MP and police locked out of public meeting

From the Salisbury Journal, first published Saturday 28th Jan 2006.

SALISBURY MP Robert Key and representatives from the police were among up to 40 people locked out of a public meeting in Downton Memorial Hall on Friday evening.

The meeting, to discuss the implications of the proposed repair or replacement of the tannery bridge, attracted a massive turnout.

Tempers flared when the 200 places allowed by fire regulations were rapidly taken, leaving a crowd of people stranded outside.

Also among those refused entry were Salisbury district councillor for Downton and Redlynch Guy Anderson and local GPs and district nurses anxious to know about arrangements for movement of emergency vehicles while work is carried out.

Linda Sutcliffe, who lives in the village and is a district nurse, banged on a side door and shouted to meeting organisers: "There are lots of people, who have got a voice out here, that need to be heard."

Later she said: "Emotions were running high. It was the unfairness of it we all need to know how it will affect us and we were infuriated about the fact that they could lock us out."

Wiltshire county councillor Julian Johnson, who was chairing the meeting, talked to those outside but rejected demands that the meeting be stopped and rescheduled at a larger venue when everyone could attend.

Mr Key was invited to join the meeting but told Mr Johnson that if there was no room in the hall for anybody else, he would not be going in either.

Those left outside went to the White Horse public house, where Mr Key put money behind the bar for drinks and stayed for an hour listening to the concerns of residents.

Tracey Shores, who lives in Moot Lane, said: "How can you hold a public meeting and then turn people away?

"This affects us all there were a lot of very cross people.

"We all understood that they had the maximum number of people in the hall but why the hell hadn't they thought about how much interest it would generate?"

Charles Greville-Heygate said the feeling was one of frustration and irritation.

"The organisers had been told by a number of people that the hall was too small," he said.

"Everyone knew it would be a well-attended meeting."

He said that the result was that those in the meeting had come away reassured but those left out "who would have liked to be reassured, haven't been".

Mr Anderson said: "There is a lot of deep local concern.

"It was unfortunate, but nobody's fault, that because of regulations not everybody could get in."

He said that Mr Johnson had promised to set up another meeting for those who had not been able to get in.

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