Wiltshire Councillor Mike Sankey resigns from Conservative group over public notice policy and council failings

Wiltshire Councillor Mike Sankey has resigned from the Conservative group at Wiltshire Council, with mounting frustration over the council’s handling of its public notice policy being the tipping point. While this issue drove his decision, Cllr Sankey also cited delays in local infrastructure projects, road safety concerns and the council’s handling of an Afghan refugee couple’s eviction as contributing factors. He will remain a councillor representing the Melksham East ward but will sit as an ungrouped member.

In an interview this week, Cllr Sankey revealed that the council’s decision to spend £60,000 annually on advertising statutory notices in paid-for newspapers—despite the availability of free-to-the-reader local alternatives with much higher circulation—was a key factor in his resignation.

“I’ve had concerns for a while,” Cllr Sankey said. “The public notice policy just didn’t make sense to me, and I wasn’t alone in thinking this. Many councillors, trade bodies, and even our local MP have raised objections.”

Beyond the public notice issue, Cllr Sankey pointed to other frustrations. These included the “debacle and delays” surrounding the roundabout and relief road projects in Melksham East, as well as the council’s failure to complete the footpath at the rear of Melksham Oak School. He also criticised the opening of a local road with a 40mph speed limit, which he believes poses a safety risk. “That road should never have been opened with that speed limit—it’s dangerous and goes against the safety concerns we’ve been raising,” he said.

Additionally, Cllr Sankey voiced concerns about the council’s treatment of an Afghan refugee couple who were evicted and left sitting in a corridor by the council housing officers, suggesting more could have been done to integrate and support them.

“A resident recently told me that I was sounding less like their representative and more like an apologist for Wiltshire Council,” Sankey said. “Resigning from the group was a challenging decision, but I felt it was the only course of action to effectively represent my constituents. Despite raising several critical issues affecting Melksham East and the surrounding area, many remain unresolved and in progress.

“The recent treatment of the Afghan refugee couple conflicts with the values I believe in, which I had assumed were shared by my party. What is particularly disappointing is the context of Wiltshire Council owning multiple-family homes that remain vacant, despite a significant housing shortage—an issue that appears to be largely ignored.

“Regarding the public notice matter, it has been thoroughly addressed by the Melksham News. However, I would like to add that I question whether some individuals are more focused on preserving their image than on saving taxpayers’ money.”

Melksham News approached the Leader of Wiltshire Council and Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Richard Clewer, for comment; however, no response has so far been received.