Oakham Town Council Meeting Video & Report 25th March 2015
This meeting started with announcement from Cllr Vincent Howard (watch /crew manager Oakham
Fire Station) In the video I refer to him as the Station Manager as many others have in the past Cllr Howard has asked I point out he is not the station manager.
It appears it has no problem with meetings be held in a public building with defective
fire exits if there is a fire we can leave via the front door.
I once worked in a shop that only had s most a front door and back door as most premises do
the back door was defective and the owners failed to repair. I was ordered by a fire
officer from Bedfordshire to close or face prosecution. How times have changed here
in Rutland.
For a number of years locked fire exits have never been a issue for Oakham Town Council
They sit in a chamber before a meeting often with no key in the door with the escape
route through two offices.
This week the door remained locked until two minutes before the meeting start time which
started a minute late.
Oakham Town Council object to myself and the public having any contact with them.
Before a previous meeting we were let in 5 minutes early and I raised the issue
of fire safety Cllr Vincent Howard noted my comments, he suggested he would
as an expert fireman be able to get out. I assume he was thinking of kicking the
door down if required. He added I must remind you the meeting has not yet
started?
When minutes of the previous meeting were considered,
Cllr Alf Dewis Deputy Mayor asked for a question he asked Cllr Walters at a previous
to be included in the minutes. By asking the question and making subsequent comments
he was breaching the council standing orders. There had been pressure from some
members outside of the meeting to have this recorded. Rutland County Councils
monitoring officer has recently viewed video of the meeting and said she can not
see what he did wrong, in frustration I asked if she was stupid?
Cllr Joyce Lucas complained in report about attending the Annual Rutland Service at Peterborough
Cathedral which is not very widely advertised. Her complaint was the Cathedral did not include
her or other volunteers in the prayers. According to her only paid staff in Rutland were
named in prayers. She notified the council that she has raised a complaint. Not the
first time she has complained to the cathedral when she was Mayor she often complained she wrote
a letter complaining she had not been invited to an event. Complaints and requests led to over
100 invited attendances. So it is no surprise Mayor Jane Woodcock is often upset when
she reports not being invited to anything. She reported and the accounts show she now pays or
should I say the taxpayer pays for her to attend Jolly's, only last month she enjoy a lavish
costly meal hosted by Melton Borough Council and there was another at Barnsdale Lodge
which she claims supports her charity. For Rutland In Rutland, This is not a charity it is a group
mislead the public to spite MacMillan Cancer and currently raise money for the CAB
who are registered as a charity.
I attempted to start my deputations constantly interrupted by the Mayor Cllr Jayne Woodcock
and other Councillors by their loud comments. At one point I felt the need to ask Cllr Stan Stubbs
was he chairing this meeting?
Despite the rude and disrespectful conduct of many Cllrs throughout my heated deputation
the Mayor said I had raised some interesting points.
Apologies to Cllr Lucas who jumped out of her seat after I raised my voice forgetting
she uses a hearing amplifier.
My deputation included the rude clerks pay for no work
and the councils continued failing to comply with the localism act if they complied
and published the appendices on-line administration costs of the council currently
45% of their income would start to reduce. at this meeting over 500 sheets of single sided
quality colour paper was used often its more and most ends up in the bin, I have previously shown
a clip of Councillor Lowe tearing up documents as the meeting progressed.
Oakham Town Council set a date for another freedom of entry, a waste of taxpayers money
Cllr Lowe had to carry out a lot of work to find a historic link the regiment has to the town.
Cllr Dewis thanked Cllr Lowe for all his work.
There appears to be a confusion about the proposed move by the council to the old fitness
centre in Princess Avenue. I and others thought the council had approved the move
it appears that is not the case. Cllr Walters absent had produced a report based on that decision,
The fitness centre which moved in and received two official openings in 2012
after Oakham Town Council spent over a quarter of its taxpayers income
setting them up. Under the leadership of Cllr Alf Dewis who sits on a Rutland
Committee which the wife of the clubs owner sat on.
Recently the clerk persuaded the council they should spend over £2000
repairing a fence which the club was responsible for .
Body Power Fitness have moved out in rent arrears and appear not to have
given formal notice. The Mayor is currently seeking legal advice,
Body Power Fitness lease requires them to also pay rent upto June 2015.
Cllr Lucas asked how legal it is for the council to enter the property to
clear the mountain of letters and bills piling up at the door.
The Mayor does not know if the building is insured and strangely expressed
more concern about collecting the rent arrears rather than ensuring a valuable
asset was protected.
When these tenants ,friends of the council moved in I mentioned my concerns
about the financial viability of the business. You did not have to be
a business expert to work out the large number of membership required
to cover rent insurance and business rate and electricity. All that
before the owners would need to be paid to continue their possible lavish lifestyle
living in a small house in Hambleton Village. The sums did not add up.
