Oakham Town Council Meeting 19th August 2015
The battery on my camera gives up at the two hour point.
The video end at the point when I describe a Cllr as the Bloody Woman! :-(
That was directed at the councillor who hit me for poking my finger on her
clipboard.
Some of the worst part of the meeting happened in the last
30 minutes of the extended meeting unfortunately the town
council CCTV was switched off before the meeting.
The first point that Cllr Blanksby became annoyed was
after I asked the Clerk to provide us with a copy of
the original annual 2014 -2015 statement of accounts
approved and signed on the 10th of June 2015 and
then altered before the special meeting of the 29th
June 2015 This Wednesday we were presented with
a fake document minus the alterations and just the
Clerk's signature. I ask and then demanded an explanation
and a copy of the original 10th of June document.
The Clerk eventually distribute copies.
This is the major fault of Oakham Town Council
it constantly attempt to gloss over its mistakes
to give the impression that everything is fine when
it is not.
The battery on my camera gives up at the two hour point.
The video end at the point when I describe a Cllr as the Bloody Woman! :-(
That was directed at the councillor who hit me for poking my finger on her
clipboard.
Some of the worst part of the meeting happened in the last
30 minutes of the extended meeting unfortunately the town
council CCTV was switched off before the meeting.
The first point that Cllr Blanksby became annoyed was
after I asked the Clerk to provide us with a copy of
the original annual 2014 -2015 statement of accounts
approved and signed on the 10th of June 2015 and
then altered before the special meeting of the 29th
June 2015 This Wednesday we were presented with
a fake document minus the alterations and just the
Clerk's signature. I ask and then demanded an explanation
and a copy of the original 10th of June document.
The Clerk eventually distribute copies.
This is the major fault of Oakham Town Council
it constantly attempt to gloss over its mistakes
to give the impression that everything is fine when
it is not.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Cllr Dave Blanksby Oakham Town Councillor Resigns After Violent Aggressive Outbursts Towards me
Cllr Dave Blanksby Oakham Town Councillor Resigns After Violent Aggressive Outbursts
Mr Blanksby is also currently Vice Chair at Oakham in Bloom
I wish him well with the good work he does there.
I also won't tolerate any violence from any councillor.
I have lodged an official report with Leicestershire Police after
Cllr Lucas assaulted me during a meeting last night.
Her unacceptable action were supported via e mail by newly
co-opted Cllr Jasmine Hopkins who I am hoping will soon
be retracting her emailed comments.
From: Dave Blanksby [mailto:daveworkingforyou@gmail.com]
Sent: 20 August 2015 09:18
To: T. C OAKHAM
Subject: Resigning from Council
Hi Richard
Can you advise the Council members I will be resigning from the council from today the 20th august.
My reason are as stated, I have add to tolerate constant aggression and violence to other council members. I am a peaceful person who joined the council to make a difference, the only difference I have made is to change my character from peaceful to aggressive, which I am not willing to accept any longer.
Regards Dave Blanksby
3 Pelham Court
Oakham
Mr Blanksby is also currently Vice Chair at Oakham in Bloom
I wish him well with the good work he does there.
I also won't tolerate any violence from any councillor.
I have lodged an official report with Leicestershire Police after
Cllr Lucas assaulted me during a meeting last night.
Her unacceptable action were supported via e mail by newly
co-opted Cllr Jasmine Hopkins who I am hoping will soon
be retracting her emailed comments.
From: Dave Blanksby [mailto:daveworkingforyou@gmail.com]
Sent: 20 August 2015 09:18
To: T. C OAKHAM
Subject: Resigning from Council
Hi Richard
Can you advise the Council members I will be resigning from the council from today the 20th august.
My reason are as stated, I have add to tolerate constant aggression and violence to other council members. I am a peaceful person who joined the council to make a difference, the only difference I have made is to change my character from peaceful to aggressive, which I am not willing to accept any longer.
Regards Dave Blanksby
3 Pelham Court
Oakham
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Oakham Town Council Meeting Report 19th August 2015
What a meeting anything that could have been considered as progress
has all been undone this evening.
Video to follow
All members have decided that I am to be excluded from everything including
yes making tea.
