Cllr John Nowell, Oakham Town Council, the problem is immigration
Tonight might have been my last town council meeting, if I am kicked of by the tribunal on Friday.
I was amazed by how many items were referred to the second council headed by Cllr Dewis, sorry the working group. It's most annoying being ask your view only for the item to then be referred to the working group. We are only 11 councillors, we seem to lack the ability to debate.
Just before the start of the meeting I handed members attending the Heritage Meeting on Friday a copy of a photographic presentation. We have submitted our pre-application for a Lottery Heritage grant for the west end of town improvements. As I handed Cllr Maureen Dodds hers, she said do you not know the town partnership has applied for this and have the money. She could not be clear about what they have applied for. I am puzzled because the Town Council approved the project and four Councillors are members of the town partnership. She said she was told at the Oakham in Bloom meeting. I wonder if this was just malicious gossip? We know from continued conversation the town partnership is not in a healthy condition. I think its time the Town Council asked for the money the Clerk mentioned they have unspent back, before it gets given away like Cllr Dodds Carnival fund. I wonder if its condition is anything to do with the person who is according to a local buisness man monopolising The Business Link We may be a small county but there are so many groups often controlled by the same old stale faces my guess its all money motivated.
The meeting did not get any better, I asked for an amendment to the previous minutes this was turned down.
Cllr Charles Haworth made a fool of himself and proved once again he was a liars, because he said, You said that you had a dispute with the applicants wife, as they application was a woman. I know times have changed but I know there are not many woman in Oakham with wife's. He was just being a difficult sod, surprisingly Cllr Lowe Supported my request at the beginning of the debate. I did not look to see how he voted. If he did he was probably the only one. There were a few abstention from a few members who have brains, but don't want to upset the old guard.
There was one good point of the meeting, Councillors voted not to rip out any more perfectly good benches from Cutts Close and replace with expensive new ones. I was pleased to see this saving for the tax payer, of course this now means its likely the money will squandered on something else.
Cllr Alf Dewis dreamt up something I had brought up before and was told it was not needed. The Councils Strategic Plan. We don't have one and never have had a plan of any type. Strangely the Councillors now feel it would be good for Oakham Town Council to have a plan, probably because master Dewis approves now, I can't understand why he did not approve, when I raised the issue last year. It was referred to his working group, so I assume this council will have a plan at the end of its remaining three year term. Cllr Dodds became very defensive of past councils and said "we were all loving volunteers back then, yes its correct we never had a plan but we got things done. They of course were so successful a ex councillor reminded us all last week they had at one point lost all the councils records. Cllr Nowell kept repeating yes Maureen we can see all the work you have done.
We finally made it to planning matters. The Council approved 143 new homes at the Hawksmead Site.
as members we are meant to debate, have our say, I attempted to present some public views as well as my own, lack of supporting infrastructures Schools, Doctors. Cllr Alf Dewis interrupted and said we are going off track. were not here to discuss the strategic issues. But he did not interrupt Councillor Woodcock as she went on about the proposed doctors surgery that has been cancelled. I voted against. We don't need more houses, The government says we do. Then we read in the press that house sales have slumped again. I have noticed some houses in Oakham have been on the market for months and now have more than one agent.
Planning Chairman Cllr John Nowell finished of by blaming immigration and said while immigration was allowed to continue the new houses will sell. I found his comment if not shocking a little surprising and surely of track?
It was interesting to see some Councillors who were very vocal against the Cold Overton Road Development remained almost silent about Hawksmead.
After the meeting I chatted to the Clerk and he agreed its going to happen. Now this is when I question the point of any planning application coming before Oakham Town Council. From what we learnt from our planning training before the meeting it seems the council must approve 500 new homes in Rutland a year or the planning inspector will approve applications. The training was interesting the Rutland County Council planning officer was a great help. Cllr Maureen Dodds said Rutland County Council never listen to us. The planning officer responded with I don't think that is fair comment and below the belt. She seemed such a timid woman but she can certainly take on the vocal might of Cllr Dodds.
Jeakins Weir was mentioned and the planning officer said Rutland County Council was surprised by the planning inspectors decision.
If anyone wants to blame anyone for the mess it appears Jeakins Weir may be the ones to blame, it appears they were playing a tactical game and knew Rutland County Council were going to turn down the application and the non determination was due to them not providing planning officers with requested documents, they put in their appeal application before the deadline and then presented the planning inspectorate with the required documents. Rutland County Council had no chance of determining the application without the required documents.
The Town Council also approved the destruction of two healthy trees. The tree warden Cllr Joyce Lucas absent due to ill health reported in writing she had no problem because they were replacing with two new trees, sometimes I think we should be able to chuck away a few old councillors in a skip and replace them with with some younger fresher ones.
The council also approved a replacement staircase on a building owned by Rutland County Council.
We were shown a photograph and nothing else. So I don't know what was approved. I did turn to the person on my left and said it would be nice to see what the intended replacement was and they smiled and said politely be quiet, Well we would not want to upset Rutland County Council would we? So I went along with the crowd and voted for approval. Its such a farce at Oakham Town Council.....
Next time you put an application in to make changes on your property just send a current photograph and nothing else and see how far that gets you.
The council also approved the closure of a footpath in Cutts Close for safety reasons. It appears since the Clerk asked us to consider works to the paths despite no complaints, two incidents of wheel chair user nearly falling over have happened in two days this week. The path will be closed off and then the clerk will seek quotes for removal or replacement.
