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Written by johnfranklyn

Saturday, 08 November 2008

Telford Housing Summit

A lot of hard work has been placed into arranging the Telford Housing Summit. With the current ‘Recession’ housing needs to be addressed with a high level of urgency.

Unfortunately, there have been and will continue to be more innocent victims of the recession with the need for Social Housing increasing. Many families will face repossession, some will through no fault of their as tenants in the private sector are facing homelessness even though they have paid rents up to date and on time.

The pressures that are being placed on local authorities will only increase and Telford now finds itself in a unique position and could set a blue print to address this issue. This blue print will go beyond Telford and could easily set the scene for a UK blue print.

It is vital that inform everyone that MP David Wright and his colleagues have worked extremely hard and MP David Wright has even been critical of his own performance, in truth, it is easy to say this should’ve been done years ago, but the fact is, now is the right time.

Having attended a recent meeting, I must say that MP David Wright, Telford & Wrekin Council, Wrekin Housing Trust all attended and were all open, honest and clearly have every intention of making this Housing Summit a success.

Whilst politics will play a part in this procedure, MP David Wright is working to ensure that this topic is worked on as a cross party venture, involving a wide variety of agencies and residents, with every resident being given a chance to submit their views, ideas, concerns. I have already received over 100 emails addressing Housing Issues all of which are and will continue to be put forward.

Residents will have their chance to have an even greater say, I can assure of that and I will bring it to a wider audience when the time is right.

It is also important to acknowledge the KIP project and people like Alan Olver who represent homeless people, non statutory homeless, but also the third sector. They fill a vital gap in services and support a wide variety of people, now I understand why he was nominated as a Telford Champion and certainly deserves it.

As this is such a unique opportunity, it is an honour that anyone is placed in a position to speak for and on behalf of the wider community and I for one intend to be professional and as positive as possible.

Conspiracy Theories

Some Conspiracy theories are quite interesting, others are to cover up the truth.

The latest Conspiracy Theory is

The Chief executive of Telford & Wrekin Council has something on the Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council. Having tested the water in a number of areas, I would suggest that this not true, but a cover for the truth.

But what truth is it trying to cover up?

Firstly, I would suggest it trying to cover up the actions of certain council officers.

In many cases, these are people who have worked themselves into some cosy corner, earning six figure salaries and are not held accountable to anyone, but should you try and hold them accountable, be prepared for a dirty tricks campaign.

Anything from talking about you in their offices were they think walls don’t have ears through to complaining about emails, threatening elected members with the standards board through to getting honourable councillors kicked off the cabinet.

The worst thing is, the majority don’t even live in the borough, don’t have to live with the mistakes they make and most certainly make no financial contribution.

Officers agree to turn up to meetings, are given five weeks notice, then fail to show up, when questioned over their failure to attend, they get their arse in their hands and complain.

These are the same officers who do as little work as possible, will not take on any work load above what they think is required, if they do, they want a pay rise with the easy option of getting it is to hike up council tax.

The EP A442, Trench Lock, Ketley Brook Roundabout, Asset sales, businesses being sold out, Telford town park are some of the examples that lie testament to this.

Many Officers love the idea of awards, Beacon Status, 4 star authority etc and Unitary status are great for them, not because it really shows anything, not because it is nothing more than a box ticking exercise, but because in many cases, the list of awards just happens to look good on their Curriculum Vitae.

In the great majority of cases, if they went to work in the real world, somewhere that actually required work to be done and accountability, they wouldn’t last a week.

Unfortunately, we do not have a Council Leader with the metal to get to grips with them, but prefers to tell people what they want to hear, promising them the earth and with alarming regularity fails to keep to his promises, but chooses to churn out the usual bunch of clap trap he is told to by the relevant Council Officer.

Lets have a look at Consultation, he approached me in front of others, promised I would be involved with helping to improve the questionable consultation processes adopted and promptly failed to maintain this promise.

He promised to give residents a panel at full council and other vital meetings then failed to deliver, but I can guarantee that if his expenses were short by a few quid he’d get that sorted straight away.

The Leader soon took on a Labour cast off and put him into a senior position, chose to surround himself with cabinet members who are from one side of the borough and chooses to over look election candidates for his own favourites.

The Council Leader has been known to say that he doesn’t have to do this job as his ok without it. Therefore, why does he do it, not because he cares, but more for the prestige of the position.

Telford Town Park

It would appear that the Council Leader is playing silly games, telling his colleagues not to discuss Cllr Denis Allen because it is private. He fails to note that a great deal of information is already in the public domain, including the following email that was forwarded to me and others from a Mortgage Company, but only after it had been sent out to many others, and was sent to Cllr Andrew Eade,

From: Allen, Denis, Cllr
Sent: 01 November 2008 09:12
To: Eade, Andrew, Cllr; Lawrence, Adrian Cllr
Subject: WMS Meeting on Wednesday

Dear Andrew, Am I to attend this or have you given it to someone else? Denis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom
they are addressed. If you have received this email in error
please notify the originator of the message.

Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual
sender, except where the sender specifies and with authority,
states them to be the views of Telford & Wrekin Council.
The content of this email has been automatically checked in
conjunction with the relevant policies of Telford & Wrekin Council.

From: "Eade, Andrew, Cllr" < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >
To: "Allen, Denis, Cllr" < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Cc: "Lawrence, Adrian Cllr" < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Sent: 01/11/08 17:42
Subject: RE: WMS Meeting on Wednesday

Dear Denis

The following outside bodies listed below go to the portfolio holder, the remainder of your outside bodies, organisations, and the Fire Authority currently remain as they were: -

AFC Telford Utd Partnership Board

Shropshire Destination Management Partnership (Substitute)
Adult Health & Well Being Partnership
West Mercia Supplies Joint Board

I also have to appoint a Scrutiny Chairman and wondered if this was of interest to you?

Andrew

-----Original Message-----
From: Allen, Denis, Cllr
Sent: 01 November 2008 18:43
To: Eade, Andrew, Cllr
Subject: RE: WMS Meeting on Wednesday

Thank you.What does scrutiny chairman receive in remuneration? Denis

-----Original Message-----
From: Eade, Andrew, Cllr
Sent: 02 November 2008 13:53
To: Allen, Denis, Cllr
Subject: RE: WMS Meeting on Wednesday

The remuneration for a Scrutiny Chairman is I understand £7,583 but may also include the additional amount of this years pay award.

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

I will accept the post but I would have expected that by now you would have carried out the, very simple, investigation which would have revealed that:

1. The "Leak" never happened and what did happen was not about any inquiry;

2. the communication happened initially on 13th September (2 days before the meeting) and continued after the meeting (15/16th) but did not involve details of the meeting and at NO STAGE AT ALL WAS I IN ANYWAY INVOLVED. INFACT I DID NOT KNOW OF IT UNTIL THE MORNING AFTER THE EVENING IN WHICH I HAD BEEN ACCUSED, FOUND GUILTY AND PUNISHED BY YOUR UNJUST, INCOMPETENTLY RUN, CRUEL AND POINTLESS KANGEROO COURT. How my name became involved in this I do not know. If you have any sense of justice you will apologise to me and restore me to my portfolio. The inept handling of this whole saga displays an ignorance of any sort of justice system for there is usually the gathering of evidence before any accusation is made and the accused is usually made aware of what he is accused of doing before the hearing. It appears that someone put two and two together and reached the conclusion ten million!

I do hope you will correct the mistakes you have been led into.

Steve Bentley is either an idiot or a Macchiavellian plotter;I believe that in this case he has been an idiot.I like him but he has been rather less than logical and sensible. Best wishes, Denis

This communication has not been sent out accidently, but was, without a doubt sent out intentionally, one additional email has been removed as it maybe considered by some as slanderous.

As we know Cllr Andrew Eade played his part in a kangaroo court but the real causes of all this trouble remain safe as they consider themselves as the ‘untouchables’.

The worst thing is, various people within Telford ad Wrekin Council are now trying to bring into question the mental stability of the until recently cabinet member clearly displaying new depths of low they will find to stoop to.

CRB CHECKS

Despite what one member of a well known Broadcasting Company tried to suggest, Telford & Wrekin Council DO NOT hold any Criminal Record Bureau or List 99 information on 25 organisations who they authorise to use Telford Town Park and authorise to work with young people in one capacity or another.

Why?

Because it is their procedure which has been confirmed in writing and clearly Telford & Wrekin council only applies its duty of care in certain circumstances.

Details are as followed,

Question 1

How many T&W Council Staff are employed to work within Telford Town Park?

Answer

30 (this includes full – time, part – time, seasonal and buildings ad cleaning staff)

Question 2

Can you advise how many contractors work within Telford Town Park?

Answer

14 Contracting Organisations

Question 3

Can you advise how many people rent ground or any area within Telford Town Park for any period of time in the year?

11 organisations and 8 graziers (ie individuals who rent land for grazing their horses)

Question 4

Can you advise how many of the above have been CRB Checked as they can and will come into contact with young and vulnerable people young people?

Answer

30 T&W council staff who are employed to work in the Town Park are all List 99 / CRB Checked.

Refusal Notice under s17 – Information Not Held

With regard the remaining organisations, relating to question 4 above, they may be List 99 / CRB Checked. Unfortunately, we do not hold this information as it is subject to the following exemption:-

Exemption :- Procedural

The reason(s) for this is:

The council does not hold this information and therefore is unable to release it.

How Safe is the Conservative Majority?

The Conservative majority is hanging by a thread, the Conservatives seem quite split, some are misled by Cllr Eade and his promises. When it comes to a vote at full council, it only takes one or two to go to the toilet at right time and they’ve lost the vote.

The new system of electronic voting is now being questioned. Not only because it was ineffective at the last Council meeting, but because there is NO way of knowing if the voter, ie the elected member actually voted themselves.

If a person does happen to go to the toilet, what stops someone else pressing the right button for them whilst they are out of the room.

The system is fundamentally flawed and important votes need to be counted and recorded verbally.

The electronic voting system is not reliable and is open to fraudulent voting.

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