Oakham Town Council There are no steps being taken to recover a payment of £1000 made to Oakham Town Partnership

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?

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

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 

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.

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.