RESIDENTS showed their frustration with Minehead Town Council after a third meeting in a row was abruptly closed.

Around 35 residents turned out for the meeting held in the Quaker Hall in Bancks Street last night (Tuesday, June 26) but within moments of the meeting starting, Cllr Terry Venner once again argued that the meeting should be adjourned as a new town clerk had not been appointed, nor had a suitable temporary interim been found following the resignation of Sue Sanders.

Cllr John Malin proposed a motion that the mayor notify West Somerset District Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council that the council is unable to continue with its day to day procedures legally without a proper officer in place, and ask for an officer to be temporarily seconded on a part-time basis.

Cllr Malin said: "We all know this council is like a boat at sea with no crew and we must act immediately to get this rectified."

Cllr Venner added he was concerned the council was becoming 'the laughing stock of the town' and action needed to be taken as soon as possible.

A debate proceeded over what constituted a 'proper officer' and whether it was suitable for the council's minute taker Julie Notley to deputise.

After nearly 25 minutes of verbal back and forth the mayor Cllr Norman Hercock adjourned the meeting until the following Thursday.

Cllr Hercock said that Dunster Parish Council had managed to get by without a parish clerk for nearly a year, having just a minute taker.

But Cllr Malin said the two were not comparable as Minehead Town Council has its own workforce and looks after a significantly larger sum of money with more than £1 million in the bank.

Cllr Oliver Harvey argued the meeting should continue, with some items involving legal matters on the agenda put back to the next month's meeting.

"We need to find ways of doing things rather than finding ways of not doing things," he said.

Following the meeting 14 residents gathered to protest the way the council was being run and calling on people to vote Independent at the next local elections, holding up signs saying 'We want a transparent council', 'Where's the money?' and 'No more lies!'.

Beresford Mandley of Minehead Community Group said: "We want to make it clear that the community has had enough.

"This is not the first meeting to be adjourned because they are unsure of proper procedure - it is not good enough."