30 January 2010

Planning matters........

Yesterday I heard that a new application had been lodged with regard to another parcel of land in the vicinity of Badger's Cross:

10/00231/CPO 26 January 2010 Quarry Badgers Cross Lane Somerton Somerset TA11 7JF Proposal: Section 96 review of old minerals planning permission (ROMP) under section 96 of the Enviroment Act 1995. (GR 348358/127733)

The applicant is listed as Mr & Mrs M Squire and the application only effects the land owned by the applicant. However, the existing quarrying consent encompasses both this land and the adjacent land owned by Mr A H Canvin. In common with the proposals for a Household Waste Recycling Centre at Badger's Cross, this application raises the question about future planning issues on the edges of Somerton.

It may be that, with the election of a new Town Council, now might be an appropriate time to review planning policy and strategy as it effects Somerton. Such a review might propose some sort of definition of the areas around the boundaries of Somerton where commercial development would or would not be preferable.

One reason for undertaking a serious review of local planning policy is that, for the last 10 years, the local development community have enjoyed a significant degree of access to strategic planning. That access has been represented by the involvement of Mr A H Canvin at both Local and District level. Mr Canvin and his friends and associates in the property and development community hold significant land investments in and around Somerton and it is inevitable that those landholdings will have had an influence on planning strategy.

The enthusiasm for development in the Badger's Cross area is a perfect example where there seems to be a clear effort to establish a new industrial area to the south of Somerton. However, the Bancombe Road Trading Estate is well established and it would be sensible to propose that future industrial development for Somerton continue to the west/north west.

At the same time, the New Town Council could also undertake a review of the Conservation Area with the intention of establishing a detailed policy document to support the Conservation Area. Such a document would seek to clearly define the character of the Conservation Area and take the heat out of the consideration of applications within the CA.

I don't under-estimate the amount of work that these ideas would involve but by establishing clearly defined policy and strategy documents, all sectors of the community, both residents and businesses, would have a clearer idea of what they might expect and what might be expected of them.

It might also help reduce the stress on parts of the community, and in this I refer to the residents in and around Badger's Cross, who don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

26 January 2010

More from the vaults........

One of the specific areas of my enquiries has been into Somerton Town Council's conduct of its purchase, ownership and, finally, disposal of land at Etsome Terrace, near the geographical centre of Somerton. This land was purchased in 2003, ostensibly as the site for a community hall but, after 5 years of prevarication and obfuscation, the Keenan/Canvin Council flogged 50% of it to a business contact of Canvin's, Edgar Homes, as a residential development site. The deal wasn't completed until 9 months later, in September of 2008, when the Keenan/Canvin regime agreed not to sell but to swap the land at Etsome for an industrial shed on the Bancombe Trading Estate (prop A H Canvin). And who was the vendor of this industrial shed? None other than Edgar Builders, a company that shares the same directors as Edgar Homes. This is not what I would call an 'arms length' transaction.

Also, compare Unit 8, Cary Court, the Edgar Builders premises for a short time:

to the premises that they moved to after selling Unit 8 to Somerton:

It certainly occured to me that Unit 8 seemed like a very grandiose project for a building company and this is an observation that has been made to me by other businesses on the Bancombe Trading Estate. All the more so when the company relocates to a unit which seems rather more in keeping with a firm of builders.

But I digress. When I was able to look at the Etsome Terrace files, apart from being totally shambolic, they tell a story of unbelievable incompetence and mismanagement. It seems that from the very outset, when the old Somerton Town Council purchased Etsome Terrace, they immediately 'forgot' the reason for the purchase: to build a community hall on the site. Almost immediately they embarked on a hare-brained scheme to build a health centre on the site and, from what I have seen so far, this project absorbed them for the better part of 4 years leading, ultimately, to failure and then an indecently hasty sale of half the land to a builder.

