A local veteran feels he was treated unfairly by Saltash Town Council after proposing a question during a recent council meeting.

Barry Brooking, a decorated naval officer from Saltash, had attended the most recent town council meeting to take part in public question time where he planned to discuss the missing names from the borough war memorial.

Barry had prepared his question, which was backed up with supporting facts, to read out loud, of which he understood he would have three minutes to do so.

The question began: “Will council take some positive steps to remember properly the names of ‘The Fallen’ who are not recorded on our Borough war memorials?”

However, shortly after asking this initial question he was asked to stop speaking by a member of the council as it was ‘not allowed’, this was supported by the chairman.

In frustration, Barry argued with the members of the council, including the Mayor, as to why he could not continue with his heartfelt speech – he says he did not receive a clear answer.

Barry felt that the council “abused” their own standing order rules by not allowing him his allocated speaking time.

Barry explained: “My first reaction was one of shock at what I believe was a vicious attack by the council in interrupting me without quoting a breach of standing orders and the fact that the chairman completely supported her intervention and didn’t give me the chance to defend my position.

“I was also hurt by the fact that no councillor spoke up to allow me to put over my point that had not breached standing orders which showed they either didn’t know their own standing orders or were unwilling or afraid to speak out.”

Barry had previously addressed the council two years ago regarding this subject, however it was rejected on the grounds of cost and at the time it was not possible to guarantee all the names.

But after extensive research from a local war memorial expert, it has been said that around 90% or more of the missing names are confirmed which led Barry to re-approach the subject.

Barry added: “I experienced active service on the front line and saw the effect of conflict, so know just a little of what people went through. This gives me a passion for us to do the right thing over remembrance. It’s a very sensitive, delicate topic, it’s to do with remembrance. So when you think of it latitude should surely be given over the topic of remembrance.  This is a solemn time of the year. This is when we remember those who were killed, lost their lives, sacrificed their lives for us. And this was just a genuine attempt to get them to make a move on something that I care deeply and passionately about, which is remembering all of those from Saltash who lost their lives in war.

“I believe I was trying to do the honourable thing but on the night they acted dishonourably.”

Saltash Town Council’s rules on receiving public questions, representations and evidence at meetings, dated June 2022 states: “Members of the public have a legal right to attend decision making meetings of the Town Council and its Committees, except where they are excluded for specific items which need to be discussed in confidence (e.g. staffing matters or tenders for contracts). A period of fifteen minutes will be designated for public participation at a meeting and this session is recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

“Questions, representations and evidence must be submitted in writing no later than 12 noon the day before the meeting.

“Questions must relate to a matter to which the Council has powers or duties or which affect the town of Saltash.

“Each public speaker has a time limit of three minutes to make their representation. At the discretion of the Chairman and with the approval of Members, a further two minutes may be permitted where new information is available.

“The Chairman of the meeting will reject a question if it is the same, or substantially the same question, as one asked in the previous six months.

“Where Members of the Committee ask questions of a public speaker this does not entitle them to participate in the debate.”

Saltash Town Council have since explained: “The chair and the town clerk are both satisfied that [time allowance] policy was adhered to during the meeting.”

Despite this, there has since been an agreement from three members of the council that they would support this movement and are “warm” to making positive steps in making sure the names are placed somewhere, suggesting on a separate memorial.