Anti-5G councillor targeted by media

Councillor Steve Davenport, who is currently Shropshire Council’s member responsible for highways, said the situation had arisen in relation to a property that he rents out.

The St Martin’s councillor was named in a Private Eye report, which revealed he had been summonsed over £738.97 in unpaid council tax, but the summons was withdrawn after he paid the bill in full.

The situation, which arose in 2016/17, led to Councillor Davenport being unable to vote on two matters at a meeting in December 2016.

Councillor Davenport said he had been left frustrated at having to pay council tax he considered was the responsibility of someone else.

He said: “At a property I rent out to someone, they said they had left and had not paid the council tax so I was left with the bill. I actually fought it but I lost.

“It was my choice to opt out of voting, I said “I will leave the chamber” and I did. I was so angry because not only did they leave me with the bill but they left the property in an awful state. I actually paid someone else’s council tax as far as I was concerned and I did not want to do that. It was very frustrating.”

Claire Porter, head of legal and democratic services at Shropshire Council, confirmed Councillor Davenport had voluntarily withdrawn from voting.

She said: “Under Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 a councillor whose council tax payments are two months’ overdue must make a declaration to that effect, and refrain from voting on matters relating to budget requirements, council tax amounts, or precepts.

“At the meeting of the full Shropshire Council on December 15, 2016, Councillor Davenport acted in accordance with the legislation, and excused himself for two papers: Setting the Council Taxbase for 2017/18, and Financial Strategy 2017/18. This is recorded in the minutes of that meeting.”