A DISPUTE has broken out between Billericay councillors over a proposition for a new town sign.

Councillor Terence Gandy, of Norsey View Drive, branded the council's rejection of his idea for a new town sign to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee as "undemocratic" and fuelled by "personal issues".

Mr Gandy had sketched a design for a new sign featuring local landmarks and points of historical interest in Billericay.

However, such was his chagrin at the plan being thrown out by the council's finance and general purposes committee before it had reached the full council meeting on Thursday, Mr Gandy did not attend the meeting and made no offer of apology for his absence.

"It's undemocratic and political, it's because I represent UKIP and they are Conservatives," said Mr Gandy.

"There are some personal issues on the council. Some of them don't get on with me, they want to run things there in their own way and they don't like it when new things come along."

Mr Gandy's design features a shield containing two images of the Mayflower ship, the Essex emblem and the flag of St George.

The shield is flanked by figures representing Billericay's connection with the Pilgrim Fathers, who met in the town before sailing in the Mayflower to form the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.

Mr Gandy said the sign was not intended as a replacement of the town's current emblem of the Mayflower ship, which features on the town flag, the town sign along London Road and on council documents.

The councillor had suggested erecting the new sign on Sun Corner.

"Although it's aimed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee it could be quite pleasant when it's up there," added Mr Gandy, "but [the town council] just don't want to know about it."

Given his absence from the full council meeting on Thursday, the council resolved not to discuss the proposition any further having already unanimously voted in favour of the finance and general purposes committee's recommendation to take no further action on the matter.

"It just beggars belief that anyone would imagine we would change our image," said town council chairman, Councillor John Buchanan.

"The matter has been dealt with by the town council, there is no personal issue, we are following our procedures.

"I would say Councillor Gandy was not committed to his proposal because he was not here to propose it – he didn't come to the meeting to present it."