If you read the public reporting of this process as it is described in the Town Council's Minutes, you are given the impression that the Leadership of the Town Council are working very hard to pull-off an astoundingly good deal for the Town. But there was criticism of the conduct of this affair internally from one councillor and it is hard to understand why this criticism was not aired publicly. Here are extracts from November 2005:

Extract 1


Extract 2


Extract 3


Extract 4


There is a lot more in a similar vein and it confirms the view that the Keenan/Canvin administration conducted the business of the Council behind a veil of secrecy and exclusion. It is also clear from the documents that, from 2002, Etsome Terrace was clearly seen as the site for a Community Hall. There was a publicly stated preference for this option which was established by the Somerton Community Association which undertook a survey of opinion on the matter. 84% of the respondents to the survey were in favour of a community hall on the site. So why did the Keenan/Canvin administration derail the community hall project? The remarkable lack of documentation allied to the secrecy surrounding the Council's activities between 2002 and September 2008 mean that it is very hard to establish what the Council was up to.

What is clear is that the agenda followed by the Keenan/Canvin administration was not the agenda set by the community. At least one councillor had grave reservations about this situation but they clearly decided to keep their reservations within the confines of the Council.

Today, the community of Somerton face the unenviable task of trying to make the Tin Dunny a workable proposition. Most of the stakeholders who were involved in the Community Hall Steering Group have fallen by the wayside and the community has no real sense of ownership of the Dunny. But they have the responsibility for paying for it.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

PS Anyone wishing to see these documents can get in touch with me or plough through the files held by Somerton Town Council.

24 January 2010

And my file contained.............

Now that the New Somerton Town Council has made public information available I'm having an interesting time picking my way through the veritable tsunami of information. Much as you might expect, much of it is pretty mundane and it does cause me to wonder why the 'ancien regime' fought so hard to keep it all secret.

What has been of interest has been the opportunity to look at the Stasi-file that the old Town Council were building up on me. The old Council received, from what I've seen so far, three legal opinions and the focus of those enquiries was, a) to see if the old Council could keep Public Documents secret and, b) if they had any grounds to launch a legal attack on me in order to shut Muck&Brass down.

The advice that they received was that a) they needed to release Public Documents and b) there was no basis on which to mount a legal attack on me. But, having said that, the terms of the third opinion that they received make pretty scary reading. Here's a quote:

"I presume that now you feel you would like to do is: -
• Refuse or restrict disclosure of information on whatever grounds are available to you;
• Curb Mr Connolly's unwelcome comments to the world at large.
We shall need to consider the FOI provisions and issues of defamation and harassment."


Later in the letter the advice states:
"I have not read any of Mr Connolly's correspondence on the broad subject but I imagine that he will say throughout all this that it is a free country and he has rights - of access to information, free speech, etc. In principle, he does but we will have to look at the ways in which that freedom can be limited or denied."

Finally, and most frighteningly, the advice states:
"What I do expect, having only glanced over this matter, is that Mr Connolly is not a man who will cow to threats, empty or otherwise, so if we are going to look for a solution then it needs to be an effective one."

Probably the legal equivalent of torching cars, smashing windows and threatening GBH.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

20 January 2010

Setting a new course.........

Whilst didn't stay for the whole of last week's inaugural meeting of the New Somerton Town Council I did mention the statement from the new Chair of the Council, Michael Fraser-Hopewell, that the Chair would be occupied by three different councillors between now and May of 2011. This is a decision that deserves specific comment because it indicates the strength of the sea-change that has overtaken Somerton.

Looking back at the Keenan/Canvin administration, the Council was divided roughly into two parts, one the one hand the Bullies and, on the other, the sheep. The Bullies, messers Keenan & Canvin, set the agenda and the sheep were there to rubber-stamp the decisions that had already been made by the Bullies.

But under the New Somerton Town Council there is clearly a determination to create, over time, an experienced body of councillors who will not be dependent on any one individual for their leadership. This in itself suggests that the agenda of the Council is far less likely to be set internally, especially if the New Council continues its determination to be open, transparent and accountable. Because there is less than 18 months between now and the next election, a six monthly tenure will give Somerton three councillors with experience of holding the Chair. It may be that 6 months may be too short a period but certainly one year will be adequate and time will tell how this arrangement will work in practice.

