Councillors fall out amid accusations of 'playing politics' with climate and housing issues affecting the Banbury area

Cherwell’s Opposition group – a collaboration of Greens and Lib Dems - have accused their Labour and Conservative counterparts of playing politics with ‘non-motions’ at the full council meeting on October 16.

Green Party leader Cllr Ian Middleton said: “The meeting contained a series of motions brought by the Labour and Conservative groups intending to do little more than provide them with fodder for press releases and campaign leaflets. (They) could all have been dealt with through internal processes and committees.”

Labour leader, Cllr Sean Woodcock, described the criticism as ‘astonishing’ since opposition councillors had supported both motions on the night.

Mr Middleton said: “We were treated to three motions, each of which could have been dealt with internally. The Labour motions on climate issues all referred back to the council climate change working group which Labour chairs anyway. The proposals they made could easily have been agreed through that group.

“The proposals on a retrofitting action plan for council-owned housing would only apply to a very limited number of properties and there was no detail given about how this could be achieved or where funding would come from.

"Considering the Labour Party recently announced a U-turn on funding for it’s own climate policies it was ironic that this came from the Labour group.”

He said the Conservative motion was ‘political posturing of the highest order’.

"It was simply a to-do list of projects the council was already involved in with a request for a briefing tagged on at the end to justify it as a motion,” he said.

“This was two political groups playing at politics and wasting the time of the council rather than getting on with the important issues that we are tasked with as local representatives.

"Judging by their jokey behaviour towards each other, it seemed like both Labour and Conservatives had previously agreed beforehand to allow each other the time to indulge themselves in this charade.”

Cllr Sean Woodcock, leader of the Labour group on Cherwell, said: “To hear action to tackle the cost-of-living and address climate change described as ‘wasting time’ I find genuinely astonishing from so-called 'Progressive Oxfordshire'.

“We make no apologies for bringing our residents’ concerns to the council chamber and we will continue to do so.

“One is tempted to conclude that they possibly just did not read the council papers before the meeting, so panicked when voting only to suddenly find something in them they don't like afterwards.

“The council has no one party in overall control and so we have an obligation to work together to improve things for our residents.”

Opposition leader David Hingley said: “Seeking to belittle debate is disrespectful to democracy and to the residents of this district.

"It isn’t surprising to see Conservative and Labour councillors chumming up to each other so often. While they laugh and joke with each other, my group will get on with providing genuine, constructive opposition and engaging on issues that matter to residents now, including working through the detail of the draft Local Plan that is currently open for public consultation.”

The Conservatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Cherwell has no party in overall control following failed talks over an alliance.