I have received a response from the Chairman of Oakham Town Council
The question was asked at the last council meeting
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 5:58 PM
From: "Adam Lowe"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Cc: "Allison Greaves", "Michael Haley"
Subject: Councillor Question - April 27th
Dear Martin
The question you asked is being dealt within this written reply.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer:
There are no steps being taken to recover a payment of £1000 made to Oakham Town Partnership.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Regards
Adam Lowe
The Chairman Adam Lowe did not send the answer to all present so I sent it to
them all and attached this response.
Dear All
At the last meeting I asked a question, I have received the following written reply from the chairman to my question asked at the public meeting.
I would like to know when the full council made the decision he has passed onto me.
The law requires the council to recover any money unlawfully paid.
I have asked the chairman to explain why the council is not recovering the £1000
The law clearly states any money spent by any individual member or employee liable for the expenditure. So we should be recovery the loss.
From
Martin Brookes (Cllr)
I then received this response from the Chairman Adam Lowe
he has banned me from using the word unlawful?
The question was asked at the last council meeting
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 5:58 PM
From: "Adam Lowe"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Cc: "Allison Greaves"
Subject: Councillor Question - April 27th
Dear Martin
The question you asked is being dealt within this written reply.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer:
There are no steps being taken to recover a payment of £1000 made to Oakham Town Partnership.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Regards
Adam Lowe
The Chairman Adam Lowe did not send the answer to all present so I sent it to
them all and attached this response.
Dear All
At the last meeting I asked a question, I have received the following written reply from the chairman to my question asked at the public meeting.
I would like to know when the full council made the decision he has passed onto me.
The law requires the council to recover any money unlawfully paid.
I have asked the chairman to explain why the council is not recovering the £1000
The law clearly states any money spent by any individual member or employee liable for the expenditure. So we should be recovery the loss.
From
Martin Brookes (Cllr)
I then received this response from the Chairman Adam Lowe
he has banned me from using the word unlawful?
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2016 at 6:09 PM
From: "Adam Lowe"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Cc: "Allison Greaves", "Michael Haley"
Subject: Re: Councillor Question - April 27th
From: "Adam Lowe"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Cc: "Allison Greaves"
Subject: Re: Councillor Question - April 27th
Martin
I have answered the question asked.
Any future e-mails or requests where you state 'unlawful' and make slanderous comments regarding Cllrs, Officers or the Council in general will be challenged as inappropriate and will be returned un-answered.
Thank you for your continued co-operation in ensuring the Council moves forward with a positive approach, we must ALL abide by the NOLAN principles and the Good Councillor Guide.
Regards
Adam Lowe
I have sent this response to the Chairman Cllr Lowe
I have sent this response to the Chairman Cllr Lowe
Adam Lowe
As the chairman of this council your response is very odd are you suggesting that if anyone is
breaking the law you will ignore it if your receive a email or communication that contains
the words unlawful?
"Any future e-mails or requests where you state 'unlawful' and make slanderous comments regarding Cllrs, Officers or the Council in general will be challenged as inappropriate and will be returned un-answered."
Would you prefer me to use the word small mistake as you and Alf used to describe his activity that
was reported as unlawful by Grant Thornton.
May I remind you If a payment is made with no consent from full council or work order it is unlawful, please read
the external audit report from Grant Thornton, also mentioned in the Rutland Times, they both use the
words unlawful are you suggesting they are slanderous?
When this payment is disputed with the external auditor they will describe it as an unlawful
payment unfortunately for you that is a fact.
The local government act and the good councillor guide uses the word unlawful.
The correct use for slanderous is when describing the content of you emails about me to others as shown
at the last meeting.
I have asked you a question which you refuse to answer, I assume the Nolan Principles don't
apply to you?
I ask again when the Clerk wrote to all members did you give him consent to make unlawful
payments and did you tell him to ignore my advice when I told him it would be unlawful for him to pay without obtaining consent from the full council according to the laws if the local government
act?
It is not slanderous to ask this question, the only way we can move forward is with councillors
who don't continually break the law.
If it was me who behaved in this way you and the old guard would be driving me out of
town.
From
Martin Brookes
Cllr Martin Brookes
13 Willow Crescent
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6EQ
Tel: 07508060962
I have also sent the assistant clerk the following agenda item to attempt to recover the public money unlawfully paid to Oakham Town Partnership Ltd.
13 Willow Crescent
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6EQ
Tel: 07508060962
I have also sent the assistant clerk the following agenda item to attempt to recover the public money unlawfully paid to Oakham Town Partnership Ltd.
Dear Allison
NO INDIVIDUAL MEMBER CAN DECIDE NOT TO RECOVER THIS PAYMENT
IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY MEMBER TO MAKE A UNILATERAL DECISION
ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL AND THAT INCLUDES THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
COUNCIL. GRANT THORNTON CONFIRMED THIS IN THEIR REPORT.
Please accept the following agenda item for the next meeting 11th May 2016
Report No:
Appendix:
Agenda Item No.
Council
Date of meeting 11th May 2016
Report Author Cllr Martin Brookes
Subject: Payment made to Oakham Town Partnership
December 2015 Oakham Town Partnership were paid the sum of £1000
this payment is unlawful because the council did not comply with the local
government act or its own orders and regulations.
The councils standing order 18 a. States
All payments by the Council shall be authorised, approved and paid in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations
Due to this failure and to comply with laws and regulations I make the following proposal.
Proposal:
Oakham Town Council require Oakham Town Partnership Ltd to return £1000 paid to them in error.