It will also be interesting to see what impact this new administrational environment will have on the administration of the Town Council. The Town Clerk has been in post for some 20 years and is therefore very familiar, not to say comfortable, with the style of the old regime. It will be interesting to see how the Town Clerk adapts to the new reality.

Till next time, I am Niall Connolly

18 January 2010

Glasnost


From Wikipedia: "While "glasnost" is associated with freedom of speech, the main goal of this policy was to make the country's management transparent and open to debate, thus circumventing the narrow circle of apparatchiks who previously exercised complete control of the economy."


Having just returned from the Tin Dunny after my first information collecting visit (post January 12th FoI decision), I am struck by the entirely different atmosphere that met me. Instead of naked suspicion I am treated like any other member of the public who has requested public documents. Instead of hostility and obstruction, I am treated like any other member of the public who has requested public documents.


If this is to be a measure of the way in which the new Town Council will seek to undertake its responsibilities then I believe that the community of Somerton can start to have some real confidence in this new administration. Yes, it is early days, but the signs are good, better than I had dared hope for.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

17 January 2010

Somerton, Westminster and................Crewkerne

Wikipedia isn't the best research resource but its a great starting point and Wikipedia throws up the following definitions of variants on the 'democracy' theme:

1. Democracy is a political government either carried out directly by the people (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (Representative democracy). The term is derived from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (dēmokratía) "the power to the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) "people" and κράτος (krátos) "power", in the middle of the fifth-fourth century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508 BC. Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of democracy includes, equality and freedom. These principles are reflected by all citizens being equal before the law, and having equal access to power, and freedom is secured by legitimized rights and liberties, which are generally protected by a constitution.

2. Participatory democracy, with subtype direct democracy, is a process emphasizing the broad participation of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems. Etymological roots of democracy (Greek demos and kratos) imply that the people are in power and thus that all democracies are participatory. However, traditional representative democracy tends to limit citizen participation to voting, leaving actual governance to politicians.

Both of these definitions refer to two distinct types of democracy, on the one hand we have a 'direct' or 'participatory' democracy i.e. 'by the people for the people', or, a 'representative' democracy i.e. by the representatives for the people. In the UK we have a 'representative' democracy where we elect representatives to govern on behalf of the people. However, the Muck&Brass experience would suggest that, across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, there is deep dissatisfaction with our elected representatives. That dissatisfaction would seem to stem from a growing belief that our elected representatives do not govern on our behalf but do so for their parties, for themselves, for their pressure groups or for undisclosed interests with hidden agendas.

But our democracy has evolved over time and checks and balances are available to at least attempt to make sure that our elected representatives continue to represent their electorate. The problem is that it is the electorate, or elements of it, who must bring those checks and balances to bear. The membership of our 'representative democracy' know this full well and that is why the checks and balances are well hidden. That is also why the 'regulators' of our representative democracy are so loath to act when faced with wrong-doing. The elected representatives in our democracy do not want it made at all easy for the electorate to obtain accountability or transparency.

But it is in the checks and balances, if you know where to look for them, that accountability lies. Council's have a code of conduct which tells councillors how to behave. Get a copy of it and measure the actions of councillors against the code. Councillors must enter information into the 'Register of Members Interests' which should tell you if a councillor has business connections or if their family has business connections or if they own land. Behind all of this, there is the Town Clerk who should, in an ideal world, ensure that the Town Council is administered appropriately and lawfully. That includes policing the Code of Conduct and keeping the Register up to date. If the Code isn't administered or the Register isn't up to date, maybe the Clerk needs a nudge.

