Today the planning sub committee met at 2pm I am not sure why it is still referred to as
a sub committee when at the last council meeting members restructured and created a
new planning committee against the wishes of the deputy Mayor Cllr Michael Haley.
I turned up to attend as a Councillor and was refused admission.
The Assistant Clerk was acting under the instruction of the Chairman of the committee
Cllr Vince Howard. The council chamber would not be opened before 2pm.
I have to speak to the asssitant clerk through a very poor intercom system.
At the start of the audio recording you will hear the office door slam behind the Cllr Stan Stubbs
he saw me approaching the office door. he is permitted access to the council chamber via the office
like all other Councillors, He is very rude. The recent upheld conduct complaint against him
proved that.
Audio recording of the Assistant Clerk confirming Cllr Vince Howard
was refusing access to the council chamber before the 2pm meeting start.
Not only is his conduct unreasonable it is typical of Oakham Town Council
are treating an elected member it is disgraceful.
Cllr Vince Howard clearly loving his power did eventually permit access to the
council chamber at 13.54
This did not give me much time to set up my lap top and camera in the corner of the
room. This is i believe a deliberate act to obstruct and cause me inconvenience as
I attempt to make the council be open and transparent to the community it is failing
to serve.
There are a few minutes missing in the middle since Oakham Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe damaged my laptop, I have had a few issues with recordings I hope to get this sorted soon.
I was able to start recording at the point of the three members of the committee
were accepting the previous minutes. I am not sure how Oakham Town Council
thinks it is acceptable that only three members can consider applications which we
all have a statuary duty to consider.
Oakham Town Council is currently treating me worse than a member of the public.
Cllr Vince Howard even introduced me at public deputations as a member of the
public. I politely correct his repeated mistake by introducing myself as an Oakham
SE Councillor to the members of the public who were present from our ward.
Some time ago the council changed its standing orders permitting Oakham Town
Councillors and Rutland County County Councillors to attend committee meetings
as Councillor and not members of the public giving them the right to speak on items
at the meetings instead of the restriction of the three minute public deputation. Cllr
Vince Howard seemed rather disinterested when I attempted to raise this issue suggesting
I send a email.
At the start of the meeting before the all the public came in I had to ask for copies of the Agenda's for the members of the public and myself. Cllr Stan Stubbs could be heard making a annoying
comment.
There were not enough agendas provided for all members of the public, Before a member of the
public gave his deputation he can be heard telling the chairman he had not got an agenda.
After the meeting I telephoned the assistant Clerk, I am only permitted to speak to her via the phone
the privilege of speaking to her face to face is only afforded to other Cllrs and the Disgraced Mayor Alf Dewis.
The Assistant Clerk tells me that the Acting Clerk Mr Plumb had told her that only members
of the committee are lawfully entitled to agendas and perhaps as an act of Courtesy! copies could
be provided to other members of the council. Before he came along the old Clerk always provided
us with copies of all agendas. Of course it would be better if the town council actually published them on-line like all other councils and this would save a fortune on printing and paper.
One good point today the Assistant Clerk said all members will start receiving the weekly
planning list from Rutland County Council. A list that has never been passed to all members
this was blamed on the fact it was sent to the ex Clerks email address. When I was kindly
forwarded the list from a Rutland County Councillor I spotted this was not entirely true
because it was also sent to the councils main email account. It is a fact the council has always
chose not to share important information effecting our town for many years.
Hopefully if this change is implemented I and other members of the council will be better
informed when speaking with members of the public we are meant to represent.
