Two 'Grannies for the future' who last month glued themselves to a desk during a climate debate at County Hall, Dorchester, have been condemned by councillors.

But there was also criticism of the authority for not having adequate security and of the council chairman, Val Pothecary, for truncating the debate following the council chamber invasion – going straight to a vote – although some said there was little choice.

Council leader Spencer Flower also came in for criticism for putting forward the motion which some claim undermines the council's three-year climate and ecological emergency stand.

One, Cllr David Tooke, described the leader's actions as "a failure of judgement".

"What it says is let's get it out of the ground, whatever the cost and the Devil take the hindmost," he said.

Opponents say the effect of Cllr Flower's motion could be to make it easier for fracking, other forms of oil exploration and more solar and wind power to take place in the county.

The council leader claimed his words had been taken out of context and said his motion would result in less reliance on foreign imports, would improve self-sufficiency and, by default, use less carbon to get the energy needed. He said he continued to support reducing oil and gas use and having more, local powers, to deal with extraction applications.

Much of the hour-long debate was based around an opposition amendment which said the actions by the two protestors were to be 'regretted', as opposed to being 'condemned.'

In the end the vote was 47 to 21, with 5 abstentions, to condemn the actions of the two protestors.

Many councillors argued that there was growing frustration with the inability of elected leaders, at all levels, to effectively tackle climate change which had led some to see direct action as a means to an end, irrespective of whether it might be considered illegal or anti-democratic.

Newly elected Green councillor Belinda Bawden from Lyme Regis and Charmouth said her election victory in a previously Conservative seat was an indication of the changes taking place and described the motion to ease the way for fossil fuel extraction in the county as "a backwards step".

Some drew parallels with the actions of suffragettes to win the vote; with black people who defied the law to sit on 'whites only' bus seats in the USA; with the actions of Indian people following Ghandi who struggled for their freedom – but others said the similarities could not be made.

Many councillors said that climate change hardly featured in their dealings with residents, with Dorset voters more concerned with the cost of living, housing, pot holes and even dog poo.

But Weymouth Green councillors Brian Heatley and Jon Orell argued that made it even more necessary for Dorset council to take action on their behalf.

Cllr Orrell said many in his Melcombe Regis ward lived within six feet of sea level and if climate change and rising sea levels continued might find eventually themselves underwater – with all the catastrophic consequences that would bring.

Cllr Heatley said another reason to take action on climate change at all levels was because while rich, western countries, were usually the cause of the climate problems it was poor people, possibly more than two billion, around the equator who were likely to pay the price with the loss of their homes and incomes, and in some cases with their lives.

Cabinet member Cllr Andrew Parry said that despite all the arguments and justification the council must not be seen to be "soft on crime or the causes of crime".

He said councillors were democratically elected and people could use the systems which existed, including asking questions and making statements, to raise their views – but stopping a council meeting was not the way to win an argument.

Weymouth Littlemoor and Preston councillor Louie O'Leary said he was among those who heard nothing from his residents about climate change.

"I am deeply concerned about how extreme the actions will get…let's just not listen to those who shout the loudest," he said.

The councillor said that the protestors could have been carrying acid, a bomb or knives at the time they entered the chamber, adding that he sometimes received death threats for his views.

Portland Labour councillor Paul Kimber described the direct action as "a brave act", reflecting that he had a grandmother who was a suffragette and an aunt who used to protest against nuclear weapons at Greenham Common.

Cllr David Tooke said he was angry at the protestors for, effectively, stopping him speaking in the debate which, because of their actions, the council never had. 

"The debate was curtailed when it should not have been…it should have been deferred. Don't just stop it, that's undemocractic," he said.

Green group leader, Weymouth councillor Clare Sutton said the April meeting had marked a low point in the council's three-year history.

"We have effectively given the green light to more fossil fuel extraction in Dorset – we are doing our residents a massive disservice," she said.

Climate change portfolio holder Cllr Ray Bryan said the incident had added to his problems in getting public support for climate change measures, and to some extent, in taking members of his own Conservative party with him, but promised that whatever the difficulties he would press on with making the county a greener place.