The same will I am sure will happen at Oakham Enterprise Park run
by Rutland County Council.
I am impressed by the way Body Power Fitness has thanked the Oakham
Tax Powers for their generous support.
Its a total disgrace and its a great shame the external auditor did not
look into this as they initially promised. I believe this is a good case
of possible corruption that should be investigated of course Cllr
Dewis will be hoping it will just be forgotten.
I wonder if he is providing his friends a reference to give to new
landlords Rutland County Council?
Oakham Town Council agreed to send a Simple Pointless letter to
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service "simple letter" objecting
to cuts and not giving any reason.
Cllr Guthrie spoke quite sensibly about the issue when he finished
Cllr Lucas laughed at him.
Cllr Blanksby raised an irrelevant comment. The Mayor said she
did not understand him. Since he has been co-opted and before
he has often contributed in a way you would expect from an older person
who perhaps should be pottering around in his garden.
Rather disrespectfully Councillora laughed at him Cllr John Nowell
the pompous mason laughing the loudest.
Cllr Stan Stubbs described Oakham as the Capital of Rutland?
Oakham Town Council agreed to grant Anne from Music and Moore and her Rutland
Concert Band over £500 of taxpayers money to burn, the cost of a few bangers because Cllr Adam Lowe said she is one of the only people in Oakham who does anything for the community although there was no evidence of match funding . Anne assumes the waiving of the bands fee covers that it does not because she does not charge Oakham Town Council anywhere near £500 for any performances during the summer concert season. This is another example of why Oakham Town Council should follow Melton Borough Council lead and stop issuing grants. The Town Council
has a history of only giving taxpayers money to its friends. I do not object to Anne's band
performing the charity concert. The bangers are a waste of taxpayers money.
And why did Cllr John Nowell not declare an interest as he expressed his support and voted
to approve the funding? The Prom in the park is raising money for one of the charities he works
for The Air Ambulance. This is now a criminal offence, Chapter 7 of the Localism Act 2011 and in the secondary legislation made under the Act, particularly in The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 (S.I.2012/1464).
you only have to look at the case of the Tory Cllr in Dorset who was arrested and charged.
Leicestershire police said they will be taking a statement and collecting evidence next week incident
number 22627032015
Cllr Nowell won't be able to blame his wife this time around.
This meeting started with announcement from Cllr Vincent Howard (watch /crew manager Oakham
Fire Station) In the video I refer to him as the Station Manager as many others have in the past Cllr Howard has asked I point out he is not the station manager.
It appears it has no problem with meetings be held in a public building with defective
fire exits if there is a fire we can leave via the front door.
I once worked in a shop that only had s most a front door and back door as most premises do
the back door was defective and the owners failed to repair. I was ordered by a fire
officer from Bedfordshire to close or face prosecution. How times have changed here
in Rutland.
For a number of years locked fire exits have never been a issue for Oakham Town Council
They sit in a chamber before a meeting often with no key in the door with the escape
route through two offices.
This week the door remained locked until two minutes before the meeting start time which
started a minute late.
Oakham Town Council object to myself and the public having any contact with them.
Before a previous meeting we were let in 5 minutes early and I raised the issue
of fire safety Cllr Vincent Howard noted my comments, he suggested he would
as an expert fireman be able to get out. I assume he was thinking of kicking the
door down if required. He added I must remind you the meeting has not yet
started?
When minutes of the previous meeting were considered,
Cllr Alf Dewis Deputy Mayor asked for a question he asked Cllr Walters at a previous
to be included in the minutes. By asking the question and making subsequent comments
he was breaching the council standing orders. There had been pressure from some
members outside of the meeting to have this recorded. Rutland County Councils
monitoring officer has recently viewed video of the meeting and said she can not
see what he did wrong, in frustration I asked if she was stupid?
Cllr Joyce Lucas complained in report about attending the Annual Rutland Service at Peterborough
Cathedral which is not very widely advertised. Her complaint was the Cathedral did not include
her or other volunteers in the prayers. According to her only paid staff in Rutland were
named in prayers. She notified the council that she has raised a complaint. Not the
first time she has complained to the cathedral when she was Mayor she often complained she wrote
a letter complaining she had not been invited to an event. Complaints and requests led to over
100 invited attendances. So it is no surprise Mayor Jane Woodcock is often upset when
she reports not being invited to anything. She reported and the accounts show she now pays or
should I say the taxpayer pays for her to attend Jolly's, only last month she enjoy a lavish
costly meal hosted by Melton Borough Council and there was another at Barnsdale Lodge
which she claims supports her charity. For Rutland In Rutland, This is not a charity it is a group
mislead the public to spite MacMillan Cancer and currently raise money for the CAB
who are registered as a charity.
