Friday, July 04, 2014

Ice Cream Vendor Cutts Close, Oakham Town Council

Ice Cream Vendor Cutts Close, Oakham Town Council




Oakham Town Council are to consider the following at next Wednesday's meeting, 7pm Victoria Hall

ICE CREAM VENDOR IN CUTTS CLOSE (Appendix E)

To decide whether the Council is willing to permit an Ice Cream vendor to be parked
in Cutts Close on Saturdays through the Summer months and, if so, to agree on any
associated conditions and charges

I spoke to the vendor a couple a weeks ago, he tells me Oakham Town Council gave him permission to trade on a Saturday in the park. I had not seen this matter come before full council.

The vendor told me Cllr Alf Dewis gave him permission and the Town Clerk, he also said he give a donation to Mary, I don't know who she is.

If Alf Dewis did give consent then he has breached the code of conduct, an individual councillor can not act on their own like this.

Cllr Alf Dewis and his friends will tell you he has done nothing wrong, So why after I raise the issue is it brought to full council immediately?

Alf is a bit a maverick and does as he pleases, he also chairs the non democratic Oakham Town Partnership.

The vendor said he first made contact with Alf through the Town Partnership.

It concerns me money may be being paid to the town partnership and not the town council. Accepting donations is not the way for the Town Council to carry out its business when permitting what is a profitable commercial venture carried out on publicly owned property.

In the past other vendors have claimed cash donations have been given to the town council, its difficult to see where these donations are within the council accounts.

If the full council are to permit a regular vendor then this needs to be carried out in a proper commercial way, neither the council or vendor are a charity.