And this is the problem that we had with MP's expenses and this is the problem that we had with Somerton Town Council and this may be the problem that is attracting attention in Crewkerne. MP's and councillors can resolve these problems by obeying not just their interpretation of the rules but by respecting the intention of the rules. And what keeps people honest is making sure that the public can gain access to the decision making process to assure themselves that everything is done properly. But don't think that our 'representative democracy' is going to make it easy.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

13 January 2010

Somerton Town Council meeting, 12th January 2010

The meeting was chaired initially by Tim Carroll who brought the meeting to order and took everyone through apologies (from our District Councillors) and into the main business of the day - the election of a a Chair and Vice-Chair. Candidates for Chair were: Cllr Margaret Chambers; Cllr Fraser-Hopewell and Cllr Barrie Davis and, on a ballot, the candidates attracted 4, 7 and 4 votes respectively and Cllr Fraser-Hopewell duly took the Chair of the Council. The candidates for Vice Chair were: Cllr Barrie Davis; Cllr Nancy Langmaid and Cllr Patt Bennett. On the ballot the candidates attracted 4, 4 and 7 votes respectively and Cllr Bennett was duly elected Vice Chair.

Cllr Fraser-Hopewell made a brief speech about the way that the Chair would be handled under the new Council. The position is to be rotated twice between now and the next election (May of 2011) which will give three councillors the opportunity to experience Chairing the Council thereby spreading experience through the membership. This proposal was greeted enthusiastically.

Public Q's brought a request from John Watts that the Town Council set up an informative and interactive website. John Campion made a request for detailed information regarding the cost of Edgar Hall. Peter Spearman requested that the layout of the Council seating arrangements be opened up to make the Council face the audience. Carol Redell spoke on the need for a panel to be set up to air substantial planning application and to ensure that such applications are fully consulted. Ian Parry requested information about the cost of putting names on the War Memorial. Mr Porch asked if the new Council might introduce themselves and say a little bit about themselves and their ambitions. Cllr Fraser-Hopewell took the suggestion head on and gave the members the opportunity to 'meet their public'. It was heartening to hear that almost every member of this new Council seems to be concerned to hear what the community are saying and to represent the views of the community.

There was a further question about gritting which triggered a discussion about whose responsibility was the gritting (SCC) and how the community could help itself. Cllr Neale referred to volunteers being involved already and Peter Spearman suggested a loose network of volunteers to develop this effort.


Declaration of Interests brought declarations from Cllr Paul Austin, Cllr Nancy Langmaid and Cllr David Harrison and this was followed by a brief discussion led by Cllr Barrie Davis on the issue of the nature of 'Member's Interests' and it was a very informative discussion. The point at issue was to explain what constituted a 'Prejudicial Interest' which could be further defined as being an interest of 'predisposition' or an interest of 'predeterminantion'. As I understood the discussion, a predjudicial interest is where a member may have a connection with or a direct interest in an issue under discussion. But there is also a prejudicial interest where a member may have already stated a public view upon an issue ie a predisposition to vote in a particular way or a predetermination ie a decision already made. It was made clear by Tim Carrol that a member who has already stated a view upon an issue must bar themselves from voting upon that issue. A very interesting and informative discussion indeed which I understood to mean that only members coming to an issue with an entirely open mind can vote upon that issue.

The Meeting moved on to discuss the Minutes of the previous meeting and under this item a number of members sought corrections. Members of the Public, notably Barry Markham, drew attention to the failings and inaccuracies of previous Minutes. The Draft Minutes may then have been approved.

The Council moved on the discuss the Precept (that chunk of taxpayer's money that the Council gets to spend) and it was immediately clear that the Council as a whole were uncomfortable in setting a Precept whilst they were still grappling with the Council's accounts. It was proposed that the Council defer setting a precept until the next meeting and the Council further agreed to have an interim meeting where Members would meet and discuss in detail the Precept and the costs that make it up.

The Council then moved on to discussion of the Freedom of Information complaints. It was noted that the Council now faced one Decision Notice with another due imminently, both upholding complaints against the Council. The general view of the Council was that there was no reason that Public Information should be witheld from any member of the public and it was moved that all information subject to all requests made by Niall Connolly be made immediately available. The method of making the material available was discussed and the Chair proposed that a dialogue be initiated between Niall Connolly, a group of councillors and the Town Clerk in order to agree the best way to make the information available.

And at that juncture, dear readers, your scribe left the meeting to consider exactly what had been the point of the charade that had seen Somerton Town Council deny public access to public information for 9 months (23 months if you add in letters written to the Council in 2008 which never received a reply). To describe it as pointless really doesn't explain it.

