OPPOSITION groups in Three Rivers have been barred from sitting on influential outside bodies after they refused to take up their positions on the council's executive committee.
At the annual meeting of Three Rivers District Council last week, the Conservative and Labour groups confirmed their intentions not to take up their seats on the authority's all-party executive.
However, by refusing to rejoin the executive, the councillors are also prevented from sitting on the South Oxhey Regeneration Advisory Group, the Single Regeneration Budget Area Partnership Board , the Energy Agency, the Community Safety Forum, the Community Strategy Forum, and HARI, the housing and generation initiative.
Leader of the council Ann Shaw, who has criticised the move, said: "These are important bodies, whose decisions have a big impact.
"It is astonishing these two groups think playing party games justifies abandoning their responsibilities."
Conservative group leader Amrit Mediratta believes his group could provide a more effective opposition "from the back" and through the new scrutiny panel.
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