It is pathetic.
The video will show an appalling answer to my questions put the council
and answered by our Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis.
The deputy Mayor Adam Lowe is now wearing a security body cam he
says the police have recommended he uses one.
The council although it wasted £3000 on equipment last year to record and
publish meeting did not record tonights meeting.
There was a lot of shouting in the meeting and not just from me unfortunately
my camera battery only last two hours so I don't have it all.
I am not sure if I caught the Councillor who did apologise and retract calling me
a idiot and a liar.
I am sure I did capture Cllr Blanksby standing up and having a shout match
with me pointing his finger at me.
A lot of truths were aired tonight, I was slapped on the arm by Cllr Lucas BEM
I asked her if she was bloody mad or something to that effect. I got told to modify
my conduct by the Mayor as he chose to ignore everyone else's close by him.
Ex Mayor Paul Beech attended to give a deputation and his trademark grin or smile?
against my proposal for the 2014 - 2015 account to be audited. Rather pleasantly
for a change he did not use 3 minutes to personally attack me. I wish more
members of the public would attend and contribute to the council's business.
The Councillors decided the accounts did not need auditing despite Streets
Accountants stating nothing they have done during the review was of an
audit standard.
The Council approved the restated accounts for 2014 -2015
Strangely the copy of the statement which was approved and signed
on the 10th June 2015 and altered before the 29th June Special meeting
was presented to us with no alterations and only the Clerk signatures.
I asked why? I had to persist and the Clerk said he still had the original
I asked why had we not been given a copy of that original
altered document? The Clerk provided Councillors with copies.
Councillors agreed to pay Caloo for the Skatepark.
The Councillor agreed to employ a person to do a risk management
review. The Council had failed on this point on its annual governance
report.
The Councillor decided to appoint a architect at an unknown cost
to draw up plans for the old fitness centre.
New plans recently drawn up show a smaller community space
and it is unclear if the council will be moving to the site or
even if there will be a community hub the new working group
has to look for alternative accommodation for the council
and a possible tenant.
I wonder if that tenant will be Cllr Hearn who was co-opted
even though she had approached the council claiming
she had previously run successful project or companies and
wanted the old fitness centre rent free for a year and would
consider getting grants to pay for future years.
After her interview Cllr Lucas BEM described her as a
one trip pony because of desire to obtain this public property
of course at any other council she would be barred from
anyway from obtain the use as it would be considered a conflict
of interest, I believe Cllr Hearn may have been put on the
working group tonight I will have to check the video the meeting
was so bad it is was difficult to know what was going on
most of the time.
There was a huge argument about the council's representative
on Victoria Halls Committee.
The secretary had written some time ago without the knowledge
of all the trustees saying they did not want me.
The prefered choice was Cllr Mills who the secretary said
had indicated he wanted it, Cllr Mills explained what had
happened and it was a little heated at times. He did say
he was asked and said they would need to write to the council
and ask. There was a compromise proposed the council would
appoint two people the second being Cllr Mills then he
said he did not want it!
The item was deferred to the next meeting ding ding round two!
Why?
The public and press were excluded from the meeting
because councillors decided it was not in the public
interest for them to know the names of the companies
who tendered.
Cllr Stubbs said at one point no one was willing to tender
because of me?
Cllr Lowe and Blanksby repeatedly said the names
will be on his blog tomorrow?
The council is entering into a three year contract
to put up less Chistmas lights from this Christmas
The value of the contracts will mean the contractors
name will be published on the council notice board
and when we authorise the payments this will
be a public agenda item. And the minutes will
name the company awarded the contract tonight
So the exemption and exclusion is nonsense
Especially when you consider the same council
put all the quotes for the skate park into the public
domain they were obviously not commercially
sensitive but the names of two companies tendering
putting up the town's Christmas lights is?
There will be no Christmas light in Mill Street
or Market Street.
The large companies involved sub
contract that is why the cost is so high
The Clerk told me it did approach the subcontractor
to see if they wanted to tender they did not
Not surprising when you are reliant on the large
company for most of your work the subcontractor
told me they are lucky to see around 20% of what the
council pays.
