Man fined after another #QuackCWaC Council cock up

Oliver Morris, 23, of Walpole Street, said he thought he was doing the right thing by calling
the council to tell them his bin bags had been left on the pavement.

But Mr Morris, a sales assistant, said he was made to feel like a criminal when council staff came to his
address and told him he and his girlfriend had flouted the law and would be fined £75.

Mr Morris said: “The binmen had not taken our rubbish bags. “I just want the council to know I feel grossly mistreated.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) spokesman Shirley Wingfield said: “We understand that all the rubbish put out for collection on Tuesday, March 6, was collected.

“Also if rubbish is not collected, the person who put the rubbish out should return it to his or her property and contact the council on 0300 123 7026 or via the website to arrange a secondary collection, which we would be happy to undertake.”

My comment: Another QuackCWaC Council cock-up excused with their typical spin and nonsense. The bottom line is that he did contact the council and he did tell them the bags had not been collected so why didn't they arrange a secondary collection instead of sending the bin police round?

Looks to me like they cocked up a second time instead of correcting their initial cock up.

Read the full story from the source Chester Standard

CWAC Council leader confronted by angry businessmen at executive meeting

For background information please refer to my earlier posts Council leader's company, ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd, to be liquidated of the 8th March 2012 and Mike Jones, Leader of CWaC Council & ASC (Developments) Chester Ltd of the 12th August 2011.

UPDATES 15th and 17th March 2012: below this article

A LIVE webcast was shut down when two angry businessmen publicly challenged council leader Mike Jones over debts they claim his firm owes them.

Mr Hinson told the meeting: “I’m here for one reason, the gentleman there, Mr Mike Jones, owes me £9,500. You promised me Mr Jones, you promised me faithfully that you were going to pay me.”

Tiler Mr Trollope has obtained a court order instructing ASC to pay £2,880 owed to his firm Cheshire Screeding Services for tiling work on two bathrooms at a house in Antrobus last August.

Mr Trollope, who intends to make a complaint under the council code of conduct, said: “Authority is a very powerful word. People within our authority are in positions that can influence thousands of lives with a budget of millions. I am a local resident of Chester and Cheshire West, I vote for you as councillors.

Both Cllr Jones and Cheshire West and Chester Council have so far made no public comment on the fate of ASC Developments as they consider it to be a private matter.

Read the full story from the source Chester Chronicle

Video clips of the incidents below from You Tube.

Or view the Chester Chronicle version here

My comment: The matter is further complicated because there appears to be two ASC Developments companies that have done work for CWaC Council. The first one (80135) was replaced by another ASC Developments company (127426) between 25th August and 11th November 2011.

Between the 12th May 2011 and the 15th December 2011 the limited company received £22,713.30 and the non limited company received £13,578.12 from CWaC Council.

Whilst it could be argued that the change in names was a just “clerical error” [someone forgot to add the (Chester) Ltd] the same arguments can't be used for the supplier code and the cheques. The council has a formal procurement process through which suppliers have to register. A new supplier code therefore cannot just be entered  it would need accompanying paperwork. Legally speaking ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd is a different entity to ASC Developments and CWaC Council should know that.

ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd also received £46,725 in 2010 from CWaC Council.

UPDATE 15th March 2012: Cheshire West and Chester Council leader faces angry businessmen

Cllr Jones has written to creditors asking them to submit claims against the company and notifying them of a creditors’ meeting at insolvency practitioners Parkin S Booth & Co in City Road on Tuesday, March 27.

Parkin’s branch manager Judith Pryer, confirmed Cllr Jones, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, will be present.

She said the company had ceased trading and would officially go into liquidation following the private meeting.

Read the full story from the source Chester Chronicle

UPDATE 17th March 2012: London Gazette advertise meetings of creditors on the 15th March 2012

A.S.C. DEVELOPMENTS (CHESTER) LIMITED

(Company Number 01890400) 

(t/a Barlows Electrical Limited, Barlows Electrical (Chester) Limited)

Units 4 & 5, Facit Glen Industrial Estate, River Lane, Saltney, Chester CH4 8RH

Nature of Business: General Construction and Electrical Installation

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Section 98 of the Insolvency Act, 1986, that a Meeting of Creditors of the above-named Company will be held at the offices of Parkin S. Booth & Co, 2 City Road, Chester CH1 3AE, on 27 March 2012 at 10.15 am, for the purposes mentioned in Sections 99, 100 and 101 of the said Act.

