WINDERMERE town councillors have rapped their counterparts on South Lakeland District Council for failing to turn up to a meeting.

Nine SLDC councillors did not attend the council’s Lake Administration Committee held on Friday at the Marchesi Centre, Windermere.

A mix of Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and a Labour councillor did not attend. Apologies were given for councillors Robin Ashcroft, John Holmes, Vicky Hughes, Andrew Jarvis, Dyan Jones, Malcolm Lamb, Eric Morrell, Brian Rendell, and Mark Wilson.

Linda Fisher, SLDC’s legal officer, explained that the committee was still ‘quorate’ but SLDC did not have a majority around the table which was required to deal with the agenda.

Therefore, a councillor from Lakes Parish Council or Windermere Town Council who had attended was forced to leave to correct the imbalance. The alternative, she said, was postponing the meeting altogether.

Cllr Adrian Legge, of Windermere Town Council, agreed to withdraw and left.

Windermere town councillor Peter Hamilton said: “I’m in big business and I try to support the town council and I have never experienced this in my life.”

Cllr Leith Hallatsch, also a town councillor in Windermere, added: “Town councillors do this free of charge and I’m sorry to say this but the district councillors get paid for what they do and yet can’t find the time to come. I would like that noted as I am extremely disappointed that one of our councillors has to be the one that has to stand down.

“We ain’t short – you are.”

Windermere town councillor Jennifer Borer said here been a ‘deficit of attendance’ from SLDC members in recent years, although Ms Fisher replied that it had only happened once before.

Committee chairman Cllr Doug Rathbone pledged that ‘representations would be made’ to those who did not attend and the meeting’s constitution would be looked at.

The 24-member committee deals with the management of England’s longest lake, as SLDC owns the lake bed. Its members includes 16 district councillors, three from Lakes Parish Council and five from Windermere Town Council. Just one Lakes Parish councillor did not attend.

SLDC councillors who did attend included Cllr Rathbone and fellow Liberal Democrats Eamonn Hennessy, Ian Wharton and Gill Gardner. Conservative  councillors in attendance were Cllr James Airey, Roger Bingham and Kevin Holmes.