Oakham Town Partnership Annual General Meeting Oakham Rutland 2018 Audio Recording

Oakham Town Partnership Annual General Meeting Oakham Rutland 2018 Audio Recording





Oakham Town Partnership Annual General Meeting Monday 17th September 2018


OMG what a terrible evening.

From the start it was very clear that the members of Oakham Town Partnership were
not happy that we were in attendance.

we being 4 members of Oakham Town Council. There was one other member of the
public who I later found was a member of Oakham Town Councils Neighbourhood Plan
steering group. Yes a working group of the council and we have no clue who the members are.

We all had to share one copy of a very basic agenda and last years AGM minutes.

There was a welcome from the outgoing chairman Derek Bilby, he was interrupted by Cllr Joyce Lucas who wanted to know who the people on the partnership were even though she actually like me
knew all those present, most are ex Town Councillors who have know clue as to what the word partnership actually means.

The partnership is a glorified events organisation and little else. That should prompt another complaint from former Mayor Cllr Michael Haley or perhaps the disgraced former Mayor Alf Dewis?
Interestingly they can minute criticism about Oakham Town Council but no member of Oakham Town Council can give justified criticism about the Town Partnership.

Anyway the Derek gave a report that did not really tell us anything.

I wonder who Oakham Town Partnership actually work in partnership with, they have driven away all the Rutland County Council representatives and refuse any representative from Oakham Town Council.

The have little or no representatives from the business community which a partnership is meant to represent.

It was good to hear Johnathon Spencer owner of Bills Bar had recently joined, he was not at the AGM.

It does not look like Oakham will be getting its Artisan Market from Stamford on a Thursday Derek said they did not accept the partnerships 'bribe' (I have an audio recording of the public meeting)

The non profit partnership made a small profit last year.

Accounts were distributed to members of OTP but not members of the public.
They had not been audited once again.

On Companies House site Alf Dewis applied for audit exemption.

The members did not appoint a auditor, former Cllr John Nowell said Oakham School use to do them but they don't want to do it now. It was some years ago that they last did that job.
Last years AGM minutes show the partnership appointed Lamin and White as Auditor.

Chris Clarke the Chairman of Oakham Neighbourhood Plan was appointed chairman after no one else volunteered. It is no surprise the Neighbourhood Plan is so far behind he does far to much.

No one wanted to be Vice Chairman.

The biggest laugh of the evening was the appointment of former Cllr Michael Haley as treasurer, he was once treasurer at Victoria Hall for less than a month. He was responsible for Oakham Town Council demanding money unlawfully from Oakham Residents by unlawfully creating reserves.
Putting it simply it is unlawful for a parish council to collect money just for a rainy day.

Although not on the agenda we were permitted to ask questions.

I asked why Oakham Town Partnership at companies house still showed directors like Debbie Oates  who had resigned over a year ago and why they had unlawful share capital. It is clearly stated on the site that they can not have share capital. The share capital is about the same as the money they hold in the bank.

Rutland County Councillor Alan Walter has been telling people Carolyn Acton Reed had been sacked as Oakham Town Centre Manager. Due to a fall out with Rutland County Council and the recent football event. I asked if Oakham Still had a Town Centre Manager. The new chairman said my questions would be answered later. I guess if it is anything like when I ask anything about the Neighbourhood Plan I wont get any answers.

I have asked the Town Council to attempt to try and obtain copies of the accounts because we have given the partnership thousands of pounds of public money to pay for the town centre manager.
Looking at the minutes of the partnership their is no indication that the partnership actually employ
Carolyn Correctly, they just say they pay her £1000 a month. I suspect this could be on a self employed basis.

Oakham Town Council has given public money over the years and has never carried out the required checks to find if the money has been spent correctly.

After 30 minutes we were kicked out so the partnership could hold their proper meeting in normal secrecy and no promised refreshments were offered.

Summing up it reminded me of the worst times past of Oakham Town Council.
The partnership is not doing anything for the many business's that operate in Oakham.
It runs a good farmers market. I agree with Cllr Joyce Lucas they are just a events organiser.
Although the farmers market is good for the town I wonder why Rutland County Council are not running it and why the partnership is not charged for using Gaol street?

Jokingly the partnership claims it is looking for members from the local business community.

One thing I noticed rather like what former Mayor Michael Haley managed to accomplish with the Neighbourhood Plan steering group, has happened all the woman have resigned.
I think all these former Oakham Town Councillors might have a problem with woman.


Cllr Sally Anne Wadsworth attended the AGM she had tried to join the partnership as a business owner and was turned down because she speaks to me.
She sent the following report to all members after the meeting.


Sally-Anne Wadsworth
Yesterday, 22:11
OTC Councillors
Good evening all

I have just been to what can only be called a strange AGM of the OTP.


After being invited via the letters page in the Rutland Myself, Martin,Joyce and Joy plus a member of the public decided to go along to see what OTP have done for us this year.

We were ignored when we entered the whipper Inn and were not invited upstairs when the members left the bar to go to the meeting room. So we followed behind. The minute taker informed the bar staff that the coffee would not be required until 7.30 when the AGM was over.  (No refreshments were offered to us)

The meeting began with no introductions which Joyce had to ask who everyone was. Derek Bilby  took the chair and explained that Oliver Bird had left due to ill health and Himself and Alf Dewis had decided to be joint chair.

He then went on to explain OTP had wrote to the Rutland Times letter page to share their thoughts on the one way system.  Followed by explaining the Julianna White was elected to represent them on the Task and Finish group but had to leave being replaced by Alf Dewis.

Carolyn Acton was thanked for her work. This included
LNS which was very cold but a success.
Spring food festival at which the castle had counted between 2000/3000 members again a success.
Fawlty Towers and other food festivals.
OTP had spoken to the weds/sat Markets to look at improving them - something for the future.
Artisian Market was going to happen but the group decided to stay at stamford.
Farmers Market is going from strength to strength.

New members included jonathan Spencer and Chris Clarke but they are looking for more new members including Traders

John Nowell the treasurer gave us a run down of the finances year began £11684.14 ended £12461.73.
A new auditor was required as Oakham School no longer had time to do it.

A new chairman was voted in - Chris Clarke,
Vice chairman - no vote
Treasurer - Michael Haley.

We were then asked if we the public had any questions.  Martin asked if they could confirm if Carolyn was still employed as the town centre manager as we had heard from an RCC member that she had been sacked. And also about the companies house reports that still had Debbie Oakes as a director. NO replies were given but Martin was told his questions would be answered at a later date.

That was the end of the AGM. Chris Clarke stood up and asked us to leave so they could have their normal meeting in private.

I felt i have just wasted half an hour of my time as i now know no more about what OTP has done this year or what it has planned than i did before i went.

If any of the other OTC members who were present feels i have not given a true interpretation of the meeting please do let me know what i may have misunderstood.

Sally-anne