Plymouth councillors who live 130 miles away asked to quit
- Published
Plymouth councillor Dan Collins has been asked to quit after moving to Gloucester
Two Plymouth city councillors who now live more than 130 miles (210km) away from the city will be asked to resign.
Conservative councillors Dan Collins and Shannon Burden, who are married, were elected in May 2021, but have since moved to Gloucester.
Councillors agreed to ask them to leave their positions immediately and not wait until elections in 2023.
Mr Collins said "we have indicated that we will be stepping back from public life in Plymouth in due course..."
The motion was passed with 31 votes in favour.
Many Tory councillors decided to abstain rather than voting against.
Terri Beer, independent alliance councillor for Plympton Erle, who proposed the motion, claimed the couple had failed to attend ward meetings, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
"I can speak about Plympton, as the community have never seen councillor Collins at any community meetings, or submit any reports or updates to residents in Plympton Chaddlewood," she said.
"In fact, he hasn't even bothered to attend the Conservatives branch meeting in Plympton."
Councillor Shannon Burden was elected in May 2021
The Labour group said the couple had fallen short of the standards expected by the community.
"This is about the precedent they've been setting for nearly 18 months now - that it's acceptable to collect a councillor allowance for serving a ward you live more than 100 miles away from," councillor Jemima Laing said.
"We're all supposed to adhere to the Nolan principles of public life, external.
"I would argue that standing for election and then leaving the area in pretty short order breaches a few of those principles."
Mr Collins and Ms Burden were each eligible for an annual basic allowance of £10,359.82 in the 2021/2022 financial year, external.
Council leader Conservative Richard Bingley said the couple had "both indicated that from next May they will wish to leave public service", and he thanked them "for their contribution to date".
Mr Collins said: "We have indicated that we will be stepping back from public life in Plymouth in due course, as indicated by councillor Bingley."
The BBC also contacted Ms Burden for comment.
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