The meeting closed Cllr Blanksby said it was not
good for his health.
The Mayor ran out the door not wanting to talk to me
after he had a private chat with all The "H's" councillors
with H's in there names ?
I find the current situation very sad, Cllr Lucas BEM
made a strong hint that one of the councillor could
be losing their job all because of the crap that goes
on at this council.
Peoples lives including my own have been ruined
because of the conduct of so few why?
People Like Vindictive Cllr Lucas, Stubbs, Dewis
and ex Councillors have a lot to answer for.
The Councillor who apparently may lose his job
is not as bad as the others I often think he does
things to please the rotten element I hope he
does not lose his job being unemployed is not
good especially when people like Cllr Lucas BEM
tell me I will never work again if I continue to
criticise the council
After the meeting I sent all members the following email:
Dear All,
I was very disappointed by what has happened at tonight's meeting.
The disbanding of working groups because of resignations and
then when they are recreated those who resigned from the old
groups were reappointed. And I was not permitted to join any
as predicted.
Exclusion is not going to help with the current issue, are you really all
going to conduct yourself in the same way for the next 3 years + ?
I was pleased a neighborhood plan working group was set up but very
disappointed that I was not permitted to be a member of any working group.
Especially this group and the Moving and community hub both
reasons why I became a Councillor.
Cllr Hern said this is democracy, does she actually know the
meaning of the word? Because what happened with the working
groups was not democracy in action and I would go us far to say
what happened was possible unlawful and ask the Clerk
to seek advice regarding what happened.
Part of the democratic process is a right to protest
It is looking like I will have to return to my protests. I don't want to
do it but the behaviour and the way I am treated is pathetic.
For example Joyce Lucas saying I can not help in the tea tent on Sunday
because no one will help if I do. How childish and pathetic can
you all get. I can only imagine what the public will think when
they hear Joyce saying that and then slapping me on the arm
for attempting to add my name to the clip board.
It is also very disappointing that the council has decided to
put up less Christmas lights this year. Knowing that the public
already don't rate what we already do
has all been undone this evening.
Video to follow
All members have decided that I am to be excluded from everything including
yes making tea.
It is pathetic.
The video will show an appalling answer to my questions put the council
and answered by our Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis.
The deputy Mayor Adam Lowe is now wearing a security body cam he
says the police have recommended he uses one.
The council although it wasted £3000 on equipment last year to record and
publish meeting did not record tonights meeting.
There was a lot of shouting in the meeting and not just from me unfortunately
my camera battery only last two hours so I don't have it all.
I am not sure if I caught the Councillor who did apologise and retract calling me
a idiot and a liar.
I am sure I did capture Cllr Blanksby standing up and having a shout match
with me pointing his finger at me.
A lot of truths were aired tonight, I was slapped on the arm by Cllr Lucas BEM
I asked her if she was bloody mad or something to that effect. I got told to modify
my conduct by the Mayor as he chose to ignore everyone else's close by him.
Ex Mayor Paul Beech attended to give a deputation and his trademark grin or smile?
against my proposal for the 2014 - 2015 account to be audited. Rather pleasantly
for a change he did not use 3 minutes to personally attack me. I wish more
members of the public would attend and contribute to the council's business.
The Councillors decided the accounts did not need auditing despite Streets
Accountants stating nothing they have done during the review was of an
audit standard.
The Council approved the restated accounts for 2014 -2015
Strangely the copy of the statement which was approved and signed
on the 10th June 2015 and altered before the 29th June Special meeting
was presented to us with no alterations and only the Clerk signatures.
I asked why? I had to persist and the Clerk said he still had the original
I asked why had we not been given a copy of that original
altered document? The Clerk provided Councillors with copies.
Councillors agreed to pay Caloo for the Skatepark.
The Councillor agreed to employ a person to do a risk management
review. The Council had failed on this point on its annual governance
report.
The Councillor decided to appoint a architect at an unknown cost
to draw up plans for the old fitness centre.
New plans recently drawn up show a smaller community space
and it is unclear if the council will be moving to the site or
even if there will be a community hub the new working group
has to look for alternative accommodation for the council
and a possible tenant.
