Cllr Stubbs and Cllr Martin
As a person interested in using the non democratic system of co-option to get a seat on
Oakham Town Council, to serve my community I attended the open day.
Thank goodness Haworth and Co were absent!
I am pleased the meeting with the two councillors did not continue as it started. Just a little heated.
Cllr Stubbs refused to answer one important question, what right does he or any councillor have
to decide who is suitable to serve their community as a councillor?
Cllr Stubs was elected, I and Cllr Martin lost the election to him. Cllr Martin was co-opted.
Cllr Martin holds views which I agree with, the Town Council if it is to survive needs to
become more involved in supporting the community it claims to represent.
The Council should have more say in the important issues that effect everyone in the town
from housing, jobs and schools. Cllr Martin is a teacher and a qualified solicitor. I am pleased
to say she does not feel my blog is illegal, but does not like the way it is worded at times.
I try not to offended and readilly admit their is a angry person suppressed inside me and the way
people connected to this coucil have treated me over the years, I feel I am justified to have some anger.
She suggests drawing a line, fine ! so all those councillor who broke the law and continue in some cases to do so should be permitted to do so? I think when she says that, she quickly forgets they broke the law and I did not.
Despite that, it would be nice to have a few more councillor like Cllr Martin on Oakham Town Council.
Durring the election I posted comments from Cllr Martin's Facebook account in which she expressed her dislike of the NHS. I made no further comment, Cllr Martin feels I should not have done this? Because I had not published the full reason for the comment. I did not and still do not know the reason for her comment so I am not sure how that can be resolved. Although I have not looked at her Facebook since the election, mums gossip is not my thing, I am sure she is careful what she posts in the public domain.
Cllr Stubbs had a bigger moan, what right did I have to look into his past? (his political past I must add) I published newspaper reports of his alledged past conduct as a Parish Councillor in another place, he claims my comments and the story is wrong. He also said there is a follow up to the case, which I can not find.
Anyway we had a chat, we won't and can't agree on everything but the air was cleared and we shook hands.
I am hoping Cllr Stubbs will be considered for chair plannning, because since he has become a Oakham Town Councillor he has shown a keen interest in local planning issues and seems to be one of the few councillors who takes time to research applications. In general planning meetings have slighty moved on from the days of when Former Cllr Tyers would think a roof window was a "Beach Hut"
It would be good to see some teeth put into planning at Oakham Town Council and then Rutland County Council might just take notice of them.
Rutland County Councillor Alan Walters was in the building I mentioned the discussions I had with the councillors and how I saw it as a positive, allthough I did feel a lot more was expected from my side.
He seemed to agree and said it takes two.
In Conclusion Dialoge between myself and the enemy has reduced the risk of war! so that must be a good thing, (please note thats a joke)
Cllr Stubbs reminded me of his and my common interest in phototography. I have seen this on-line he has judged many photographers in the past and he is also a photographer. I don't consider myself a photographer, I just take photographs and if I don't like them I delete them. Give me a camera with dials and twists and I can assure you the result would not be good.
A few other people turned up to get information, fortunately not whilst myself and Cllr Stubbs were disagreeing
If you are interested in becoming a Councillor you can still apply.
There have been new people who have filled the gaps of those who departed and they are helping to improve our council, but those new people need more new people to bring about change, it's not easy and if you are thinking I would like to be on the the council for hundreds of years, if your an awkward old fart who only does things for themselves thats not good either. If you have the homophobic, racist, crude and crass manner of Haworth & Co forget it!
Applications should be sent to the Clerk to the Council to arrive no later than Monday 19th May.
This can either be in the form of a letter or by e-mail to: More »
