A Flintshire politician has taken aim at a number of public bodies after announcing his resignation.

Penyffordd councillor David Williams revealed at a Flintshire Council meeting today (Thursday, 22 July) that he would be quitting his post after becoming "disillusioned" with the local authority.

During his speech, the New Independents group member hit out at the ruling Labour administration and senior officers, who he accused of poor communication and failing to support him to address issues in the village.

He also criticised the Welsh Government and Planning Inspectorate after previously raising frustration over the large amount of houses built in his community following successful planning appeals by developers.

Addressing this morning's full council meeting, Cllr Williams said: “I’ve found myself in an impossible position and I just can't take any more to be honest.

“I want to make it clear that it's nothing to do with workload or residents, who are all very supportive.

“Unfortunately, I feel really frustrated, jaded and disillusioned with the constant battles on many issues in the village, which I don’t get adequate support on.

“A lot of it’s to do with Flintshire (council), a lot of it's also to do with the Planning Inspectorate who have badly let us down, the Welsh Government’s badly let us down and I think our Labour administration have also let us down.

“Covid’s obviously impacted on everyone, but people are at the end of the phone, people still use emails as they did before, and communication just isn't good enough.”

Cllr Williams initially disclosed his intention to step down in a post on Facebook last night, describing his decision as "a protest against organisations I no longer want to be associated with".

He added he would continue to support residents until a by-election is held later this year.

Conservative group leader Clive Carver said he shared some of Cllr Williams' concerns after his colleague's final speech was cut off for going over the council's five minute time limit for speakers.

He said he had also experienced difficulties getting information from officers, but was also stopped from discussing them by the authority's monitoring officer Gareth Owens.

In response to the criticism, the council's chief executive Colin Everett said: “A reminder to members that if they have concerns about services with performance or communications, there are routes to raise those, and they know what they are.

“It's not appropriate to raise it in this way and it’s a chance to show our recognition of David’s service.”

Cllr Williams was praised for his work by Buckley representative Dennis Hutchinson, including during his career as a teacher.

He said: “I would like to make a personal congratulations to him and some thanks as he helped one of my grandchildren, Lauren, to get into Nottingham University two years ago.

“It was an unknown for her, but I'd like him to know she's doing extremely well.

“I'm referring of course to his teaching prowess when he was a teacher at the local school that my granddaughter went to.”

Mr Everett said a date for the Penyffordd by-election would be announced after the council's summer recess.