In order to be entitled to vote at the Meeting, Creditors must lodge their proxies, together with a full statement of account at the offices of Parkin S. Booth & Co, aforesaid, not later than 12 noon on 26 March 2012.

Ian C. Brown (IP Number 8621) of Parkin S. Booth & Co, 2 City Road, Chester CH1 3AE, is a person qualified to act as an Insolvency Practitioner in relation to the Company who will, during the period before the day of the Meeting, furnish Creditors, free of charge, with such information concerning the Company’s affairs as they may reasonably require.

E-mail address ch@parkinsbooth.co.uk; Telephone Number 01244 340129

Michael Jones, Director.

Why did CWaC Council promote an E.ON event?

UPDATE 15th March 2012 below original article.

On the 5th March 2012 the following notice was published on CWaC Council's website.

Supplier chooses Winsford for energy advice trial

Residents helped to improve energy efficiency

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Climate Change Champion, Councillor Hugo Deynem, welcomes the trial being run in Winsford by energy supplier EON.

Trained advisors will be in and around the town from today (5 March) until Saturday, 24 March, to talk to residents about their energy use.

The focus will be on reducing energy consumption and improving the efficiency in homes and workplaces through specific advice and support.

Particular focus will be given to those households who spend more than 10 percent of their income on energy bills, placing them in the ‘fuel poverty’ sector.

Councillor Deynem said: "As Climate Change Champion for Cheshire West and Chester, I very much welcome the aims of this type of approach by any energy supplier in tackling the impact of high fuel costs and reducing emissions through improved energy efficiency and the installation of more effective insulation measures.

“I am particularly pleased that EON has chosen Winsford to run this trial and look forward to the benefits that targeted specific advice will bring to the residents of the town.”

This notice made me suspicious for a couple of reasons,

1) Most people are aware that one of the oldest tricks in the salesman's book is to offer free advice in order to get the person interested and gain their trust. Once you have them hooked you then go for the sale. Most people, having been given something free, even if it's only information widely available from other sources, feel obliged to at least listen to your sales pitch with many even buying your product.

2) Why is CWaC Council promoting just one specific energy supplier? One would have thought a council should be impartial and not favour one energy supplier over another. Furthermore, why were they not aware of this common sales trick?

In addition, doorstep selling has been received so much bad press over the last few years that most energy suppliers have now stopped using doorstep selling and started using shopping centre based events similar to the one above,

As a result I decided to do some digging and it didn't take long before finding the answer to that question. My first port of call was the register of interest for the councillor who used the council website to promote this event, Councillor Hugo Deynem

together with a search of earlier entries in the register.

My comment: I think the register of interest speaks for itself. In addition is this not a breach of the Members’ Code of Conduct: 6 (a): You must not use or attempt to use your position as a member improperly to confer on or secure for yourself or any other person, an advantage or disadvantage.

UPDATE 15th March 2012: Climate change champion on Cheshire West and Chester Council caught in political storm.

A COUNCILLOR has defended using his position on Cheshire West and Chester Council to back a promotional event by the company which employs him.

Cllr Deynem, who represents Tarvin and Kelsall, was quoted in a council press release supporting an energy efficiency roadshow by E.ON in his capacity as climate change champion.

However, the release did not mention that Cllr Deynem is employed by E.ON as its residential energy sales manager which is declared in the council’s register of interests.

Cllr Deynem has defended not making clear his employment position in the release about the event at Winsford.

He told The Chronicle: “I think that would have raised far more questions than it would have answered.

Cllr Deynem accused the CWAC Watcher website of being ‘politically motivated’ and said he took it with ‘a pinch of salt’. [My emphasis]

Read the full story from the source Chester Chronicle

My comment: Interesting that Cllr Deynem should have to resort to the ad hominem fallacious tactic of trying to poison the well. However, for his benefit and others, ironically from all political parties, who have in the past suggested the same, my blog is not politically motivated. It exists to expose council/councillor wrongdoing. 

If Cllr Deyham had taken the time to read the background to my blog and view my other blog he would have seen that I have also exposed councils such as Wirral who were not Tory controlled at the time. Visit my other blog and enter Labour or LibDem in the search box.

In any event, is he implying that I would have kept quiet about my find if I had been a Tory supporter? Surely that would have also meant my silence on the subject would have been politicly motivated. Looks like I am damned if I do and damned if I don't.

