A COUNCILLOR has hit out at the handling of a village's planning vision, saying he is ignored while accusing the council of being corrupt and a one-party state like China.

Coun Paul Lodge left the online Zoom meeting after accusing other Llangarron Parish Council members of denying him an input into its neighbourhood development plan (NDP), currently being drawn up.

He said the council could be conducting business illegally as the agenda for the meeting on July 15 said there would be an "update" on the NDP's progress, but members instead discussed responses from people living in the parish, in south-west Herefordshire.

Council chair Sylvia Matthews told Coun Lodge that everyone usually disagreed with his views on the NDP, which should help to shape developments through the planning process.

Coun Lodge said: "That's not true, it's a little bit like a one-party state. It's a little bit like China or Russia in the way this operates, it's not a democracy at all."

Coun Matthews said Coun Lodge was rude to her, adding: "If we look at the votes, they've all be done publicly and they've all been by majority."

She said people in the area were desperate for a NDP to be agreed and then be voted on, with the issue rumbling on for a number of years.

"There's been a lot of nonsense going on like Llangrove versus Llangarron, it's not about that, it's about protecting every single one of our tiny villages – that's what this NDP is about," she added.

"It's unfortunate Coun Lodge continues to make untrue and unfair accusations and be rude, and yet other people treat him with the upmost politeness and respect, as I always do," Coun Matthews said.

"I am repaid with extremely rude comments."