For information about the rest of the meeting you will have to search other sources but I will be publishing the results of my researches into Somerton Town Council's Public Documents at a later date and I hope that they will be as interesting and informative as I believe them to be.

Till next time, I am Niall Connolly

12 January 2010

An end to responsibility...........


Over the last three months, mainly since the Somerset Suiciders made their grand exit, M&B has come in for a fair amount of stick from the 'Suiciders' supporters. A lot of it has been pretty foul-mouthed and incoherent and very little of it has made much sense but a theme does seem to be appearing which goes along the lines of, "OK, the old Council have gone, now leave them to get on with it".

I thought about this for a while and realised that some elements in the town, the supporters of the old guard certainly, think that now we that have a new Council then everything is magically OK. Job done. Sorted. No more problems. And the implication is that the town can once again settle into the semi-comatose stupor that it occupied throughout the Dark Ages. The logic is that the town or, more accurately, the community doesn't have to bother anymore because the new Council will sort everything out.

And that, my friends, is exactly where you are mistaken.


The reason that Somerton's Town Council settled so deeply into a 'Democratic Deficit' was precisely because the community didn't bother. The other side of this equation is that the Town Council didn't bother to engage the Community. But in the main, the reason that Somerton Town Council, pre 27th October 2009, was out of control was because the community had, quite literally, walked away leaving the Town Council to run riot with the taxpayers hard earned dosh. There were a small number of concerned citizens who made an effort but most meetings I attended between November 2006 and June 2009 were lucky to have an audience in double figures. With hindsght it took very little to bring the Town Council to heel (eg Behind Berry and Badger's Cross) but it took a long time to get there.

And there is another aspect of this situation which shoud be mentioned - Somerton Town Council's 'Democratic Deficit' created Muck & Brass. Without that Democratic Deficit, Muck & Brass would have nothing to say.


Here we come down to it. Somerton Town Council, going forward, will be empowered by the Community's involvement. If the Community get directly involved and maintain an ongoing dialogue with the Town Council then the Town Council will automatically reflect the will of the people. If the Community sits back now then the risk is that, over time, exactly the same situation will arise which led to 27th October 2009.

There is no end to responsiblity and, in fact, the opposite is true - this is the beginning of responsibility. This is an opportunity to restart the democratic process and I hope that the community grabs the chance with both hands.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

10 January 2010

Truth and Reconciliation.

"A society emerging from a regime marked by grave and serious violations of human rights faces the complex challenge of how best to deal with the past."

Whilst this might, to some, seem a rather grandiose observation to make with reference to Somerton, it does have significant resonances with the situation that Somerton faces in the light of the election of a new Town Council.

There is little disagreement that the end of the Keenan/Canvin administration is something that is welcomed by everyone who embraces democratic and ethical principles. But to simply brush their activities under their carpet is a mistake.

The community of Somerton has been denied access to the democratic process and, along the way, has been denied the opportunity to decide how the community's funds might be distributed. At the same time, others have benefited from the opportunity to undertake work for the Town Council without appropriate tendering, competition or specification. The community has been denied the opportunity to establish if it received anything like 'best value' under the previous regime.

Some members of the community have suggested that the time is right to put the Keenan/Canvin regime behind us and focus on the future. However, the wrong-doing of the Keenan/Canvin regime casts a long shadow, no more so than regarding the matter of Unit 8 Cary Court.

My own enquiries (established at the Land Registry) show that the title of Unit 8 Cary Court is flawed, something that cannot have escaped the notice of the Town Council, the Town Clerk and their advisors. The consequence is that the value of Unit 8 Cary Court is uncertain in the event of a sale.

These are serious matters whose consequences do not cease simply with the election of a new Council. These are serious matters whose consequences the Town Council will have to grapple with until a satisfactory resolution is found and such a resolution may never be found.

So there is the very need need to understand what happened to Somerton Town Council over the last 5 or more years. There is a very real need to quantify the damage that has been done and, if possible, rectify it. There is also a very real need to establish who was responsible.

So there is need for truth leading to reconciliation. Only then will Somerton truly be able to put the past behind it.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

9 January 2010

Time to drop the anonymity.......

