This tree was damaged by Storm Doris
Cllr Joyce Lucas sent us all an email saying she was arranging for the tree to be felled
on the day it was damaged.
She was reminded by our Chairman Adam Lowe, Councillors can't make unilateral
decision.
At last weeks meeting Cllr Lucas had a change of heart and said she was for the tree.
The tree is in a conservation area so planning permission is required before anything
can be done to the tree.
The office had confirmed previously that Paul Ford have made the tree safe.
In a report to Council it was suggested that Paul Ford and another firm had suggested
Oakham Town Council might like to pollard the tree and it may need to fell it later
on.
We had no reports or written quotations to consider and the majority of the council
decided the tree should be pollarded and agreed to pay up to £2500
The tree now looks a total mess and I would not be surprised if a report is not
made available for the next meeting saying the tree should be felled, costing
a few more thousands.
Our financial regulations state we should obtain value for money and the clerk
should check for this before issuing any work order the financial regulation
suggests what the clerk should look for, the chairman suggests I am misunderstanding
the regulation and Oakham Town Council doe not need to obtain quotes.
It is and has always been shocking that Oakham Town Council has never been
interested in obtaining value for money for the taxpayers.
Cllr Joyce Lucas certainly is not interested in obtaining value for money at the meeting
she called me a liar and a harasser and told members we don't need quotes let just get on
with it. If it was her own money I am sure she would not be saying this.
We did not need to waste money on pollarding we should have waited until we had
received advice from any expert.
