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Council meeting suspended after "disruption" during MP Eden Project question

David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, and Councillor Caroline Jackson, leader of Lancaster City Council

A council meeting had to be suspended for 15 minutes after residents were warned not to shout out during a question about the Morecambe MP and the Eden Project.

The Lancaster City Council meeting was brought to a halt as a councillor was congratulating David Morris for his role in securing government cash for the Eden attraction on Morecambe Promenade and "bringing around £300m to this district".

Councillor Keith Budden was interrupted by groans and then shouts from the public gallery, which led to a warning from the mayor to people at the back of Morecambe Town Hall who had come to watch Wednesday's meeting.

Councillor Joyce Pritchard, who as mayor was chairing the meeting, said that if the "disruption" continued then people would be asked to leave.

As shouting-out continued from the back of the chamber, she then adjourned the meeting so things could settle down.

A member of the public then asked if a paper copy of the meeting agenda was available, and was informed that all council meeting agendas could be found online. 

A resident also asked if he could speak at the meeting, and was told that all requests to address councillors publicly should have been put in writing before the meeting.

When the meeting resumed after almost 15 minutes, a member of the public asked if a meeting could be held where residents could get to speak to councillors, claiming he'd already written and had no reply.

Councillor Budden (pictured below) said: "If they've written to the council two or three times and haven't had a response, then that's a poor state of affairs and needs to be rectified.

"They are entitled to be heard and entitled to have an answer.

"There is clearly upset in the public gallery. It shouldn't be."

Councillor Budden, a Conservative, then resumed his earlier question about Mr Morris and the planned Eden Project Morecambe to council leader, Councillor Caroline Jackson.

"Can we just acknowledge, please, the involvement of our MP? We should be very grateful for it."

Councillor Jackson, a Green councillor, said: "I've always been appreciative. I sent him an email a couple of days ago, to express that appreciation.

"Our MP also said he appreciated the amount of work that was put in by the county council, the LEP (Lancashire Enterprise Partnership), the university and us.

"This has been a partnership and all of us have been important in it. I know MPs have to sign it off, and we were absolutely clear that our MP's support was crucial.

"He collected a lot of signatures on a separate letter of his own, of MPs who supported him and made it very clear of his great support. We are not in any way criticising our MP. Why should we? He's worked very hard.

"I know everybody over there (groaned) but that's because of the way (Councillor Budden) put it as though nobody else had a hand in it. The MP didn't put it like that.

"We got Eden here from being immensely collaborative and co-operative, and from being nice to each other."

Related Stories: INTERVIEW: "Morecambe is back on top again" after Eden Project gets go-ahead says MP - Beyond Radio

INTERVIEW: Council leader "feels like dancing in the streets" as Morecambe Eden Project gets green light - Beyond Radio

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