Council leader's company, ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd, to be liquidated

Further to my earlier post Mike Jones, Leader of CWaC Council and ASC (Developments) Chester Ltd  of the12th August 2011 which also includes updates of the 28th February 2012 and 5th March 2012 it has now been confirmed that ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd is indeed going into voluntary liquidation.

The news wasn't unexpected because the ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd site has looked deserted for a while.

Compare the photo above with the one on their website (Please note the link may not work if they take their website down.)

In addition, his wife resigned as Company Secretary and Director on the 27th February 2012.

It appears the decision was taken after a court order was made to send in the bailiffs should money owed to a subcontractor not be paid within a week. Which apparently it wasn't.

Councillor Jones insists this is a private matter but for someone on record as stating “I AM DEALING with the council finances as I would as a business,” winding up his own business because of debt problems will not instil confidence in the electorate.

Mr Trollope the owner of the company ASC owes money to has called on Councillor Mike Jones to resign.

My comment: Many business are having a rough time at the moment and many are having to close down but how many of those are owned by a leader of a council who claims to be running their council finances like a business? A council which in the past has supported their leader's business with taxpayer's money.

In addition, if the only problem a company has is a debt of less than £3K why liquidate? Therefore, it is obvious we don't have the full story.....yet. 

I am sure we will get more pieces of the jigsaw as the weeks go on. No doubt more companies/individuals will now come forward.

Read the full story in the Chester Chronicle.

Pension Contributions for 39 Councillors: £124,080.40

[Nationally] More than one in five local councillors has claimed the right to a gold-plated town hall pension.

The number of elected representatives who have climbed aboard the local government pensions gravy train has soared by more than a quarter in just three years.

More than 4,500 now qualify for guaranteed pensions based on the allowances they are paid as councillors, which can exceed £50,000 a year.

My comment: I submitted the FOI request below in order to identify how many CWaC Councillors are in the pension scheme and how much it costs the Council taxpayer.

FOI Request

I would like to know the total member's pension contributions paid by the council during the last complete financial year. 2010/2011.

I would also like to know the number of councillors who receive such a contribution to their pension scheme.

CWaC Response

The total members' pension contributions paid by the council for 2010/2011was £124,080.40

The number of councillors who received such a contribution was 39.

My Comment: Average pension contribution per CWaC councillor in the scheme £3181.55. Which is rather bizarre when you consider that councillors don't work for the council. Any money they receive is by way of allowances not salary. Member's allowances can be viewed here. Why no mention of these additional pension contributions?

In addition the national average of councillors who claim a pension contribution is 20%. In CWaC Council it's 54%.

Read the full story from the source Daily Mail

FOI requests to #QuackCWaC Council

I was asked today to submit a Freedom of Information request on behalf of a Cheshire resident. I agreed because the individual needs to remain anonymous because of their position.

I advise anyone who wants to submit an FOI request to use the excellent What Do They Know website. Whilst you can use any name it is advisable to use your own name so you can complain to the ICO should the Council not supply the information requested. Something I have done many times,

CWaC Council Website Advertising Revenue and Costs
If you need to submit an FOI request but prefer to remain anonymous then please contact me.

In addition if you have any information about CWaC Council you can be assured that I will never reveal a source.

#QuackCWaC consultations: Do as we say not as we do

Mike Jones, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council: "..unless they engage with their communities, that is all developers, in a way in that's more positive than what they have done in the past, in the future they will not get much developments." Inside Out North West 20th February 2012, watch the full program here but the statement in question follows a short interview with a director of Peel (This starts approx nine minutes in)

However whilst Mike Jones argues that developers should 'engage with their communities' it's something his own council doesn't always do, as many examples appear to prove.

Engage: Cause someone to become involved in a conversation or discussion.
Consultation: The action or process of formally consulting or discussing.

A few example below, there are many more.

Example 1: An external body, The Audit Commission, was very critical of Quack CWaC consultation regarding the sale of County Hall. Read in full here.

Example 2: 'If residents and parish councils are not being  consulted, who is? We strongly expect that developers, and other financially interested parties, will be invited to have their say. As before, the proposed Council "consultation" is no more than a paper exercise and difficult to describe as anything other than a sham!' Read in full here.

