BOSSES at engineering firm David Brown have been criticised for pulling out of a meeting to discuss their plans for a new development at Mirfield.

A team from the company and its developers were due to attend last night’s meeting of Mirfield Town Council, which included an agenda item about the plans to build two new engineering centres at the Mirfield 25 site.

But after seeing a blog by town councillor Martyn Bolt urging residents to come along, the company said it would not be able to attend as the meeting was open to the public.

In an email sent on Monday to Mirfield Clr Pat Sutcliffe and colleague Clr Kath Taylor, David Brown general manager Wayne Ball said the company had agreed to meet with Mirfield councillors to discuss the plans.

He said David Brown had also agreed to display information boards in Mirfield Library until next Tuesday and would be holding an exhibition in Roberttown on that day.

But he added: “Given that the council meeting tomorrow is now a public meeting and we have previously communicated that we will not be holding a public meeting, we will therefore have to politely decline and be unable to attend.

“As discussed, we are more than happy to meet with the council and discuss with you our plans and should you wish to re-arrange this meeting, we are more than happy to attend.”

Clr Bolt said David Brown should have known that the meeting would have been in public.

He said: “The company carried out a poll which they say shows the public are overwhelmingly in support of what they are doing. If that is the case, why don’t they want to engage with the people of Mirfield?”