Martin Brookes Oakham

(Left Oakham's charming naughty Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe.
Right Sir Alan Duncan MP for Rutland and Melton and his pet
dog Noodle.)

In this nation of animals I think the only scandal that would bring down
Sir Alan Duncan would be if it was leaked that he had boiled and eaten
Noodles on Christmas Day.

Rutland Radio News reports: An Israeli embassy official has been caught on camera in an undercover sting plotting to “take down” members of the British parliament regarded as hostile, including the Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan – an outspoken supporter of Palestinian statehood.
he said Duncan was still causing problems. and thought Ducan had been neutralised just a little bit.

As for Alan Duncan's the foreign secretary, Boris Johnson. he said he was solid on Israel. Masot agreed, adding that Johnson just did not care. “You know he is an idiot …”

The Guardian has published the following video and article on its site.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2017/jan/07/israeli-official-shai-masot-discredit-uk-mps-undercover-video

Israeli embassy official Shai Masot is recorded discussing how to discredit MPs, in comments described by the Israeli embassy as ‘completely unacceptable’. Masot was filmed by an al-Jazeera undercover reporter at a London restaurant in October

Israeli diplomat caught on camera plotting to ‘take down’ UK MPs

Sir Alan Duncan has been the subject of much scandal over the years and it has never
really done him much harm. I won't use this post to remind readers again of those scandals
because he is not to keen for me to remind people about his political past.
If Sir Alan Ducan was to be toppled, I am sure he would have to do something very seriously wrong.

Many good and bad have tried at the ballot box and in his garden, oops that could
remind Sir Alan of the gardening scandal..... which just by chance I managed to catch
a photo of a man who objected.

Heydon Prowse tending Sir Alan Duncan MP's
Garden Thorpe-By-Water Rutland in 2009

Citizens Advice Rutland Funding Proposal Cllr Martin Brookes Oakham Town Council 11th January 2017

Citizens Advice Rutland Funding Proposal Cllr Martin Brookes Oakham Town Council 11th January 2017

I had a huge battle with the acting clerk to get this budget proposal report attached to
the meeting agenda. He said he would welcome a legal challenge, but fortunately
that was not needed as the chairman suggested his decision might be wrong.

Saturday, January 07, 2017

Oakham Town Council Group Youth Provision Cllr Martin Brookes 11th January 2017

Oakham Town Council Group Youth Provision Cllr Martin Brookes 11th January 2017

I had a huge battle with the acting clerk to get this budget proposal report attached to
the meeting agenda. He said he would welcome a legal challenge, but fortunately
that was not needed as the chairman suggested his decision might be wrong.

Oakham Town Council PPWG Budget Request 11th January 2017

Oakham Town Council PPWG Budget Request 11th January 2017

I think the acting clerk at Oakham Town Council has published the wrong report
because this is not showing the correct figure requested it should total £10,500
as per the request made at the last meeting and not only £9,500

And the summer band concerts could get boring if we are only booking one band for
£4,700

I have sent the following to Vince and Sally-Anne

Dear Vince and Sally-Anne

I was wondering if the office has included the wrong budget proposal in the agenda pack.

At the last meeting you request a sum of over £10,000

Have you been cautious and made cuts? I would not want you to b underfunded.

I note the addition of the Respect Shield Cllr Lucas. this is not a Promotions thing

It could be described as Youth and Community, What is the £250 spent on.

We are never told what this shield is for and why the school wins it I could not

even tell you who won it last year or why.

I have pointed out a couple of typos to Sally-Anne

The heritage trail leaflet, why? the new Oakham leaflet was meant to incorporate this

to reduce costs. I think the Oakham leaflet needs revising.

Thank you

From

Oakham Town Council Cutts Close Pavements Appendix C 11th January 2017

Oakham Town Council Cutts Close Pavements Appendix C 11th January 2017

For many years residents have lodged complaints with Oakham Town Council
only to be ignored.

The condition of the paths due to neglect are very poor. When the issue was
raised some years ago the council spent money on bollards and notices banning
disabled users from one of the paths.

The figures Mr Lowe has mentioned are only estimates and he promises to
obtain proper quotes for the April meeting, unfortunately the figure previously
entered into the draft budget is lower than he asks in his report.

Oakham Town Council Neighbourhood Plan Cllr Michael Haley Appendix C 11th January 2017

Oakham Town Council Neighbourhood Plan Cllr Michael Haley Appendix C 11th January 2017

A report full of mistakes and figures that do not match those previously agreed.