Example 3: Proposing to erect an 18 metre phone mast in the dip of Sandy Lane where the nature park brook flows towards the River Dee. This was higher than allowed under delegated powers and should have been the subject of a full planning and consultation exercise. However, CWaC Council tried to sneak it through without consultation under permitted development rights. Until of course the community they failed to engage with kicked up a stink. Read more here.

Example 4: Concerns have been expressed by members of the public in all parts of the Borough about the site selection process, which led to unsuitable sites being proposed in Neston and Saughall, before being withdrawn by the Executive on the 2nd November. Read in full here.

Example 5: I am watching this online. Breathtakingly arrogant behaviour by Mike Jones showing blatant utter contempt for the public. He “missed” (accidentally or otherwise) a public speaker who was on the agenda to speak on the travellers site who was due to speak following Cllr Brian Crowe. Read in full here.

#QuackCWaC CCTV parking fine for emergency contractor

A CITY centre businessman was left frustrated after emergency contractors were prevented from carrying out essential repairs by CCTV traffic wardens.

Callum Reckless, of digital specialist firm Reckless New Media, was angered as Cheshire West and Chester Council staff told ScottishPower contractors they could not park on double yellow lines while performing underground repairs to restore power to the business.

The result meant the Bridge Street Row company was without power, having already sent staff home.

Mr Reckless said: “You would have thought common sense would prevail.

My comment: Common sense prevail,  #QuackCWaC Council? Never, don't forget we are talking about the number one council for cock ups and Charlie Foxtrots, not a normal well run council.

Read the full story from the source Chester Chronicle

Chester Cathedral Square: Another QuackCWaC Council cock up?

The Cathedral Quarter Phase 1 Chester Cathedral, Chester Renaissance and Cheshire West and Chester Council - are working together on a visionary initiative to find new ways of ......Wasting taxpayer's money? [an alternative, more accurate statement of what they are actually doing]

A WATCHDOG recently slammed a council-funded project at Chester Cathedral which cost taxpayers more than £750,000.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's own public accounts scrutiny panel found the consultants who earned hundreds of thousands of pounds designing the scheme appeared to be the ones driving the project.

Here is an extract from a recent article by Chester Walls

In late 2009, we heard the first of a £7.5 million plan "to make Chester Cathedral more visitor-friendly". Why so? Was there, then, something about the place that made it visitor-unfriendly? Aside from those intimidating admission charges of course. The stated aim was "to attract another 130,000 visitors a year".

Behind the scheme is a partnership of the Cathedral authorities and the quango Chester Renaissance; well-funded and powerful, the latest in a tiresome succession of fiddlers with Chester's precious heritage hailing from somewhere far away. Project management is co-ordinated with Building Design Partnership's (BDP) Liverpool office, designers of ultra-modern office blocks and shopping centres, including the vast and vile Liverpool One. So perfect for Chester then.

Another fervent advocate of the proposals, CWAC spokesman for regeneration Councillor Herbert Manley, who represents Hartford, some miles from Chester, is continuously being quoted as claiming the 'improvements' "could result in another 130,000 more annual visitors visiting the cathedral". Could? Martians could land in Town Hall Square but the likelihood seems just as remote. 

As no shortage of concerned correspondents to the local press, suspecting that they are being taken for fools, have been asking recently, in direct challenge to Cllr Manley, "where on earth did these figures come from? Please furnish us with the evidence." One suspects they'll be waiting for some time. 

By November 2011, things seemed to have gone somewhat pear-shaped for architects and project managers, the mighty BDP who have already earned themselves hundreds of thousands of pounds from you and I, the Chester taxpayer. 

15th November 2011: Despite being, predictably, recommended for acceptance by planning officers, the Cathedral proposals were unanimously, and to the joy of many, thrown out by the Cheshire West & Chester Planning Board tonight! Some quotes from the councillors who took part:

Ellesmere Port Councillor Keith Butcher: "Spending £2.5 million at this time is criminal".
The Chester Civic Trust: "The proposals lacked a feel for the city and sensitivity to local character".

Chester City Councillor Samantha Dixon: "This is a facelift but what the patient really needs is a heart transplant".

Councillor Norman Wright: "It would be an absolute shame to remove the green space from the war memorial... it would be asking for trouble in the future".

Councillor David Armstrong: "unacceptable to the people of Chester".

Chairman Councillor Ralph Oultram: "there should have been more dialogue along the way".

The same issues of the local press also reported that the Cathedral's Chief Executive (who would have thought such creatures existed within God's House?) Annette Moore, had, purely coincidentally, left her post "to pursue other interests"... 

