We've all heard the saying 'Thinking on your feet'. Well, for anyone who attended the Council meeting at the Civic Centre last Wednesday evening (26.10.16) expecting to hear Council leader, David Monk articulate his response to supplementary questions from 2 members of the public and a handful of Councillors, we can now be in no doubt that that attribute has most definitely passed him by.
It was David Plumstead that asked the question pertaining to the purchase of the land owned by J. Champney for some £5,000,000 by Shepway District Council for the purpose of income streaming from tenanted farmers, later to be announced that a New Town within our rural communities was proposed:
Question to the Leader, Councillor David Monk.
On 13th January 2016 report A/15/20 was presented to Council in which the Councillors were advised of the Chief Executive's use of urgent powers to purchase farmland for the sum of approximately £5 million within the area now referred to as Otterpool Park. In exercising his urgent powers to make a bid to purchase the land, the Chief Executive consulted with the Leader and Chairman of the Council, and also noted that the Monitoring Officer had consulted with the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee.
Can the Leader please advise this meeting of the exact dates when the following sequence of actions took place and whether the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee gave his consent as required by the Constitution:
Date of consultation with the Leader
Date of consultation with the Chairman of Council
Date of consultation with the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee
Date consent given by Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee for the decision to be taken as a matter of urgency
Date of submission of the bid to purchase the land.
Having seen the question beforehand, Councillor Monk responded, as we knew he would, from a prepared script, offering little in the way of a comprehensive answer.
David Plumstead was then given the opportunity to pose a supplementary question, (unseen by Councillor Monk) which Councillor Monk struggled to answer at all, asking for guidance from the SDC Solicitor in attendance.
The question posed:
Can the Leader please state whether, and if so why, he condones the Chief Executive's use of special urgency powers when he has failed to apply them correctly, in respect of the following points:
Why was approval not sought prior to 20th November to enable a £5 million offer to made when the land was advertised on the open market at the end of September 2015.
Is the Leader aware of the requirement laid down in the Council's Constitution Part 4 clause 4.2, that consent is required from the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the Chief Executive to take an urgent decision under those rules? Where is the evidence of that consent and will he agree to provide me with a copy?
After a torrent of what only could be described as babbling, Councillor Monk finally blurted that he would get that information and send it on. We'll see if Councillor Monk is true to his word. We'll keep you all posted.
Councillor Mary Lawes then posed a question relating to a lack of locally built, affordable homes in addition to the removal of open spaces in the district. It was spelled out to Councillor Monk that this moral obligation was not being met.
Mary Lawes' second question was put fairly and squarely to Councillor Monk asking:
Does the leader believe in raising fairness, justice and equality for all, if so, what plan has he got in place to achieve this in the District? If not, why not.
The rumblings from the public gallery told the story. Councillor Monk, once again, read from a script, obfuscated and was dismissive to the point of arrogance.
A further point was raised by Mary Lawes about costings differences between the building of a leisure centre at Nickolls quarry and Princes Parade. Councillor Monk agreed eight months ago to provide costings but to date no such information has been forthcoming. Mary Lawes' concluded by telling Councillor Monk: 'It is obvious that you are not a man of your word'.
The public gallery was also filled with Labour voters who turned up to voice their disgust at the defection of Councillor Claire Jeffrey to the majority Conservative SDC. Shouts of Judas, traitor and resign filled the Civic Centre whilst Ms Jeffrey took her place among the ranks of Conservative Councillors, but this is a story for others to comment on.
We only mention it because those Labour voters now have a taste of what it's like to be totally disenfranchised with no representation, as are the residents of Stanford, Sellindge, Monks Horton, Lympne, Brabourne and other outlying villages in relation to the proposed Lorry Park and SDC's Otterpool New Town.
So, it appears that it's not only Leaders, CEO's, Councillors and MP's of a certain political persuasion or colour who are rotten to the core, it's now manifesting itself into other shades of the political establishments.
Would it be too much to ask that this contagion be arrested here and now, or is it too late?
Would it be too much to ask that this contagion be arrested here and now, or is it too late?
S&DRA.
