you win an election, you should either work to the best of your ability for those you represent or, if personal commitments do not allow this, stand down as soon as possible.

Former councillor Chesterfield should “donate” all expenses and allowances claimed since September 2015 back to the taxpayers who paid him. A “donation of some of his expenses” to charity is not good enough and – being taxpayers money – not his decision to make.

An open request to Guildford Borough Council and Mr Chesterfield – can you publish details of the amount of money claimed by Mr Chesterfield for his expenses (if any) and for his allowance since his last attendance as a councillor please?

Can the council or Mr Chesterfield also confirm the amount “donated” back to the council and account for any difference please?
Mary Bedforth Reply

March 5, 2016 at 6:03 am

From the Guildford Conservatives website:

“Cllr William Chesterfield, Guildford Borough Councillor for Stoke

“Will Chesterfield moved from London to Guildford nearly two years ago with his wife and young son. He joined the Conservative party in 2008. For Will the Conservative party supports aspiration and opportunity with responsibility, values to which he wholeheartedly subscribes.

“Will works in the pharmaceutical industry in clinical research and his day job is focused on making life better for patients. He will work hard to make life better for the people living and working in Stoke, Bellfield and Slyfield Green.”

It all looked so promising for the residents in Stoke ward.

They even got Bellfields wrong!
Nick Trier Reply

March 5, 2016 at 5:56 pm

A donkey with a blue rosette would have won that election, so toxic had the Lib Dem brand become.

At least the borough’s gardeners would have had some manure to utilise had that happened!

In the current circumstances the good electors of Stoke would best vote for a Labour replacement to support the good work of excellent Councillor Angela Gunning.
Bernard Parke Reply

March 6, 2016 at 11:04 am

There are many talented would-be councillors who would do much for the people of our town.

Indeed, there are many such serving councillors whose talents could be “tapped”.

But we are denied this input for the reasons stated above.

Unfortunately the electorate “play the party and not the man”.