In early January 2012, painful facts about the scandal started to be made public. As many as twenty three officers from the three 'partners' worked on the proposals, headed by Council Regeneration Director Charlie Seward, Chief Executive of Chester Renaissance Rita Waters and Chief Executive of Chester Cathedral, the now-departed Annette Moore. Project managers BDP earned themselves- wait for it- £520, 545 for producing the pretty drawings. Cheshire West and Chester Council's own Public Accounts Scrutiny Panel have expressed the view, unfortunately embarrassingly too late, that "BDP appeared to be the ones driving the project". Make of that what you will, dear reader. Total costs are conservatively estimated to have been at least an eye-watering £750,000! That's three quarters of a million pounds of our money utterly squandered.

Asked about repercussions for individuals or organisations given this shocking waste of yours and mine hard-earned, the council made nary a mention of sackings or legal demands for restitution but, rather, responded, "The council is currently working with the Cathedral and Chester Renaissance (the three 'partners' directly responsible for the scandalous loss, remember) to review the project and consider next steps and any decisions arising will be taken in the new year."

So some hope then. Less than helpful, however, were the remarks of Chester Renaissance Chairman Broomhead. On the matter of the failed Cathedral Square proposals, his expert opinion? "There were too many trouble makers and people interfering".

My comment:  Good job there were a few trouble makers and people interfering otherwise we would have had an even bigger cock up costing the taxpayer many millions. As you should know Mr Broomhead, scrutinising what taxpayer's money is spent on is called democracy not troublemaking or interfering. 

Whilst Midas had the golden touch, CWaC Council - or at least the Executive, have clearly developed the cock up touch. Good job the Council they control is a taxpayer funded institution otherwise they would have been out of business long ago.

"The council’s own public accounts scrutiny panel found the consultants who earned hundreds of thousands of pounds designing the scheme appeared to be the ones driving the project." 

Let's all hope that our Council Executive will now stop doing what consultants and other third parties want and start doing what's best for Cheshire West and Chester.

Read the full story from the source Chester Walls

Links to additional information

The Cathedral Quarter Phase 1 Chester Cathedral, Chester Renaissance and Cheshire West and Chester Council - are working together on a visionary initiative to find new ways of ....[Wasting taxpayer's money?]

29th September 2011 Chester Cathedral square MKII is unveiled The project is a partnership between Chester Cathedral, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chester Renaissance.

Failed Chester Cathedral scheme cost £750K A WATCHDOG has slammed a council-funded project at Chester Cathedral which cost taxpayers more than £750,000.

CWaC Council: Gold plated pensions for some councillors?

The Taxpayer's Alliance have just released the results of their research on council pensions.
Surprisingly many councillors have also jumped on the pension gold plated pension bandwagon.

"At a time when public sector pensions are under the spotlight, the TaxPayers’ Alliance can reveal the true cost to taxpayers of ‘employer contributions’ to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The equivalent of £1 in every £5 of council tax raised in the UK is spent on council pensions. This report also details the explosion in the number of councillors claiming council pensions.1 Despite fulfilling a supposedly volunteer role, there are now 4,548 councillors on the LGPS, up by over 1,000 since 2007-08."

Read the full TPA report here.

The figures for CWaC Council are (Compare them with other councils by downloading the TPA report)

Total contribution 2010/2011 £21,473,000
Total number of residents 327,300
Cost of pension contribution per resident £65.61 (£262.44 for a family of 4)
Number of Councillor in the scheme 26
(The median average number of councillors on the LGPS is 4 and the mean is 11)

"Councillors’ Pensions

The purpose of a councillor is to represent the people of a local ward in their council. They are elected to bring their expertise and experience to address the specific needs of their local community. These duties are meant to be separate from their private and professional lives outside the council and their position is voluntary. Any payments they receive are not intended to represent earnings but instead to compensate them for incidental expenses incurred in fulfilling their duties in local government such as the use of their phones, transportation and office expenses. As these payments are described as reimbursements, the fact that many local authorities consider them to be pensionable pay calls into question the voluntary nature of participating in local government."

My comment: Whilst one can understand council staff being in the pension scheme, how an earth do councillors qualify? They are not employed by the council. 

UPDATE 30th January 2012: I submitted a Freedom of Information request to confirm the number of councillors in the pension scheme and the cost to the taxpayer.

