An open letter has been sent to the current Mayor of Ripon calling for her to pause and reflect on how recent events are causing division in the city.
It follows news of a petition which has been now received by Ripon City Council to hold a Parish Meeting to move ahead with a parish poll in a Vote of No Confidence in Cllr Barbara Brodigan as Mayor.
Monday 3 November is the date for the meeting at Ripon’s Holy Trinity Church at 6:30pm.
Ripon resident, Sandra Craven, who’s behind the letter, said, “Residents in Ripon want to offer Cllr Brodigan an opportunity, one which incidentally was not offered to Mayor Crozier, to move to a position of listening to the community instead of ignoring us and understand the strong feeling among residents who feel that democracy is being dismissed”
Sandra Craven added: “If she chooses to forge ahead with the Parish Meeting and poll, then that choice will incur a financial cost to the Ripon people and she will be accountable for this cost.
“We hope that she will choose not to try to preserve her own position as Mayor at the expense of the public, but take a more honourable route that is more in keeping with Ripon traditions.
“We also hope that Cllr Brodigan will note that elected representatives are there to serve the community and not to promote their own agenda.”
Here’s the letter in full. It reads as follows.
Dear Councillor Brodigan,
You will be fully aware of the petition which has been now received by Ripon City Council to hold a Parish Meeting to move ahead with a Parish Poll in a Vote of No Confidence in you as Mayor. Indeed, we welcome your public statement in which you confirmed that you would both attend and chair this Parish Meeting.
You will also be aware of the public strength of feeling surrounding the events which led to Cllr Crozier’s position being untenable and the subsequent election of you and Cllr Martin-Long as the respective new Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Many public complaints have been received by North Yorkshire Council’s Monitoring Officer and this reflects badly on Ripon City Council. The significant numbers of the public attending the EGMs and the tone and tenor of these meetings, reflect the division in the city that the actions of some Ripon Councillors have caused and continue to cause.
To move the city on, and to ‘draw a line’ under this petty political squabbling and put the residents of Ripon first, we suggest that actions are taken before the public Parish Meeting.
We suggest that you and Cllr Martin-Long resign your positions as Mayor and Deputy Mayor; we suggest that you first reverse all decisions that have been taken since that time, and return us to the position as close as possible to the 15th September.
Without these actions being undertaken, the risk will continue that Ripon will have the reputation of having a Mayor in which the community has no confidence. The result of this upcoming Vote of No Confidence will cast a shadow over any future decision you make and will turn people away from local politics and involvement in local politics.
We urge you to make the honourable decision before the public Parish Meeting goes ahead.
With best wishes,
Sandra Craven on behalf of Ripon residents
15 Oct 2025
