A senior councillor who quit Aberdeenshire Council’s Liberal Democrat group amid claims of internal back-stabbing yesterday resigned as chairwoman of her local area committee.
West Garioch councillor Sheena Lonchay and deputy council leader Martin Kitts-Hayes left the group last month after becoming disillusioned with internal politics.
But last night, Mrs Lonchay insisted the timing of her resignation as chairwoman of the Garioch area committee was “coincidental” and simply because she wanted to dedicate more time to other projects.
After she stepped down at the beginning of yesterday’s meeting, members voted for councillor Fergus Hood – who last year quit the SNP to join the Lib Dems – to be her successor.
Mrs Lonchay, who is now one of the Independent councillors within the ruling administration, was appointed as chairwoman of the area committee after the 2012 council elections.
Last night she said: “It’s purely coincidental. I have other commitments I want to spend some more time on.
“I’ve done it for a couple of years now and have really enjoyed it but it’s time to give someone else a turn. I had decided to resign before everything else happened.
“I’m really pleased that Councillor Hood has been appointed. He’s going to be a really good chairman.”
Addressing the committee after his appointment, Mr Hood paid tribute to Mrs Lonchay’s work over the last two years.
He told members: “I would like to thank you for appointing me as your chairman and would like to pay tribute to our previous chair, Councillor Lonchay. Thank you for the way you have chaired these meetings, I hope I do as good a job as you have done.”
Mrs Lonchay and Mr Kitts-Hayes quit the Lib Dems group last month after becoming frustrated at alleged disloyalty and the undermining of senior members.
The group had originally agreed members would have a “free vote” over two contentious issues – a potential travellers’ site at Aikey Brae and funding contributions for Aberdeen’s new aquatic centre – but Mr Kitts-Hayes was furious when he returned from holiday to discover attempts had been made to go back on the arrangement.
At the time, Mrs Lonchay commented she felt that some members had “no voice”.