I wonder if that tenant will be Cllr Hearn who was co-opted
even though she had approached the council claiming
she had previously run successful project or companies and
wanted the old fitness centre rent free for a year and would
consider getting grants to pay for future years.
After her interview Cllr Lucas BEM described her as a
one trip pony because of desire to obtain this public property
of course at any other council she would be barred from
anyway from obtain the use as it would be considered a conflict
of interest, I believe Cllr Hearn may have been put on the
working group tonight I will have to check the video the meeting
was so bad it is was difficult to know what was going on
most of the time.
There was a huge argument about the council's representative
on Victoria Halls Committee.
The secretary had written some time ago without the knowledge
of all the trustees saying they did not want me.
The prefered choice was Cllr Mills who the secretary said
had indicated he wanted it, Cllr Mills explained what had
happened and it was a little heated at times. He did say
he was asked and said they would need to write to the council
and ask. There was a compromise proposed the council would
appoint two people the second being Cllr Mills then he
said he did not want it!
The item was deferred to the next meeting ding ding round two!
Why?
The public and press were excluded from the meeting
because councillors decided it was not in the public
interest for them to know the names of the companies
who tendered.
Cllr Stubbs said at one point no one was willing to tender
because of me?
Cllr Lowe and Blanksby repeatedly said the names
will be on his blog tomorrow?
The council is entering into a three year contract
to put up less Chistmas lights from this Christmas
The value of the contracts will mean the contractors
name will be published on the council notice board
and when we authorise the payments this will
be a public agenda item. And the minutes will
name the company awarded the contract tonight
So the exemption and exclusion is nonsense
Especially when you consider the same council
put all the quotes for the skate park into the public
domain they were obviously not commercially
sensitive but the names of two companies tendering
putting up the town's Christmas lights is?
There will be no Christmas light in Mill Street
or Market Street.
The large companies involved sub
contract that is why the cost is so high
The Clerk told me it did approach the subcontractor
to see if they wanted to tender they did not
Not surprising when you are reliant on the large
company for most of your work the subcontractor
told me they are lucky to see around 20% of what the
council pays.
The meeting closed Cllr Blanksby said it was not
good for his health.
The Mayor ran out the door not wanting to talk to me
after he had a private chat with all The "H's" councillors
with H's in there names ?
I find the current situation very sad, Cllr Lucas BEM
made a strong hint that one of the councillor could
be losing their job all because of the crap that goes
on at this council.
Peoples lives including my own have been ruined
because of the conduct of so few why?
People Like Vindictive Cllr Lucas, Stubbs, Dewis
and ex Councillors have a lot to answer for.
The Councillor who apparently may lose his job
is not as bad as the others I often think he does
things to please the rotten element I hope he
does not lose his job being unemployed is not
good especially when people like Cllr Lucas BEM
tell me I will never work again if I continue to
criticise the council
After the meeting I sent all members the following email:
Dear All,
I was very disappointed by what has happened at tonight's meeting.
The disbanding of working groups because of resignations and
then when they are recreated those who resigned from the old
groups were reappointed. And I was not permitted to join any
as predicted.
Exclusion is not going to help with the current issue, are you really all
going to conduct yourself in the same way for the next 3 years + ?
I was pleased a neighborhood plan working group was set up but very
disappointed that I was not permitted to be a member of any working group.
Especially this group and the Moving and community hub both
reasons why I became a Councillor.
Cllr Hern said this is democracy, does she actually know the
meaning of the word? Because what happened with the working
groups was not democracy in action and I would go us far to say
what happened was possible unlawful and ask the Clerk
to seek advice regarding what happened.
Part of the democratic process is a right to protest
It is looking like I will have to return to my protests. I don't want to
do it but the behaviour and the way I am treated is pathetic.
For example Joyce Lucas saying I can not help in the tea tent on Sunday
because no one will help if I do. How childish and pathetic can
you all get. I can only imagine what the public will think when
they hear Joyce saying that and then slapping me on the arm
for attempting to add my name to the clip board.
It is also very disappointing that the council has decided to
put up less Christmas lights this year. Knowing that the public
already don't rate what we already do
