SHIPSTON’S mayor has branded legislation governing parish polls as a “troublemaker’s charter” after the town council was forced to hold a referendum which cost £20 per vote.

In a strongly-worded letter to Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, he says the wording of the 1972 Act ‘appears flawed’.

It says the legislation “positively encourages vexatious complainants at a cost to local ratepayers” and “allows small groups of people to play games with local democracy.’ He added that he “believed the Act needs strengthening” and the bar should be set higher than six electors to call a parish poll as it is “no barrier to frivolous complaints”.

Written on behalf of the town council, it refers to the town poll held in Shipston last month in relation to the town council’s purchase of the police station.

The town council bought the building for £180,000 so it can relocate from Clark House. In March a town poll was held after a resident used the 1972 Act to call a public meeting to find out whether the community wanted to discuss the purchase further.

More than 10 out of the 41 people present were in favour of a poll which was held at the Sheldon Bosley Hub. However only 1.8 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote in the referendum which cost the council £1,500 – working out at £20 per vote cost.

Coun Rathkey said the letter was sent after councillors expressed concerns that a poll could potentially be held every couple of months if someone had a complaint.

“It only requires 10 people,” he said. “It’s a ridiculous situation.

It just seemed a low threshold to trigger a poll which costs £1,500.”

Sheep Street resident Mike Ashley, who proposed the poll, said that it was called as a last resort after a meeting about the police station due to be held by Councillor Ian Cooper last May never took place.

“It shouldn’t be used lightly but when there is no other means of doing something. They could have avoided the cost and the trouble by calling a meeting as they suggested. It’s entirely their fault.”