Eight people have resigned over the tiny plot in Back Street, meaning the body no longer has enough members to operate, and Aylesbury Vale District Council has been drafted in to resolve the situation.

Only four parish councillors out of 13 are still sitting on the council and five are needed for it to function legally.

AVDC has said it will make an order to elect temporary members and call for an election to appoint a full parish council at a later stage.

At the annual parish council meeting last week, chairman Ted Wilkinson and cllr Norman Western both handed in their resignations before walking out of the meeting.

They were followed less than 24 hours later by councillors Eileen McKechnie and Angus McKechnie, who also handed resignation letters to the clerk, spelling out their reasons for quitting.

Councillor Stephen Bowles joined the exodus a few days later, with Cllr Stephen Worth following suit and citing the divisions between the council as the reason for his decision.

However the ball was first set rolling back in 2007, when former chair of the council, Dr Sheila King resigned, setting a pattern that would continue for months. And in recent weeks councillor Brian Prior has also left.

Wendover Parish Council has experienced a year of conflict over the 'Green Affair', with frictions growing between councillors and Rosamund Green, a resident of Wendover.

Mrs Green, whose sister, Nicky Gregory, sits on the parish council has been disputing the ownership of the three metres next to her property in the High Street with the council.

After 12 months of investigations, the parish council has discovered the land is unregistered and has yet to rule who owns the disputed plot.
Cllr Western was due to discuss the subject of the stray piece of land at last week's meeting but, due to his resignation, the issue remains unresolved.

Addressing the remaining council, he appealed for reason, saying: "The corrosive environment that is evident at council meetings is not needed, nor wanted by myself.

"Council meetings have become totally emasculated, due to the continuous nit picking as part of the ongoing vendetta against the parish clerk, causing me considerable emotional distress.

"When co-opted onto the council I had hoped that I would be able to contribute something of value to the community of Wendover as a whole, this has proved to be a vain hope."

County councillor Marion Clayton she said that unless the parish council changed its attitude, she will be forced to call an election and re-appoint the entire council.

"Wendover Parish Council used to be a highly regarded parish council," she said, "it was a model of good practice. That admiration and respect has completely gone and the parish council is too busy fighting itself. There are decisions and financial commitments, without being broad, which need the approval of the all the parish councillors.

"If something were to go wrong, it would be every parish councillor who was responsible for those decisions and I'm not sure that the members of the council are aware of that.

"I think it's time this parish council stopped to take stock and look at its own practices or it will have to dissolve and elect every member.
"I really am sorry to see Norman and Ted go, but if this parish council can't sort itself out, then I, as your county councillor, will be demanding an election. Everytime there is a challenge it is shouted down and that's an absolute disgrace - I will try to force an election as this needs to be sorted out."

Former councillor, Eileen Mckechnie said: "I'm very distressed that our county councillor is supporting councillor Gregory and her sister in the appropriation of land." She said she would happily restand for election providing Cllr Gregory quit.

After Cllr Wilkinson stepped down, Cllr Eileen McKechnie was elected vice-chairman, however her position was shortlived when she resigned the next morning.

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