I have written the following to Cllr Michael Haley

I await his response once again telling me to go and jump under a bus.

I can not believe his incompetence is accepted, of it was not by the Trustees of Victoria Hall
were he lasted less than a month last year.

Dear Michael Haley

I have read your report included in the agenda pack for next weeks council meeting.

It makes no sense, the figures you have typed are incorrect.

The minutes of the previous meeting show lower amounts than those you state were previously approved.

Please can you also explain what is £1000.000 ?

At the meeting I hope you will be able to answer the following questions ignoring what may have already been

approved.

1. What is your total budget request.

2. The total amount you are seeking to receive from the grant appplication

3. Why if you expect to receive a grant is the funding not temporarly coming from reserves?

Sure you can not ask the tax payer to pay via the precept demmand for 2017 -2018 and then

take a grant?

4. By not providing a draft of the budget for 2017 - 2018 and stating in the agenda we will see a

projection in real time at the meeting. How are members and dare I suggest members of the public

meant to consider the content and raise issues at the meeting? we have seen with the recruitment

process that does not work. could you please send all members a copy of the revised budget in

plenty of time before next Wednesdays meeting?

Thank you

From

Martin Brookes

Rutland's Local Strategic Partnership Helen Briggs Rutland County Council Oakham Town Council Appendix B 11th January 2017

Rutland's Local Strategic Partnership Helen Briggs Rutland County Council Oakham Town Council Appendix B 11th January 2017

A new year and our procedures for presenting agenda items to council have gone out the window.

The letter from the CEO required a response by the end of December 2016 I guess she has
given the town council an extension and surely she is joking when she refers to Oakham Town
Council a key partner.

Oakham Town Council Agenda Wednesday 11th January 2017

There is not much on the agenda for next weeks meeting we don't seem
need to carry out our statuary duties at our monthly meeting anymore.
Things like approving payments and the accounts,

I wrote to our Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe after receiving the agenda and
so far this year I am pleased to say our Mayor is not sending me responses
calling me mental so there is a slight hope 2017 might be a better year.

Dear Adam

I have received my agenda, I must say the content of the meeting is very poor and the presentation of reports

and lack of reports is not good.

Why are we not considering our statuary matters like the monthly accounts and payments?

I assume we have not received the £17,000 invoice from Lite ltd that will require council authority

to pay. We would not want the acting clerk or Allison or any cllr signing of a payment that has not

been approved by council a requirement of all payments of £5000 and over.

I am astonished to see the presentation of the late agenda item from Helen Briggs Re: Rutland LSP

The letter is dated the 5th December and only comes to council now with no required report.

I think Mrs Briggs is being very kind when she describes us a key partner. Or is she joking?

I am sorry to say, I most certainly could not approve that you should be our representative, due to your constant poor conduct and recent serious lies you made against me.

I have once again read the draft minutes and wonder if I actually speak English at meetings.

Our minutes recently have been the worse ever for mistakes.

I have asked for audit purposes that a simple minute amendment was added, The council resolved that Cllr Lucas can spend up to £200 on plants in the park in Princess Avenue. Despite requesting this at 3 meetings now, the minute incorrectly

reads "Cllr Lucas mentioned the need to include a budget for plants provision in Princess Avenue"

excuse me for shouting! but we have already had a proposal and a figure was set 3 months ago!

So on Wednesday I will be asking again for the amendment to show we agreed Cllr Lucas can spend upto £200

I can not understand why the acting clerk appear to have an aversion to include anything I have proposed at a meeting. I assume he is still making audio recording of the meetings? if not can can I suggest he watches my video recordings.

Once again please can the council explain why agenda and supporting documents are not being sent to RCC Oakham ward

Cllrs as agreed by full council?

Thank you

From

Martin Brookes

Oakham Town Council Draft Budget 2017 2018 for January 11th Meeting 38% increase

Due to the council incompetence and mismanagement we now have a draft budget which
has jumped from a proposed 7.55% increase to 38%

I imagine some of the old guard are busy making conduct complaints as they read this
costing the Rutland Tax Payers thousands in reports because they can not accept any
form of criticism.

Looking at comments on social media I don't think any increase is a good increase for
the town council to put to residents.

We only put up crap Christmas Lights £17,000 spent putting up and taking them down
we put on a few band concerts and look after 3 three small parks and there are the hanging
baskets which many don't like.

Most costs have been guessed this year one Cllr said we have to increase the precept
demand because central government might cap us in the future. If this is how our town council
is going to conduct its financial affairs then I can see why the government would consider
capping.

