Posted on Tuesday, 9th August 2016 | 10 Comments Visitors to this site will have noticed, there has been very little movement with either new posts or comments. Part of the reason, is that with the resignation of the majority of the parish council including the person behind the troubles, there has been at least one solution to the problems that have plagued the council and many will feel this is the end of it. A resignation does not absolve the person who has caused two families a great deal of hurt and distress by his conceited and shameless behaviour. The reason this site was created was to ask questions about a report that the person behind this sorry saga and some of his colleagues on the council tried to hide from the residents of Melbourn. Despite the resignations it still remains the goal of this site to see this report in the public domain. Unfortunately, there is a temporary glitch, the parish council, such as it is, have received a letter from a solicitor trying to suppress the content of the report. It is now in the hands of the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) and we await their decision. Let us be clear. The former councillor who held a very ‘public position’, has admitted to at least some of the accusations that are in the document. In public he has been accused of behaviour including abuse and threats which are unpardonable. This person has not apologised for the hurt and trouble he has caused and as you will have read on this site there is no doubt as to the person’s guilt and the stress he has caused. The assertion made at the last full council meeting that one of the persons subjected to the harassment was nothing more than a sub-contractor and therefore outside of any rules of decency, is disgraceful. There are residents who have made comments on this site and within the village which indicate they fully support the former councillor and all his actions. To those I ask why? Do you really believe that what this person has done (and admitted to) is acceptable behaviour or perhaps you are of the same mind as another resident when they said ‘you’re a girl you should expect this type of treatment’? Let us hope we get a resolution and that all, including the new parish council learn by this tragic affair. 3705
Sounds like your much better informed than me pete Could be good news to have meetings say on uTube , or even streamed on the web , Wonder if they are , if more will be agreed outside meetings and less debate in meetings. Quandary, Reply
Openness and transparency has been the watchword for many joining the council, so making the recordings available online will go a long way in ensuring the council is being open. Hopefully, there will be less waffle and grandstanding, unnecessary innuendoes and insults. Sounds like council meetings could be fun!!!! Reply
Interesting item on th enext PC aggenda PC84/16: To approve recordings at meetings I understood it was law that all public parts of a meeting can be recorded, and it was not upon the council to approve or put any other restrictions upon recording other than those in place for orderly conduct. Open and honest ? Reply
That is true Andrew, the public can without permission or are required to inform the council they are recording the meetings. However, in this case I believe the council will be introducing their own recording equipment, and all meetings will be recorded. Hopefully they will be made available online. Maybe the next step will be video!! Reply
Peter, do we have any expectation as to when the ICO report will be made ? is it a 6 month or 6 hour operation ? Reply
No idea at the moment. Since we do not have an effective council it is being dealt with by CAPALC. Apparently the solicitor has suggested it is not in the public interest. Strange you would have thought a bully working in a public area is very much in the public interest. Reply
The main post asks why people continue to support certain individuals. I do not write about any specific people, but refer to the general subject of when a person we associate with, who has otherwise charmed or convinced us, is found to have done something wrong to others. It is written in the public domain that bullying behaviour in the workplace is usually targeted against those who show more competence, popularity, integrity or who challenge – as opposed to targeting those who are likely to protect or enhance the status of a perpetrator. When we invest our trust and belief in others, it says something about who we are. People understandably do not want to accept bad things about a colleague or friend and may feel foolish or responsible in some way if they do. This might lead to selective closure of our ears and eyes. Continued denial or playing down the seriousness of the matter even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, probably blocks out the embarrassment and guilt that would otherwise arise and tries to protect the personal reputation of individuals or groups associated with an alleged ‘guilty’ party. There are of course people who may recognise other’s wrongdoing for exactly what it is, but do not see the seriousness of the issues in the same way as the rest of the public do. These people will believe that the system is flawed – not the wrongdoer. Whichever is the case here, we have all made our own judgements based on who we are and what we stand for – there’s human beings for you! Reply