I've been writing this blog for over three years now and, right from the start, I've written it under my own name and I have never sought to hide who I am and what I believe in. I switched on the 'comment' facility in May of 2009 and since that time the majority of 'comments' have been made anonymously. Now I understand why people might wish to comment anonymously, especially in the atmosphere generated by the old guard administration under Messers Keenan&Canvin.

But the fact is that we have a new Council with a lot of new faces and many of them are untainted with the sort of baggage that bedevilled the old Council. And we expect open-ness and transparency from our Council and maybe its time that we stopped commenting anonymously. People need to stand up and be counted.

Speaking personally, I thought a lot about writing this blog before I started and, in the end, I beleved that, to have any credibility, I had to make myself accountable. Everone knows who I am and its not too difficult to find out where I live (as the local thugs know). So I'd ask everyone who uses the comment facility to consider putting their name to what they say. In truth, I don't expect my critics to be honest and open about themselves but those members of the community who believe in the community need to start networking. Finding other like-minded souls and making connections. Saying your name in public is another way of voting for the open and transparent Council that we want.

Think about it. Step up.

Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

8 January 2010

The Result

The following candidates were successful in seeking election to Somerton Town Council (votes cast are shown in brackets):

Paul Anthony Austin (720)
Shane Broom (550)
Margaret Ruth Chambers (855)
Pauline Clarke (990)
Jane Cook (782)
Barrie Thomas Davies (645)
Michael George Fraser-Hopewell (910)
Tony Jotcham (655)
Nancy Georgina Langmaid (815)
Sam Mildon (680)
Sue Standen (718)
Phil Thomas (841)

Based on figures from SSDC, 1,438 electors from an electorate of 3,798, cast a vote. This means that the turn out was 37.86%, up from 31.7% in October. This also means that each elector cast an average of 8.85 votes rather than the 12 votes that they could have cast. For those of you with a statistical mindset, here is a graph showing the votes cast for each candidate and the turn-out compared with last October (single click on the image and it should open into a larger version).Muck&Brass would like to congratulate all these successful candidates and wish them every success in bringing a new age of accountability, transparency and honest representation to the community of Somerton.

7 January 2010

Somerton a UK bellweather?

With our national politicians bleating about the need to regain the confidence of the electorate, pollsters are evidently looking at the Somerton result to see if the electorate is genuinely ready for change.


Early anecdotal evidence suggests a good turn out at the Wessex Rooms. If you haven't yet voted, get out there and have your say.

Tick-tock.

Niall

6 January 2010

24 hours from honesty?

With the election less than 24 hours away, it is really heartening to observe that so many of the candidates seem committed to turning over a new leaf if they are elected to Somerton Town Council. Those that I've managed to meet or speak to, irrespective of whether or not they agree with the M&B view of the world, all seem to embrace a set of values and standards which were alien to the old guard on Somerton Town Council.


It makes me realise that the safety of our democracy doesn't lie in the hands of our Parliament or our regulators but in the hands of ordinary men and women who put themselves forward in the hope that they can make things better. If they embrace high standards of decency and a belief in ethical behaviour, then we are lucky. If they don't, like Somerton Town Council's old guard, then we are unlucky.

Hopefully, with the appalling example of Somerton Town Council's old guard so fresh in our minds, our new candidates will, at the very least, have a road map showing them the mistakes to avoid.

Tick-tock

Niall

5 January 2010

Dont be fooled.......

It has been drawn to my attention that there is an effort to seriously pervert the course of our local democracy here in in Somerton. As many people are aware there is another website which is dedicated to, "Exposing falsehoods and lies......" and "Revealing untold truths.........". At present this website carries a banner informing its readers that Election Day in Somerton is the 8th of January (ie this coming Friday) when, in fact, Polling Day is on the 7th.

Please don't be fooled by this blatant and criminal attempt to pervert the course of the election that Somerton has fought so hard to hold. Please don't be fooled by this 'old guard' attempt to deny the electorate its day at the polling booth.

