To Sue or Not to Sue? That is Dorman's Question
Senior Conservative Councillor John Dorman has sparked controversy again by threatening to serve legal action against his own county council.
Cllr Dorman, who represents Baslidon, launched an attack on Essex CC after they proposed a streetlight switch-off; a cost cutting scheme many other councils have adopted in recent years.
Essex councillors had proposed a street light switch off between midnight and 5am, however Mr Dorman has threatened to sue the local authority if the move resulted in crime.
Cllr Dorman said: “We’re monitoring the situation. I believe we could challenge it on the grounds the consultation was a sham. We previously took legal advice. Barristers agreed there were holes in the consultation. We couldn’t make a difference to the outcome.
“There’s unanimous, cross-party support for fighting this. The other parties recognise the damage it can do. We’re elected members and our loyalty should be to our residents not out party.”
He vowed that Basildon would not ‘roll over!’ and that the local authority was ‘aloof’.
An Essex CC spokeswoman said: “As a county council we will continue to engage with Basildon DC on the detailed arrangements for part-night lighting in the district.”