Once again Oakham Town Council is attempting to stop freedom of expression etc.
Before July 2016 I did not have any problem from our current clerk.
Since July 2016 the current Clerk Allison Greaves has had a problem with me fueld by the
Chairman (s) of the council. Cllr Adam Lowe and Deputy Cllr Michael Haley, Now Chairman
A long time ago in July 2016 Cllr Adam Lowe sent me a email and included a copy
of a email he received from the clerk Allison Greaves. In the email she basically suggest
I am stupid.
Cllr Adam Lowe gave an explanation for sharing the email, he did so 'being open and transparent'
When the Clerk realised what Cllr Lowe had done she typed an email to send to a appolagy,
I visited the office at the time she was about to send it to me. She read the email out to me
she said she was sorry and said 'we are all guilty of making this council look disfunctional'
At the time I was recording visits to the council. I posted the following post including the
a part recording of the visit:
http://martinbrookes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/oakham-town-council-assistant-clerk.html
The Clerk did not approve of this. She said 'Friends Don't Do That'
A few months later myself, Cllr Joyce Lucas and Cllr Sally Anne Wadsworth attended
a LRALC meeting which was very imformative. A number of failings by Clerks was highlighted,
I listed those that applied to our Clerk Allison Greaves and wrote a polite email asking why members
were not receiving the information we should receive? Cllr Michael Haley the kind Cllr who wrote to me telling me to go and jump under a bus once again wrote to me stating I was 'bullying the Clerk'
The 2017 Audit report highlighted 'a significant failure of governance' which the Clerk and Cllr Haley were responsible for. Once Again I attempted to raise the serious issue raised by the external auditor. Cllr Haley responded by telling me it was nothing to be concerned about.
The council led by Cllr Haley have impossed sanctions, which restrict my ability to serve the residents of my ward. This has included the closing of my council email account.
I have to write to the Clerk and those letters are filtered by Cllr Haley.
This means I often dont receive replies, I recieve more than one copy of letters etc.
Only this last week the Clerk exhibited possible incompetance by answering one of my requests with a question and ignoring my questions. Just before the council deleted my email account all members were sent a copy of a lease agreement and I had not downloaded and saved my copy, I requested the Clerk sent me a new copy and she responded either incompentaly or influanced by Cllr Haley, 'Cllrs are not entitled to all information' and 'could I explain why I needed a copy.
Any compentent person would have just sent a new copy.
Cllr Haley says the Clerk needs to be protected from me the sanctions include the clerk must not be alone with me. I find this very offensive.
If I was him or Cllr Lowe I would do the same and stop spending time alone with the clerk in the office day time or evening for their own protection. A lot of people have heard the rumour fuelled
by Cllr Joyce regarding Cllr Adam Lowe and the Clerk. I wont repeat the rumour here as it caused Cllr Lowe a lot of upset last year.
It appears that no one can be critical of the Clerk or point out mistakes etc, without fear of being accussed of harrassment.
In 2016 the external auditor pointed out how the council was wrong and pointed out the rights of Councillors and how meetings could be heated etc. Oakham Town Council and the Clerk chose to ignore external auditors reports and they are never brought to council for consideration even though
auditor raised the point that there is was no evidence that Oakham Town council do so. Cllr Adam Lowe once wrote to as Chairman stating it was not a report. ???
The Council has pushed the Clerk to go to the police and now Cllr Haley in a letter says it is not a Council matter. I don't understand why if it is not a council matter he raised the matter at previous meetings and misinformed members at the time by saying the Clerk had gone to the police when she had not.
The Council has spent thousands on legal advice and recently spent more and recieved 'the same advice' according to Cllr Adam Lowe.
The Councils staffing Committee have been seeking advice as to wether they can seek an injunction
of some sort to protect the clerk from alledged harrasment.
Oakham Town Council need to refer to the Rutland County Council involving the Chief Excutive Helen Briggs When Mrs Briigs wanted the council to pay for an injunction legal costs. Lord McNally.
17 January 2013 - in a statement in Parliament, Lord McNally said a council could not sue under a principle established in 1993
I wonder if Oakham Town Council are hoping for a similar mention in parliament.
Since the clerk has reported me to Leicestershire Police I have been discussing the matter with my Solicitor David Swingler, who is very clear I have not or have not done anything wrong.
Fortunately I will not be arrested and will attend Market Harborough Police Station at pre arranged
time with my Solicitor David Swingler.
I have a lot of evidence to prove the clerk who has a issue with me and not the other way around.
includes emails which show the clerk asks members to ignore rules like the rule that the council should not make descission by email. The email below is an example of this it even started by her acknowledging this fact council business should not be conducted via email?
There are many examples of her issue with me such as draft minutes where she types an outcome of a vote and if I vote against something she types the numbers and then adds this included Cllr Martin Brookes.
Next week there is a staffing committee meeting all items are exempt so you would not expect details of the agenda item to be published as normal the Clerk publishes my name on the public agenda item which should not happen.
I am always polite and respectful to the Clerk, she affords me no repsect.
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at 11:08 AM
From: "Allison Greaves"
To: "Adam Lowe", "Anne Skipworth" , "Joyce Lucas" , "Michael Haley " , "David Romney" , "Peter ind" , "Sally Anne Wadsworth " , martinbrookes@politician.com
Subject: Request to use Cutts Close park
From: "Allison Greaves"
To: "Adam Lowe"
Subject: Request to use Cutts Close park
Dear Members,
Council business should not be conducted via email but given the timescale I would welcome a response if you would support or not.
Yesterday afternoon I received a telephone call from a young lady and a couple of friends who are taking part in the National Citizen Service (NCS).
They have asked if they could please use Cutts Close park on Monday 31st July, between 10am – 3pm with a stall to sell cakes and sweets for charity.
The NCS is a UK Government voluntary personal and social development programme for 15–17 year olds in England and Northern Ireland, funded largely by government money. The scheme takes place coinciding with school holidays. Groups of teenagers undertake a week-long residential visit, usually to an activity centre for an Outward Bound-style course and after this, volunteers undertake a residential week, gaining a taste of independent living and learning a variety of skills for their future. In the third week, participants deliver a 'social action' project in their local community, often to raise awareness of or fundraise for a particular cause.
Regards
Allison Greaves | Clerk to the Council
Oakham Town Council, Victoria Hall, 39 High Street, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6JD
01572 723627 | agreaves@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