I attempted to start my deputations constantly interrupted by the Mayor Cllr Jayne Woodcock
and other Councillors by their loud comments. At one point I felt the need to ask Cllr Stan Stubbs
was he chairing this meeting?
Despite the rude and disrespectful conduct of many Cllrs throughout my heated deputation
the Mayor said I had raised some interesting points.
Apologies to Cllr Lucas who jumped out of her seat after I raised my voice forgetting
she uses a hearing amplifier.
My deputation included the rude clerks pay for no work
and the councils continued failing to comply with the localism act if they complied
and published the appendices on-line administration costs of the council currently
45% of their income would start to reduce. at this meeting over 500 sheets of single sided
quality colour paper was used often its more and most ends up in the bin, I have previously shown
a clip of Councillor Lowe tearing up documents as the meeting progressed.
Oakham Town Council set a date for another freedom of entry, a waste of taxpayers money
Cllr Lowe had to carry out a lot of work to find a historic link the regiment has to the town.
Cllr Dewis thanked Cllr Lowe for all his work.
There appears to be a confusion about the proposed move by the council to the old fitness
centre in Princess Avenue. I and others thought the council had approved the move
it appears that is not the case. Cllr Walters absent had produced a report based on that decision,
The fitness centre which moved in and received two official openings in 2012
after Oakham Town Council spent over a quarter of its taxpayers income
setting them up. Under the leadership of Cllr Alf Dewis who sits on a Rutland
Committee which the wife of the clubs owner sat on.
Recently the clerk persuaded the council they should spend over £2000
repairing a fence which the club was responsible for .
Body Power Fitness have moved out in rent arrears and appear not to have
given formal notice. The Mayor is currently seeking legal advice,
Body Power Fitness lease requires them to also pay rent upto June 2015.
Cllr Lucas asked how legal it is for the council to enter the property to
clear the mountain of letters and bills piling up at the door.
The Mayor does not know if the building is insured and strangely expressed
more concern about collecting the rent arrears rather than ensuring a valuable
asset was protected.
When these tenants ,friends of the council moved in I mentioned my concerns
about the financial viability of the business. You did not have to be
a business expert to work out the large number of membership required
to cover rent insurance and business rate and electricity. All that
before the owners would need to be paid to continue their possible lavish lifestyle
living in a small house in Hambleton Village. The sums did not add up.
The same will I am sure will happen at Oakham Enterprise Park run
by Rutland County Council.
I am impressed by the way Body Power Fitness has thanked the Oakham
Tax Powers for their generous support.
Its a total disgrace and its a great shame the external auditor did not
look into this as they initially promised. I believe this is a good case
of possible corruption that should be investigated of course Cllr
Dewis will be hoping it will just be forgotten.
I wonder if he is providing his friends a reference to give to new
landlords Rutland County Council?
Oakham Town Council agreed to send a Simple Pointless letter to
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service "simple letter" objecting
to cuts and not giving any reason.
Cllr Guthrie spoke quite sensibly about the issue when he finished
Cllr Lucas laughed at him.
Cllr Blanksby raised an irrelevant comment. The Mayor said she
did not understand him. Since he has been co-opted and before
he has often contributed in a way you would expect from an older person
who perhaps should be pottering around in his garden.
Rather disrespectfully Councillora laughed at him Cllr John Nowell
the pompous mason laughing the loudest.
Cllr Stan Stubbs described Oakham as the Capital of Rutland?
Oakham Town Council agreed to grant Anne from Music and Moore and her Rutland
Concert Band over £500 of taxpayers money to burn, the cost of a few bangers because Cllr Adam Lowe said she is one of the only people in Oakham who does anything for the community although there was no evidence of match funding . Anne assumes the waiving of the bands fee covers that it does not because she does not charge Oakham Town Council anywhere near £500 for any performances during the summer concert season. This is another example of why Oakham Town Council should follow Melton Borough Council lead and stop issuing grants. The Town Council
has a history of only giving taxpayers money to its friends. I do not object to Anne's band
performing the charity concert. The bangers are a waste of taxpayers money.
And why did Cllr John Nowell not declare an interest as he expressed his support and voted
to approve the funding? The Prom in the park is raising money for one of the charities he works
for The Air Ambulance. This is now a criminal offence, Chapter 7 of the Localism Act 2011 and in the secondary legislation made under the Act, particularly in The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 (S.I.2012/1464).
you only have to look at the case of the Tory Cllr in Dorset who was arrested and charged.
Leicestershire police said they will be taking a statement and collecting evidence next week incident
number 22627032015
Cllr Nowell won't be able to blame his wife this time around.
