Oakham Town Council constantly refuse to provide me with copies of reports when I make reasonable requests.
Cllr Vince Howard said perhaps its the way I ask, no I disagree it is simple because I ask.
for nearly a month now I have been asking to see a copy of a internal audit report as a councillor
I am entitled to request a copy and it is a fact that it should automatically be presented to council
for comment and recommendation. The current external audit report partially published on the
council notice board only states this.
If the council just stopped being obstructive and awkward we would have a better town council.
Cllr Vince Howard complained that I only publish negative things about the council on my blog,
If there were some positives I would be happy to publish them on my this blog.
He highlighted a truth the council does spend most of its time fighting my blog. Although it is not the whole council.
The conduct of the old guard is childish and bullying.
Cllr Vince Howard does not like that, I have complained about the council being homophobic
he said in two years he has not heard anyone being homophobic. I cant dispute that because
I am not his ears. But as I told him this morning Cllr Lowe and other have been.
Any way whilst I was obtaining a copy of part of a public report this afternoon Cllr Lowe
reacted in what might be described as a deluded manner. So I have sent the council the
following email.
I really do hope he has not called the police and wasted more of their resources.
Dear Oakham Town Council
I noticed this morning that you have only partially ignored my previous email shown below part of the missing report
has been displayed in the public notice board. You have failed to provide me with a copy.
I notice Comments 5 and 6 are missing from the public notice board why?
At the last council meeting the clerk as he did the internal report only reported a few comments
when we should be given the full report.
The ironic thing is the part of the report you display tells you what you are currently doing is wrong
and continue to do today. If a councillor asks for copies of the audit reports you should provide them
with copies.
I lost count how many times I asked for a copy of the 2014 - 2015 external audit report
I also asked many times for this to be presented to council for comment and consideration.
When it was finally put before council it was presented as an agenda item with no comment
and when I raised a concern the chairman said I could not comment and I was interrupting the meeting
Why?
I am still waiting for a copy of the internal audit why?
The part report also mentions how the clerk had failed to keep audit records for the last five years, another
reason why we should not have paid him public money to resign.
This afternoon I opened the notice board to see if I could find the missing comments and to obtain
a clear photograph of the public document that the council refused to give me. I have done this
before when the council has refused to provide me with copies of agendas. Always be careful not to
cause any damage.
At RCC documents are not closed behind glass. When the office is open all public documents are
easily accessible this is not the case at Oakham Town Council.
I was approached by The Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe, Cllr Jasmine Hopkins and The Assistant Clerk
Allison Greaves after I opened the notice board.
The Mayor started taking photographs of me speaking loudly, he accused be of being a thief
and falsely accusing me of causing criminal damage he kept telling passers by I was a criminal
councillor his conduct was disgusting. When I took the two sheets of paper carefully into Victoria Hall,
He once again started telling me loudly I was a thief stealing from the council, he took out his phone and said
he was calling the police.
I photographed returned the sheets of paper to the notice board and locked it.
I walked in the direction of the Mayor and asked if he had called the police because I would wait
so not to waste their time any further, He kept telling me to go away, he did not want to talk to a criminal
Councillor.
He then told Cllr Hopkins and The Assistant Clerk that I was stalking them and directed them
into the Age UK shop and hid. At this point I decided to leave him to his stupid game play.
You could not make this up!
I photographed the notice board to show I left it in good condition.
Dear Oakham Town Council
How many more times am I going to have to ask for a copy of the councils internal audit report?
I notice that even though the external auditors report was not given to members it is posted in good
time on the councils notice board. The additional recommendations "see attached" is missing.
I request a copy of the external auditors recommendations.
From
Martin Brookes