Vote on the 7th and tell the 'old guard' that they are not part of Somerton's future irrespective of their lies and deceit. Vote on the 7th and give the new candidates, those not tainted by association with the Keenan/Canvin administration, give those new candidates the chance to chart a new future for the community of Somerton.

Use your vote wisely and use it on the 7th January.

Niall

4 January 2010

Declaring an interest......

Reading candidate's literature can be pretty pointless because anyone can waffle-on about 'caring for the community'. Words, as our politicians have so often shown us, are cheap, and no words are as cheap as those used to solicit our votes. As a result I've had to base my own views of our candidates upon what I know of those candidates and, of the current batch, Pauline Clarke has been the greatest disappointment with regard to her involvement in promoting Tony Canvin's Badger's Cross scheme.

A County Officer, Martin Gerrish, wrote an assessement of the Badger's Cross scheme and, having read his report, it was obvious to me that the developer had been involved in serious negotiations with SWP. As a result, I made a Freedom of Information enquiry of SWP and they provided some 72 pages of correspondence. What surprised, and disappointed me was to find that our then County Councillor, Pauline Clarke, had acted as a go-between, presenting the Badger's Cross scheme to SWP on behalf of the developer, Mr Tony Canvin. The correspondence shows that Pauline Clarke acted in the capacity of go-between from September '07 to September '08 and, as I understand it, did not declare this involvement publicly. This is exactly the kind of secretive behaviour that has destroyed the public's trust in our representatives and I, for one, would like to hear Pauline's explanation of her actions. What I won't do is give her my vote.

Vic Medley is a strident apologist for the Canvin/Keenan administration so should be avoided.

Of the other candidates, both Nancy Langmaid and Brian Raybould have already been members of Somerton Town Council during the Canvin/Keenan administartion. Neither did anything to counter the irregular conduct of Somerton Town Council's business whilst both, in common with all other ex-councillors, must be in possession of 'guilty knowedge' about the Town Council's affairs. Had either been bothered enough to report to SSDC's Monitoring Officer or to the Standards Board for England & Wales, action might have been taken far sooner to regularise the affairs of Somerton Town Council. Neither deserve a vote.

Thankfully there are a truck-load of alternative candidates and, whilst I haven't met them all, I have made an effort to meet as many as possible and, with the exception of those mentioned above, they seem (and I use the word advisedly) they seem to be a decent bunch. What many of them do not fully appreciate is the scale of the challenge that they face and, by far and away, the biggest challenge will be raising the poor standards which are embraced by our Town Clerk, Mr Roger Calderwood.

Mr Calderwood has been in post throughout the Canvin/Keenan administration and clearly has agreed with and enabled the activities of the Town Council. He fails to set a sufficiently high standard with regard to the Council's administration and our new councillors will have to educate him with regard to how the Town Council should be run. That alone is going to be a real challenge and I do not envy our new councillors this task.

Till next time.

Niall

2 January 2010

A very different hall..........

Yesterday I was driving up the M5 when I caught sight of a rather interesting building which turns out to be the recently completed Eastington Community Hall. A very brief visit illustrated what can be achieved when a community is given the chance to work towards 'community objectives'. The Eastington Hall is everything that the Tin Dunny is not: heavily insulated; has grey water recycling; photovoltaics; solar capture etc etc etc. It is a beacon building which makes the Tin Dunny look exactly like the shabby industrial box that it always will be. Have a look at the website for the Eastington Community and see what Somerton was denied.



Whilst on the subject of the Tin Dunny, I was amused to read candidate Vic Medley's balance sheet on how much the Tin Dunny has cost. He's obviously very much a part of the old guard Canvinite Council and gullible to boot. As good a reason as I can imagine for keeping him as far away as possible from the finances of Somerton Town Council.

Remember, we're in the countdown to the election. Speak to all your friends and make sure that everyone who can possibly vote, does vote. Vote for change and, whatever you do, don't vote for anyone who has a track-record of failure. In this regard I need to single out candidates Langmaid, Clarke and Raybould. These candidates, more than any others, did nothing to protect the democratic process within Somerton Town Council.

Tick-tock.

Niall