Statement - 13 June Parish Surgery and Related Social Media Posts

Southwater Parish Council has been made aware of a summary posted on social media which purports to summarise discussions at the Parish Surgery held on 13 June 2026 at Beeson House.

The Surgery is an informal meeting, and for many years allowed un-minuted discussion between residents and Parish, District and County Councillors, and Other Parties who attend voluntarily it was designed not to be recorded or reported. 

The Councillor Surgery was not a formal Council meeting and the summary posted online is not an official record, minute or statement of Southwater Parish Council and goes against all principals set in past meetings.

The Council does not accept the summary in any format and should be removed from Social Media and goes against the Southwater Village Community Group’s rules of ‘No naming of individuals or indicating who a person is’.

The Council is also aware that further allegations have been made regarding the conduct of individual councillors and other parties present at the Surgery. Some of those allegations are serious in nature and are strongly disputed or cannot be commented on due to other investigations. The Council will not allow unverified allegations, particularly allegations concerning threatening or aggressive behaviour, to be treated as fact or used to damage the reputation of individual councillors.

In view of the summary, associated social media comments, and related allegations, the Council is reviewing the material, checking contemporaneous records, and seeking advice before deciding whether any further action or requiring a public correction.

Where comments and statements are made publicly about individual councillors which are inaccurate, damaging or potentially defamatory, those councillors are advised to take their own personal advice and reserve their position accordingly.

The Council asks residents not make comments in any form that may be seen to represent statements of third parties. Public scrutiny is legitimate, but it must not become a vehicle for personal attacks, misrepresentation or the publication of unverified allegations as fact.