Once I have that information I will ask for the councillor's names and add this additional cost to their allowances and expenses.  Pension contributions are available for senior staff so why not councillors?

UPDATED: Proposed Phone Mast in Caldy Valley Nature park

Another CWaC Council cock up?

Campaign Press Release (Sent to me on the 26th January 2012) My update below 30th January 2012.

PROPOSED 18 METRE PHONE MAST

AT PUMPING STATION, CALDY VALLEY NATURE PARK

Did you know that the council is proposing to erect an 18 metre phone mast in the dip of Sandy Lane where the nature park brook flows towards the River Dee? It will be within the boundary of the nature park and close to your house.

Please consider:

The inherent dangers of living near a phone mast. Only in the UK are we allowed to have these monstrosities close to homes and schools. In New Zealand and other countries they must be 500 metres away. The risks are actually worse between 200-500 metres due to the nature of the radio waves. Do some research on the internet if you can, there is plenty of information there that the government do not want you to read because they are making billions of pounds from this e.g. http://www.mastaction.co.uk/news/Cancer-clusters-at-phone-masts/

The fact that Dee Banks School is within this radiation zone, yet have not been notified by the Council. Children are at the greatest risk.

An 18 metre mast located here will significantly damage the view for all residents and park users. It is a valley with a stream which leads toward the Dee and an area of natural beauty. The erection of the mast will have a negative impact upon this, not only for us but for people using the meadows.

We have a healthy wildlife population including woodpeckers, jays, kingfishers and bats. It is well known that mobile phone mast emissions affect the sonar of bats and therefore carry a very real threat to them. All species of bats are endangered and therefore are protected under British and International Law. Many birds and bees are likely to leave the park, “The Birds, the Bees and Electromagnetic Pollution”, A Goldsworthy (2009).

On top of all this your property will almost certainly be devalued. Please see over for an artist’s impression of what we will soon see if you do nothing. [Added below]

Please take 5 minutes to join us in objecting to this. You can do this online at www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/planningapplications Reference 12/00110/TEL or type in “pumping” or write to Planning Service, CWAC, Wyvern House, Winsford, CW7 1AH. You must comment before 8^th February.

You can also write to your local councillor through http://www.huntington-chester.co.uk or http://www.chesterconservatives.org/contact-us/ or email Pamela Hall pamela.hall@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Please don’t let this monstrosity go ahead for the sake of five minutes help from you. Justa couple of lines from every person in your household (even your children can object) will make all the difference.

PLEASE ALSO ATTEND THE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 20^th Feb 7.30pm VILLAGE HALL.

My comment: I am currently investigating various issues and will update this post as soon as possible. However, I didn't want to delay publishing details of the above campaign.

UPDATE 30th January 2012: Anger over Chester park phone mast plan

ANGRY residents have vowed to fight proposals to construct a phone mast near a popular Chester park.

Mobile phone giants Vodafone and O2 are behind plans for the 18-metre high structure on a site just off Chester Road, near Caldy Valley Nature Park.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) spokesman Ian Callister confirmed they had received an application for prior approval from the two telecoms companies.

He said: “We have received an application on behalf of Vodafone and O2 for prior approval. It is an 18-metre high mast including antennae.

“It’s at the water pumping station in Chester Road, Huntington.” He added consultations would be held.

Read the full story from the source Cheshire First

My comment: Many people were confused by the initial planning application notification and thought the water pumping station was situated at the water works. It isn't, it is much closer to houses and the schools than they initially thought. [See map below] 

The original application also gives a different address to that quoted by the CWaC Council press officer in the article above. Why didn't CWaC Council give residents the full and proper address in all correspondence?

As far as schools are concerned I have been informed that Dee Banks, Bishop’s High and Noah’s Ark nursery are all within a few hundred metres of the mast, yet none were informed. Obviously not close enough as far as CWaC Council were concerned.

In addition CWaC Council should have had an LPA register but didn't. Most Councils do, or at least the good ones. After all it is a requirement under the Code of Good Practice. “Up-to-date mast registers should be held by all LPAs, to facilitate discussion between LPAs and operators. These should also be made available on the LPA’s website.”

As far as consultations are concerned why weren't the right councillors consulted? 

No wonder they didn't receive any responses!

My investigation continues and further information will be added when I have the time but so far, like most things that CWaC Council do, it's turning into a right Charlie Foxtrot.

