A MOTION asking for a project to help sheep farmers to be considered for investment from the Mid Wales Growth Deal has been postponed by Powys Council – because so many of its members are farmers.

The motion was supposed to be discussed at a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, November 26.

Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan (Glantwymyn) had proposed that the council move the motion as part of the £110 million Mid Wales Growth deal.

The motion would have asked that the authority “looks at opportunities to add value to our agricultural products and specifically to work with the farming unions and the British Wool Marketing Board with a view of facilitating the establishment of the equivalent of WRONZ, Wool Research Organisation New Zealand in Mid Wales”.

But at the meeting the new council chairman Cllr Gwynfor Evans (Llansantffraid – Conservative), said that the motion had been withdrawn.

Afterwards Cllr Vaughan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the motion needed to be discussed by members of the standards committee, before it can go in front of a full meeting.

County Times:

Cllr Vaughan said: “As so  many councillors are also farmers, this motion needs to go through the standards committee.

“This is so that permission can be given to allow councillors to speak on it.”

In its current form councillors who also farm would have needed to declare an interest and leave the meeting. or ask the head of legal service/monitoring officer, Clive Pinney to advise on their individual circumstances

According to the council’s constitution, at least a quarter of the councillors need to be present for a meeting to be quorate.

This would mean having at least18 of the 73 councillors present.