July 12 2007 — Herefordshire Council Cabinet refused this afternoon to guarantee that they would consult with the public or even allow full council to debate the future of the Dinedor Serpent.
Cabinet member Cllr. June French told reporters and protesters that it would not be an agenda item today, but that it would be discussed at an unspecified future date. She could not guarantee that it would be debated by the full council or allowed a vote. Cllr. French announced an internal inquiry into how the council had handled the publicity around the Serpent.
8 protesters subsequently refused to leave the Council building until Cabinet members guaranteed a full public consultation. When this guarantee was not forthcoming, the prostestors, including an elderly people, refused to leave. They were peacefully escorted from the premises by the police.
Update 10:15pm: The protesters were arrested on charges of ‘aggressive trespass’. They have just been released on bail having spent several hours in police cells in Worcester and are expected back in Hereford shortly. They will have to report back on July 26th and face either a caution or be taken to court.
“All the Council had to do today was guarantee a proper public debate, and then this would not have happened”, said a campaign spokesperson. “What do they have to hide? Those arrested are the Hereford suffragettes — all because Herefordshire Council won’t be open and democratic in it’s procedures.”
Calls continue to grow for Herefordshire Council to pause construction to allow a full public consultation and for all elected councillors to have a say in the final decision and not just the Cabinet.
Background info & other campaign news at http://www.rotherwasribbon.com/
For court case updates, see July 2007 archive.