Mystery over Town Council committee chair’s absence

Mystery surrounds the absence of a Welshpool Town Council committee chairman from a key meeting last night that included discussions around the next budget.

Only two councillors were in the chamber for the monthly Strategy, Policy and Development Committee meeting, but it was able to go ahead with a further three attending via Zoom.

But it appears that the Staffing Committee meeting held before and mostly behind closed doors, must have been a feisty affair with claims that veteran councillor, Phil Pritchard, had stormed out of the Town Hall.

“The Chair (Cllr Pritchard) has left the building,” said Cllr Megan Bailey, who stepped in to Chair the Strategy, Policy and Development meeting after deputy chair, Estelle Bleivas, sent her apologies.

And when Cllr Nick Howells asked why Cllr Pritchard had left, Cllr Bailey responded: “He said he couldn’t put up with it any longer and it wasn’t worth his time.”

The meeting went ahead but, frustratingly for the media and public, the Budget item to discuss the first draft of the 2025-26 finances was moved to private session which excludes non-councillors. However, this is a common occurrence due to the sensitive nature of discussions around finance.