Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Oakham Town Council, Sets Up Planning Sub Committee to look Professional, No Terms of Reference?

Oakham Town Council, Sets Up Planning Sub Committee to look Professional, No Terms of Reference?

The new committee will be made up of Cllr Stubbs, Cllr Martin, Cllr Lockett and Cllr Nowell.

When the committee was proposed by Cllr Stan Stubbs, Cllr Joyce Lucas referred to her old script well done she said I have been campaigning for this for ten years. Then she voted against it!

If I did not know Cllr Lucas so well I would say she thought hang on how can we have a committee that has no terms of reference. The truth could be seen in her facial expression when she learnt only four Councillors will be making all planning decisions and this would not be her.

The Town Council is very small and yes I think a committee with delegated powers to deal with the small applications is fine.

Stan Stubbs slipped up when he responded to a question about other Councillors input. He said they could not speak at meetings and they could not vote the second part of that answer would be correct.

I hope they sort this out and all members are trained in planning and major applications are heard by the full council and the option for member to call in an application should be included.

Ward Councillors should show an interest in developments in their ward and the committee should make provision to include them in the process if required.

Cllr Stubbs intentions are good and Cllr Alf Dewis seems for a change to agree with me as he stated the council has looked very unprofessional in the past. The setting up of this committee has been very unprofessional. At the moment the Town Council has given four Councillors legal permission to do anything they please.