We are proposing to ask taxpayers to pay the largest ever increase and we are not actually
going to b providing them with anything extra.

Hopefully at next Wednesdays meeting the Chairman Adam Lowe will permit us to consider this
budget proposal very carefully and not rush us due to a more important meeting with his wife as was the case in December.

Oakham Town Council set to increase Council Tax Demands by 38% 2017- 2018

38% is not a typing error before Christmas I was concerned that the proposed increase
was going to be 7.55%

When I posted on by blog and social media about my concern that the proposed increase
was not acceptable, The Mayor Cllr Adam Lowe posted a public comment attacking me and claiming I misleading the public and a 7.55% increase is only the cost of a couple of cups of coffee.
A couple of cups of coffee for me at most local coffee shops is actually the cost of two meals for
me and many others, his attitude stinks.

Today I received a copy of next weeks council meeting and find reports which contain inaccurate
reporting from Cllr Michael Haley one of the Councillors who is responsible for the INCOMPETENT way the setting of the 2017 - 2018 budget is being prepared.

There has been no consultation of Cllrs and the Acting Clerk who is not meant to be involved with
the setting of the budget publicly said most of the figures were guessed.

If the acting Clerk had followed instructions given by the council in the summer of last year
we would not need guesses because he or his assistant would have gone out to tender for all the
contracts that have now lapsed.

Some of the reasons the proposed budget is so wrong we are required by law to only demand what we need. We can not take money from tax payers for a rainy day.

It is proposed that salaries should be:

Salaries,etc £50,000 the same level as 2015 - 2016 even though the wages bill has been cut
drastically

Oakham Cemetery Maintenance £15,000 we only pay Rutland County Council £5,500 a year
last year we demanded £15,000 from taxpayers just in case we were ready to take over the management. at the last meeting Cllr Michael Haley said it is highly unlikely to happen this year
so why are we demanding another £9,500 we don't need.

Neighbourhood Plan £14000 There is a report in the agenda pack produced by Cllr Michael Haley
which appears to have been put together in a very incompetent way.
in his report none of his current figures match those agreed at the last meeting or the figure of £14,000

I have written to Cllr Michael Haley and requested that he explains his poor report and just gives us the figure he requires to be included in the budget.

I have also asked him to explain when we approved £1000.000 what ever that means?

We also need clarification on how much grant funding the clerk is required to apply for because that figure does not match with what was stated at the last meeting.

I also question why the required funding is not being taken from reserves when it was reported at the last meeting we have £240,000

that includes £62,500 earmarked from a developer.

Not having access to the council accounts I can not give a full figure of what I believe are the
true reserves, from the information presented to me in the December 2016 meeting I don't believe
we have a reserve more than £80,000 the reason for this is the draft budget documents stated that was the situation at the 1st December 2016 at no point does it appear that anyone working on the 2017 - 2018 budget have considered that we have five months of expenditure for the remainder of this
financial year.

It concerns me that the tax payer is being asked to pay for the neighbourhood plan because the working group has not applied for any grants to date. If reserves were used they could be repaid
from any future grants received. If tax payers are forced to pay we just get to stash away even more reserves.

Tucked in the pack is the main reason for Cllr Michael Haley's request for more money
A quote for consultancy work to be carried out by the Rural Community Council (Leicestershire and Rutland)

Although it is common knowledge this is not the only organisation that does Neighbourhood Plan
work, Cllr Michael Haley has decided we only need one quote for three items of work.

Indicative costs are listed:

£6.000 for ten days work to produce a draft plan

£1,925.00 for independent facilitation ..........

£1,225.00 Preparation of a consultation statement

The promotions of Oakham Group asked for £10500 at the last meeting our agenda pack does not include a report a spreadsheet has been bunged in possibly in error by the office because it contains
typos and only asks for £9500.

Cutts Close Path £19,000 residents have been complaining for many years about the state of the paths in Cutts Close one is so bad the council put up bollard with bollards banning disabled users
some years ago. Cllr Adam Lowe has provided a report and photographs he has had one estimate from a unknown source and for repairs to one of the paths that came in at £14,262.03 + according to his report. He finishes his report now suggesting we might need to budget £25,000.00
I have a feeling once quotes are obtained for the April meeting that figure will be higher.
but in the meantime the taxpayer is likely to be asked to fork out £25,000

Whilst we have reserves in the hundreds of thousands I will not support any council tax increase
38% is certainly a lot more than a couple of cups of coffee, Mr Mayor!

Oakham Town Council Agenda Wednesday 11th January 2017