Telford & Wrekin Council Watch - The Matter Must Be opened publicily

This matter must be opened publicly. I sense a threat to democracy which will not be investigated properly within the council. Keith Austin is fishing around for party advantage but, as his own party laid down the so called regulations about the town park, he too has much to answer for.

I believe that Councillor Allen tried to run with the fox as well as the hounds. That is why his long term supporters became angry with him. Dennis then started challenging the bureaucracy and was hung out to dry by his leader under pressure from senior officers covering their own backs as regards the C.R.B.fiasco. but also anxious to be rid of the man who was threatening the long term development plans for the park.

The Leader was helped in this by the cuckoo in the nest,Councillor Bentley, who appears to be taking over the leadership. This man changed parties at the last moment for personal advantage. He is opposed to allowing the Arena to remain as open space. Now he is cabinet member for Community and Leisure Services as well as most other matters.

This puts the future of the Arena and much of the park under considerable threat. The "Friends of the Park" had better think this through but without a council officer instructing them how to do it .

The Telford and Wrekin Conservatives, as a whole, should do some thinking and pretty damned soon as the matter could blow up in the party's face. Tom Biggins will not like this as he will be sabotaged by his own and the conveniently placed cuckoo.

On the other hand ,though a David come lately, Mr Wright,who now supports preserving the park ,will reap the political harvest.He may of course change course if Keith and the gang take over as a result of possible by-elections in the near future.

I say this because Keith wants to sell off the park to developers just as much as the cuckoo does. It was the cuckoo who said he would like a commercial complex with a restaurant built on the Arena so that he could dine out with his wife. I was sitting next to him when he said it. Hoop heard this as well ,also others who were there.

Andrew Eade told me that he had absolute confidence in Dennis when I questioned the latters position with regard to the fiasco in the park. He also told me that he personally would preserve the Arena and that Dennis was negotiating to formally preserve it.

I understood this to mean negotiating with the "Fields in Trust" so as to preserve it for future generations just as the Victorians had dedicated vast park areas in Bristol in the Nineteenth Century.However, it appears that the "Friends of the Park" believed village green status was on the cards. A degree of confusion in this I suspect. Confusion arising frm the fact that there were other considerations in the background.

The sinister removal of Councillor Allen raises a number of very pertinent questions. The position of the Shropshire Star being one of them. It was excellent in it's reporting of the penguin in the park fiasco. However, it must not give ,the probably wrong impression that it does not want to muddie the waters on the development issue.

The media can only preserve itself by fearlessly exposing democratic failures. We,as a whole pay for the paper.But we as a whole have a duty to protest at the way this matter of Dennis's sacking is being handled. Even the heavy handed visit to his house is very worrying. The public has a duty to itself to raise this issue and people should communicate their willingness to demand open debate and if necessary peacefully demonstrate about what appears to be an abuse of power. By small degrees a democracy dies. A.J.Cobbler.

3.20 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."