22 June 2021
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I said at the end of my last blog that I would stand back and reflect on my experience so far of becoming a councillor on Hughenden Parish Council.
When I started blogging, I quoted an e- mail from Debra Main explaining why she had decided not to stand again for HPC. Debra said:-
“To be met with fierce resistance when I requested a recorded vote, was astounding and goes against every ethic contained within public service and transparency. This kind of battle should not be required to achieve such a basic level of good practice…….
When I joined the council, I felt energised and excited at the possibilities of working within my own community, and yet very quickly my attempts to push projects forward, ask questions, learn and do, were heavily weighed down by excuses, defence, protection, obstacle, issue, challenge and an unwillingness to share documentation”.
I was concerned that I would have the same experience as Debra, and, yes, I think I have.
I have experienced (amongst other things):-
- A fierce resistance and a battle about the minutes;
- Unanswered questions and unanswered requests for information;
- Obstructions to providing information needed to contribute to Council decisions;
- A flagrant disregard of procedures and a denial of natural justice;
- A failure to respond to questions about this disregard of procedures and natural justice;
- A threat to remove me from a Council meeting;
- Potential conflicts at a meeting unacknowledged;
- Actions taken without authority;
- Non-compliance with Standing Orders on a commercial contract put out to tender;
- Failure to adhere to financial procedures in validating the accounts;
- Explicit willingness by at least one councillor not to comply with Standing Orders;
- Reluctance by councillors to comply with statutory obligations in approving the asset register;
- Lack of challenge to an un-itemised invoice for £3500 from solicitors;
- Failure to respond to my concerns that Council is acting unlawfully in transferring valuable Council land assets;
- Failure to obtain legal advice to address these concerns; and
- Failure by Council to account for Council’s actions in transferring the land.
In short, I have experienced an attempt to make my life as a councillor difficult and unpleasant; poor governance; poor financial management; and a refusal to address the unlawful transfer of land assets.
I have also been concerned about the lack of information on the Council’s priorities, its objectives and its plans and projects. HPC has reserves of nearly £340,000 and I wanted to know what Council intended to spend it on. The Chairman’s May post on HPC's website says:-
"The last Council’s broad strategic plan that underpins an improvement in services to the residents, rolls forward and the new Council will continue to develop and those ambitions."
So I asked for a copy of this broad strategic plan. No response. I just wonder if the last Council had a broad strategic plan?
The closest I have got to any sort of plan, strategic or otherwise, is a document prepared for the 8 June Full Council meeting called “Key Actions for 2020/21 Worksheet”. It is a list of tasks - all of which should have been completed by Spring 2021. Councillors were merely asked to note the status of the worksheet.
So, I am no clearer about the Council’s priorities and what it hopes to achieve.
I am also keen to find out what sort of concerns residents were putting to HPC and find out what residents would like HPC to do on their behalf.
However, very few residents turn up to Council meetings and the Council meetings provide very limited opportunity for residents to put their concerns.
Unfortunately, correspondence to HPC provides very little feedback from residents either.
Previous Clerks have kept a log of correspondence from residents which was put to Council at its meetings. The current Clerk discontinued this practice but said she copies all significant correspondence from residents to the relevant ward councillor. However, with the exception of planning issues, I have not had any correspondence copied to me by the Clerk since I became a councillor. So I have to assume residents don’t put their concerns to HPC.
I will of course get views and feedback from Widmer End Residents’ Association; I represent Council on WERA.
I have also been pleased that my blogs have reached so many people and pleased that they have had such a positive response. Councillors are required to represent the interests of the whole community so I regard it as essential that councillors are open and transparent about what HPC is doing and open to residents’ concerns.
But, all in all, it hasn’t been a good experience so far.
I will survive but Council needs to change.
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