Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Oakham Town Council Parks and Planning Committee Report 28th May 2014

I arrived to find the council chamber open, its normally locked.

I walked in noticed a man and Cllr Lowe sitting in the public the public seat so I joined them
think councillors were just sitting awaiting the start of the meeting.

I was soon told I was not welcome because it was a private meeting not open to the public.

I recognised the man the other candidate who along with me had applied for co-option. My response was if he remained I would, after all he was still like me just a member of the public.

The private meeting of Oakham Town Council and Oakham Town Partnership continued a few moments
later another member of the public walked in and was not asked to leave.

The funny thing was a Town Councillor commented on the good relationship that now existed between the two organisations.

No surprise there! The chairman of the Oakham Town Partnership is the Deputy Mayor of the Council and The Mayors husband is a member of the partnership, I am not knockin gher for that, she unlike Alf Dewis resigned her partnership membership when she was appointed Mayor, then there are all the councillors who are members.

Before the planning meeting started I asked Cllr Charles Haworth a question and filmed his response which I will post later. I also asked him a further question as he left the meeting. He call me childish. This disgusting
councillor who has admitted breaking the law, caused be and many other residents serious problems has the nerve to call me childish for asking him questions and calling for his resignation.

Leicestershire Police contacted me last week and told me they reveiwed the case against him, which he admits and they have decided not to charge him. 

And suggest I ask the district judge to issue a restraining order against him. I should also take private court action against the councillor.

Moving onto the meeting:

Cllr Dodds sadly is still to ill and was absent and Cllr Lockette was to busy to attend.

Stan Stubs was elected as the new chair of the committee.

Cllr Lucas and her small group of supporters challenged the nomination. she lost big time.

Cllr Martin was elected vice chair.

Cllr Lucas delcared knowing an applicant of a planning application: Mr Rowell.

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

There were verbal reports given from Alf Dewis and Adam Lowe.

Adam reported on many events connected to the World War One Commerations and the launch of the Rutland Remembers website.

He also mentioned there maybe some street name changes in Oakham, these are to be names of wars!

Alf Dewis reported about the big new charity which I have mentioned on a previous post.

The Town Council has agreed to lease the land off the Woodland Trust to provide Brooke  Hill Academy with a car park, the school don't want to enter into a lease but are willing to pay for all costs?

The Town Council decided it would purchase outdoor fitness equipment for Princess Avenue from Ashlands, they could not agree where it should be located. Cllr Lucas was very annoyed and said the Town Council had no vision or plan for the park and repeated her concerns about dog poo on the football pitch.

The Town Council discussed for a very long time Rutland County Councils On street parking restrictions It was very hard to understand what they decided to do.

Most Councillor appeared to want a longer time for consultation, more knowledge of how Rutland County Council decides these matters.

Cllr Lucas objected to a Lonsdale Way proposal, the Road  I beleive she lives in, stating other residents were very angry and it was only one resident who wanted the restriction. I can see the hate mail dropping on their door mat very soon.

Cllr Dewis attacked Rutland County Council saying they don't have a parking strategy policy and all they do is hound their staff when it comes to parking.

Cllr Gutherie  and others all said Rutland County Council Staff Parking was still an issue and the council needed to sort it out and stop moving the problem on street by street.

Oakham Town Council considered a letter from Rutland County Council proposing a Zebra Crossing on Huntsman Drive, The  Town Council will tell Rutland Council a pelican crossing would be better as the did not want traffic problems like the ones caused by Oakham School in Station Road. The also said they would ignore Rutland County Councils request for a financial contribution.

The matter refering to Oakham in Blooms new creation in Exton Parish and their request for Oakham Town Council to enter into a licence with Rutland  County Council was defered for legal advice. I vintage bike appeared along with rocks today, no flowers.

The Council moved onto planning matters.

First from Rutland  County Council Oakham Castle Oakham Mayor who works on the restoration committee explained how much effort had gone into the preperation of the plans.

A change for the footpath access was mentioned and Cllr Lucas said they don't know what they are doing.

Council approved the application.

Then there was a application from Hawksmead for  couple of block of flats on Burley Park Way, Barleythorpe. The council objected not liking th eamount of homes and lack of parking. Cllr Adam Lowe suggested the 3 storey block of flats shoud be a multi storey car park instead.

Everything else wa approved. Cllr Lucas at one point questioned why they were even bothering to look at one application?

Mr & Mrs Law applied to construct an orangery and councillor Lucas asked was tangerine or jaffa?

At Rutland County Council it is a condition members are trained in planning before they can sit on their planning committee. The new chairman is hoping he can encourage Oakham Town Councillor to take up training, I wish him luck.

The meeting ended and Cllr Lucas approached the man who will be co-opted at the next council meeting and said how boring was that.

If meetings are so boring for her, why does the Haworth supporter not resign and take up a bit more knitting and gossip?