UPDATE 15th February 2012: Looks like the mast was rejected because it's above the 15mtr permitted development height.

Question is why didn't #QuackCWaC Council spot this earlier.

In addition, why no mast register? Most good councils keep them.

Why real scrutiny is essential

POLICE are getting ready to submit a report over claims made against three Swansea councillors. [As I understand it regarding potential corruption & conspiracy charges against those involved.]

Leader Chris Holley, deputy leader John Hague and acting Conservative group leader Paxton Hood-Williams were reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for allegedly breaching the code of conduct.

It is claimed, the Evening Post understands, spending in certain Tory wards was offered in exchange for support of the administration. The ombudsman investigation was put on hold while police officers decided whether a criminal investigation should be brought against the three members.

However, a spokesman for South Wales Police said: "A file is being prepared for submission to the Crown Prosecution Service and a decision will be forthcoming in due course.

My comment: I have always been concerned about the potential to misuse councillor's budgets. I would argue that councillors could, should they wish, quite easily bias their budget spend towards groups who are more likely to vote for them come election.

Now it would appear that a cabal within a council is doing something similar but on a much grander scale. They are buying the support of other councillors by offering to spend more taxpayer's money in their wards. 

Which rather suggests that councillors scrutinising councillors  is not the correct approach. For example, what if bribed councillors were also on the scrutiny panel which was scrutinising the decisions of corrupt councillor/s? ie. those who bribed them.

Read the full story from the source This is South Wales

CWaC Council's latest cock up, a dodgy website

My comment: Earlier today I was sent an alert informing me of this particular news item, however, when I tried to access the article in a Crewe on line newspaper the article wasn't available (Page not found). 

It has since appeared in other local on line newspaper so instead of just tweeting about it, as I did earlier, I decided to write this blog post.

Councillors call for delay on traveller site after problems accessing information 

WINSFORD councillors are calling for a delay in a decision on a proposed gipsy and traveller site because of difficulties with viewing the planning documents.

Clr Mike Kennedy said: “I am getting a bit cheesed off at trying to download things from its website and not being able to access information that should be made available.

“The reason why we are here now is to comment on documents that we have not been able to read.

“We are suppose to be a front runner for a new up and coming online planning system but there is many days I’ve looked for planning applications and have had to try about five or six times, or some days they are not there at all.”

Clr Steve Smith agreed and said it was a problem he has discussed with residents in his ward.

My comment: Another CWaC council cock up? In addition, it must be bad when other councillors are criticising them. Neither is this the first time Winsford Councillors have criticised CWaC Council.

Read the full story from the source Winsford Guardian

Here are the two alerts I tweeted about earlier.

UPDATE 17th January 2012:

Even after being down at the weekend for maintenance the website is still causing problems with various pages returning different errors. Two below as an example. Screen shots taken at 10.48am 17th January 2012.

This screen shot was taken at 2.05pm on the 17th January 2012 so problems persist.

Is there a democratic deficit in Cheshire West and Chester Council?

It is now easier to find democracy in your local town council, parish council or local voluntary groups than it is in Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Decisions appear to be taken within CWaC Council with no real consultation, debate, discussion or scrutiny.

Even the Cabinet appears to be no more than a front to hide the fact the the majority of decisions are taken by just a few people. One that could best described as an inner circle or cabal. Here is an example of how a cabal can use taxpayer's money to persuade other councillors to play ball.

CWaC Council as a whole is a now complete irrelevance because they are allowed  to make so few decisions. The reason for this appears twofold

1) Such decisions would normally be made in public and allow any member/s opposed to a decision to apply some accountability, scrutiny and democracy. Something the inner circle (controlling body) within CWaC Council appear to like.

2) If the full council was not allowed to make any decisions then CWaC Council's inner circle would not have a thin veneer of democracy to hide behind.

Look at some of the evidence from last year alone.

Sham consultations

Winsford Town Council says it is being left out of major decisions affecting the town

What’s going on with Lion Salt Works? [Northwich]

Democracy in action CWaC Council style

A council that cannot come to terms with freedom of information 

Putting pressure on our local press to bury bad news

Using defamation claims in an attempt to silence critics

Using gagging clauses to stop ex staff speaking out

From the above, together with many other events from last year, CWaC Council's inner circle appears to prefer to operate behind closed doors without any real accountability, full council scrutiny, involvement and without proper public consultation. One that also appears willing to try and bully critics into silence.

