Mayor’s ‘backwater’ remark makes waves

Jun 27 2008 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

A NEW mayor has labelled his own town a “backwater” at his first full meeting in charge.

Saltney Town Mayor Klaus Armstrong-Braun was elected to the post by fellow councillors last month.

But a comment made during a speech to herald his inaugural meeting as mayor of Saltney Town Council on Wednesday provoked a storm of protest.

Announcing his intention to run the council as “Saltney Town Council PLC”, Mayor Armstrong-Braun said: “I want to get Saltney on the map and known as a council – like Connah’s Quay – not a backwater.”

Recently elected councillor David Evans insisted the mayor retract his “derogatory” statement and the other councillors agreed.

He said: “I think you’re doing everybody on the council, who have worked hard for Saltney for many years, a disservice by describing Saltney as a backwater.”

Cllr Terry Walker added: “We want it removed – it’s derogatory.”

But Mayor Armstrong-Braun, of Eaton Close, Broughton, refused, stressing he had merely been repeating the comments of some residents.

He said: “That’s the public perception. Nobody knows much about Saltney.”

Defending his comments the next day, the mayor said: “The people who live here feel that, as we are on the border, we get nothing from Flintshire and nothing from Cheshire and are seen as a backwater. This is what I want to address in my term of office. I do not think Saltney is a backwater – it has dramatically improved and people prefer to live here instead of Chester.”