Comment Reply

Comment Reply

Written for the Blog by a Preston resident.

Hi Steve,

Hedon.

Thanks for your comment, as I said in my quick reply to your comment, they have done that and I can’t see how they wouldn’t know those minutes existed, after all they are the council and they write the minutes and approve them during council meetings. To have these planning applications at the cost they were you would imagine the council would remember it because it’s an event in every twenty years or more so quite memorable and some of our councillors have been there since before 1999, we need replacements.

I have written to the council and outlined that I was informed there were no minutes in existence for the two matters also where, when and by whom I was told on more than one occasion, the council has never corrected that. On the information I had and what I considered to be ‘safe’ and credible information, direct from the council, I proceeded as I did telling the council that I believed given that information someone had made that decision in their front room and acted illegally.

My question is this, why on earth didn’t the council just say ‘sorry there’s been a mix up the minutes do exist so we can clear this matter up quickly’, for them to continue it for 2 years  and belittle me because I’m writing to them is unforgivable, will I get an apology?..Mmmm…….don’t hold your breath! It may be it was good fodder to use in justifying my isolation by the council to prevent me challenging them…but I don’t want to get paranoid.

This is one of the items listed as ‘contents of a residents continuing letters’ that the council have had quite a lot of ‘In camera’ meetings to discuss. I find it almost impossible to believe they did all that so many times, knowing their actions to be wrong.

I have in the past proposed to the new councillors that they may be getting misled by longer standing councillors who are clearly not happy with the intrusion they are having to suffer (New Councillors), someone isn’t telling them the truth or each and every councillor is in on the deception, they can’t have it both ways. I’m afraid I simply do not trust any of them anymore and will not until someone gets a grip of them and gets to the bottom of it!

I didn’t know those minutes existed until a few days ago (10/01/2013) when I received them from the council.

I was at the point of considering a complaint to the Audit Commission on the information that I had and the fact that it was impossible to resolve the issue because of the councils intransigence. Fortunately I chose to confirm their non-existence as a final check before making a decision, so that I had the information in writing, good job I did!

Can we believe anything the council tell us when they are prepared to go to these lengths just to put a resident in his place and shut him up, I don’t think I can at the moment.

Unfortunately you can’t sack Parish Councillors, they can be disqualified from office for certain reasons but the final step to achieving that would most likely be a Court Order.

Basically were stuck until 2015.

Hope this answers you Steve, sorry its long but I can’t cover this in 3 or 4 words.

PPCP