A FORMER parish councillor has spoken out following a community backlash, which has caused all members of one village parish council to resign from the organisation.

All seven members of the Broughton Moor Parish Council have resigned their positions of as councillors on June, 20, following a public backlash to news that a village resident had allegedly been reported for cutting grass verges and hedges in the Church Road area of the village.

In a statement, Broughton Moor Parish Council said: "Hopefully the village will recognise what it has lost."​​​

A former parish councillor has spoken out following her resignation from the organisation saying 'it is sad it has ended like this' after the parish council have fought so hard to make the community a better place.

Former parish councillor, Claire Howson said: “Not quite two years ago we decided to join the parish council. We are all ladies and we all volunteered our time, it’s an unpaid job, we volunteered our time away from our families and everything to try and make the village a better place and we are really sad and disappointed that it has ended like this with so little support from the public, for only trying to tell a young lad the correct way to get the hedges and verges cut.

“There was no malice in it, and nothing meant by it.

“We joined just less than two years ago with a view of making Broughton Moor a better place and community for everyone.”

The council wrote to the Carlisle Diocese when they found they were going to sell off Broughton Moor Church, asking them to gift the building back to the people of Broughton Moor, something that Claire says the Church had agreed and which Broughton Moor Parish Council have said 'is almost certain' not to go ahead following the resignations .

She said: “That was one thing that we saved, also in just less than two years since we took over the Parish Council we have raised money for numerous charities.”

Since joining the parish councillors have raised £1,558 for charities which include GNAAS, Macmillan, The Smile Train, Andy's Man Club, Cockermouth MRT and autism charity Owl Blue, a cause close to Claires heart as she has an autistic son.

Cumberland council have been made aware of the situation and have said they will co-opt some of their own councillors onto the authority until other individuals can be co-opted or an election held.

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm we are aware of the resignation of councillors of Broughton Moor Parish Council.  The parish council remains a legal entity and continues to exist, with the Clerk ensuring that statutory duties continue to be fulfilled. 

“In this situation, as the principal authority, Cumberland Council will co-opt some of our own councillors onto the parish council to ensure that the council is quorate and can carry out its functions until other individuals can be co-opted, and an election held.”

READ MORE: Man reported to police after cutting verges in Broughton Moor | Times and Star