Council Leader Mike Jones "So I made it very clear to all the staff I come into contact with, including senior management conferences with question and answer sessions which I did in July 2008, that we were to create a new council which would have its own identity and we would build a new culture which would be our own way of doing things."

It would now appear that this new culture is not one based on a democratic model but one more akin to an Autocratic model.

Democracy in its purest or most ideal form would be a society in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.

Autocracy is a system of government in which supreme political power to direct all activities is concentrated in the hands of a one person or in this case a very small group of people.

As a result I would strongly argue that at the moment we have a serious democratic deficit in Chester and Cheshire West.

Especially when you take into account the auditors report regarding the sale of County Hall. "Cheshire West did not make their Counsel aware of a second valuation of the building and that both councils could have done more to involve local people in the decision to sell the building."

New Year resolution suggestions for QuackCWaC Council

Stop the sham consultations

Show some respect for Rembrance Sunday 

Don't cock up the Xmas lights switch on

Stop turning a blind eye to illegal markets

Don't allow staff to misuse taxpayer funded internet access

Try and improve staff moral

Ensure councillors declare indirect interest with suppliers

Sort out the billing system

Improve democracy

Stop being stupid

Stop ignoring highway problems

Stop wasting cash

Stop making a hash of elections 2  3 4 5 6

Stop paying for the CEO to be a member of SOLACE

Protect open spaces, parks and play areas

Stop wasting money on reputation management, propaganda and spin

Stop getting involved with crap initiatives

Stop wasting money on consultants

Stop wasting monet wrapping trees

Stop wasting money on the LGA propaganda and lobbying machine

Stop wasting money on no hope legal challanges

Stop staff altering records and paperwork

Stop putting pressure on the local press to bury ban news

Stop paying councillors when they live in another country

Stop wasting money promoting CWaC to other councils

Don't increase member's budgets

Stop adding gagging clauses to compromise agreements

Stop bringing defamation claims in an attempt to silence critics

Stop recruiting staff who have worked in a failing council

Reduce the number of councillors on the gravy train

A disappointingly long list so I hope the executive are rightly ashamed of their performance so far. No wonder many people regard them as a quack council.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Quack Council, Quack consultation

Council's Sham "Consultation" As Handbridge Green Space Under Threat.

We know that many residents will want to have their say on this and Cheshire West and Chester Council proposes a consultation. However, the views of those people who really count will not be heard because the council plans to EXCLUDE RESIDENTS AND PARISH COUNCILS FROM THE CONSULTATION.

If residents and parish councils are not being consulted, who is? We strongly expect that developers, and other financially interested parties, will be invited to have their say. As before, the proposed Council "consultation" is no more than a paper exercise and difficult to describe as anything other than a sham!

My comment: Can Quack CWaC Council do anything right?

Read the full story from the source Handbridge.com

A Christmas message to a CWaC Council

See previous post for why I thought this Christmas message was appropriate.

Will Quack CWaC Council ever stop being CWaC-Cers

It has come to my attention that CWaC Council has told staff to stop referring to them as Quack (CWaC) Council.

Apparently any staff calling CWaC Council Quack Council will be disciplined. Which rather goes to prove that CWaC Council is a bit of a Quack Council.

Were they worried that their name makes it easier for people to ridicule them or were the worried that some may confuse them with Wil cwac cwac the Welsh cartoon series?

Below is a You Tube video introducing Wil cwac cwac. Would you be confused or do you think CWaC Council are just a little bit quackers?

70,000 years to clear social housing backlog in CWaC

MORE than 17,600 families in and around Chester face years of waiting for somewhere to live, a new report has revealed.

It is estimated that it would take more than 70,000 years to clear the backlog of Cheshire families waiting for social housing because of the ‘broken’ housing market, the National Housing Federation has highlighted.

Jon Longden, the National Housing Federation’s lead manager for the North West, said: “Caught in an impossible can’t buy/can’t rent dilemma, families face life-changing years on social housing waiting lists. With the lowest number of new homes for 90 years, the only things we are building up are long-term problems for schooling, health and jobs.”

The National Housing Federation is calling on the Government to renew its commitment to building new homes at scale and to restore the £300 million annual funding to regenerate inner-city neighbourhoods across the region.

My comment: So by my reckoning we will have enough social housing by the year 702011. I  wonder how many cock ups CWaC Council will have racked up by then :-)

Read the full story from the source Chester First