A TORPOINT town councillor has publicly apologised to residents after an extraordinary town council meeting descended into controversy when members of the public were excluded from discussions surrounding the future of the town’s proposed 3G pitch project.

In a strongly-worded statement posted following the meeting, Cllr Keiran Moon said he was “embarrassed” by the way residents were treated and admitted the council had “fallen short” in its duty to the community.

“I was embarrassed at the way members of the public were dismissed at last night’s meeting,” he said. “When that number of our town’s people take the trouble to come to a meeting I feel, as elected representatives, we should listen.”

Cllr Moon revealed he voted against moving immediately into the confidential section of the meeting because he believed residents should have been given the opportunity to voice concerns and opinions publicly before sensitive matters were discussed behind closed doors.

“There is a great feeling of hurt in the town today, and I want you to know that I share it with you,” he added. “Councillors should work for the good of their residents – we are your servants – and should never lose sight of this.”

The meeting had been called to discuss issues surrounding the stalled 3G pitch project involving Torpoint Town Council and Torpoint Community College.

Following criticism over the lack of public access, mayor Julie Martin also issued an apology on behalf of the council.

“I recognise that many residents were frustrated that this meeting could not be held in public and that our communication regarding this should have been clearer,” she said.

However, Cllr Martin insisted the decision to exclude the public was necessary because councillors had to consider commercially sensitive information supplied by both the college and the Football Foundation.

“Discussing this material in public would have breached those obligations and risked damaging the relationship with partners,” she added.

Despite the controversy, the council confirmed that significant progress had been made regarding the long-running 3G pitch proposal.

Councillors agreed to continue working in partnership with Torpoint Community College to keep the project alive and, in a further move, approved the appointment of an independent specialist consultant to support the business, operational and legal work required to progress the scheme.

The council acknowledged the move would come at a cost but said the decision ensured the project remained active – subject to ongoing agreement with the college.

Cllr Martin also stressed that frustrations surrounding the closure of the town’s sports hall were separate from the 3G pitch discussions and had not formed part of the meeting agenda.

“The council shares the community’s desire to see the sports hall reopened and will support the college if needed,” she said.

In his lengthy statement, Cllr Moon also called on residents to play a more active role in shaping Torpoint’s future, urging greater involvement in community organisations, sports clubs and local initiatives.

“Torpoint needs to be its own saviour,” he said. “If we work together and pool our collective experience, knowledge and expertise then we can achieve anything.”