Pete Boggs

Bill Norman redundant? This sounds like it came out of the blue Chris or was this expected? 

In that case can I suggest that Cllr Chappell directs his questions about the consultation, or lack of, to the  (Deputy) Solicitor to the Council (Property & Commercial) as they will have advised on the matter. Or should have.

Maverick, yes you're right, the monitoring officer is a statutory requirement. From Megilland's post on the Guy Taylor thread it appears that the other Deputy Solicitor has been appointed on an interim basis. If Bill the Bung has been allowed to retire early with a nice big package it's nothing short of a disgrace. An FOI request may be in order perhaps.

Finally! About time ...

 

Redundant would suggest the Council have deleted the post of Council Soilictor/ Section 151 officer, I doubt that!

Section 151 officer relates to financial matters is more likely to be Peter Robinson I'd have thought.  Bill the Bung would have been the Council's monitoring officer and Megilland's recent post on the Guy Taylor thread indicates that one of the deputy solicitors has taken that role over.

I wonder if the Bung's redundancy has anything to do with his botched restructuring of legal services which has seen them advertising the same jobs, with increased desperation, at least four times in the last twelve months?

Like Denise I hope he hasn't been paid off but that's probably a bit too much to hope for. 

In the wake of Cllr Chappell's post on the Blackmarston School thread I obviously stand corrected.

 

 

Perhaps our councillors will remember this track record when considering the legal advice that we are all paying handsomely for.

A point Cllr Chappell might like to pursue? i.e. what legal advice was sought and and given re: 1 Ledbury Road.

The letter from Cardin's website was really quite something: There was no disability discrimination because the Council was overcharging everybody, disabled or not. Extraordinary. Then again, coming from a man who seems to have spent his entire career defending the indefensible, possibly not. 

I don't think this has been included in the discussion yet.  There has to be a `Local Offer' in which Health Authorities (CCG) and the local authority (Herefordshire council) publish clearly what is offered to children with Special Needs and their families.  The acronym is SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).  There is statutory guidance (i.e. compulsory guidance) published by the government.  Here are some extracts.  I have put some of the words in bold.

 

 

 

 

 

A very interesting post. I thought the lack of consultation was likely to be illegal because of the provisions of the The Public Services (Social Value) Act which requires consultation with service users and other interested parties by "commissioners" particularly when thinking of ending a service. Also thought there might be an implied duty to consult due to precedent.  Didn't know that there was legislation specifically relating to those with special needs and families.

Shouldn't the Council's lawyers be advising Mr Baird and colleagues of their legal duty in this situation?

Totally correct, they should address the security here by having security guards on trains not placing women in a separate compartment.

That would be the ideal solution - I suppose transport companies don't want to pay for it though.

I'm not a fan of Corbyn and he's taken plenty of flak for this, but...as Glenda's post amply demonstrates there are a lot of strange blokes about. Ragwert's quoted stats are both frightening and shameful. Possibly we have to be realistic though and accept that society and the legal system isn't going to deal with these people properly (I see the Colwall flasher got bail).  If Corbyn's proposal keeps people safe then I guess I'm in favour.

American special forces use them a lot. Perhaps the SAS are trying one out?

Some might say that the sound of Christian rock has a touch of the devil in it?

It's devilishly difficult to listen to.

It seems that there is no end to FC talents & ambitions as they have moved into the music industry & will be releasing there unchartered album soon…in a record shop near you,also could be available on iTunes?…all proceeds to FC fund?!.....I wonder what's next for this talented bunch?…Xfactor or Britain's got talent?

 

 

More like the remainder bin. Christian rock is quite a niche genre. Besides...the Devil has all the best tunes.

It would be good to see whether members of Hereford Voice are prepared to put suggestions on this site as to where the savings should be made. I just had a quick look but Adult Wellbeing is taking a hit.

It's already taken a hammering with staff made redundant and services outsourced to contractors of decidedly variable quality.

I find it rather curious that the Council pleads poverty when it comes to providing services yet seems to have lots of cash to spend on recruitment consultants only to then appoint the present incumbent to job of Council treasurer (or whatever the new fangled title is these days, chief financial officer is it?). Ditto the refurbishment of Plough Lane. That's got to be a six figure sum I'd have thought.

No they are not all gullible AV but you can bet that FC will identify the ones who are & then target them?

 

I also think It will be the younger members who will be task with enticing the students into FC fold

Sometimes it's not necessarily a case of guillibility. Cults like the Freedom Church are good at finding people's weak spots or approaching them at a time in their life when they are vulnerable. I remember reading somewhere that a lot of people who join cults are of above average intelligence but have been drawn in by organisations that are sophisticated in using psychology. I believe we've already discussed FC's use of profiling - that would be a prime example I'd say.

They need some famous faces to give them a proper legit boost like the Scientologists have Tom and John...

Perhaps they could give a more prominent role to one or two councillors. After all, politics is showbiz for ugly people, and local politics is uglier than most.

 

Pete Boggs have they got a special convention coming up?

 

 

 

Denise, every other week it seems like - these happy clappers are keen on telling us all about what they're up to. Flyposting is probably the least of their sins.

Its the same in Bristol and a lot of other big cities, why are the council not removing these adverts?

In some cities it's the Council, or their "partner organisations" doing the advertising.

Expect Freedom Church fliers all around town in the very near future.

 

Now that Bill Tanner has left the HT we will longer have the incisive reporting that we have become accustomed to.  Hereford Voice will have to fill the gap and to publish this shocking report on lost or stolen personal information within the Council.  What is being done about this and who is responsible for sorting this out.  God knows there are people in HC who are certainly paid enough to sort it out.  Perhaps HT will pick the story up from these pages and do a little further investigation. 

Herefordshire Council has a dismal reputation when it comes to info breaches. I know personally of one case where highly sensitive data

relating to a young person was improperly disclosed to several parties. Think HC might have copped a hefty fine for that

one.

Re: the Freedom Church issue, I'm wondering if this is more Private Eye Rotten Boroughs material than something for the

local rag to mull over and then ignore.

 

Thus the scene is now set for a gruelling 15-round pugilistic onslaught, between the nimble-footed man affectionalely referred to by his messianic followers as 'JC' and the gurning Kirkaldy Bruiser. And with Len McLusky as JC's manager and seconds being provided by ASLEF, UNISON, UNITE and the Fire Brigade, it has all the ingredients of being a Rumble in the Westminster Jungle.

I'll bet the Tories are killing themselves laughing.

The again people laughed at Thatcher in the 70s, so who knows?

I'm not saying that this is the case here with FC?…but in some counties all it takes is a bribe or two to the local law enforcement & they will leave you alone?…so it would not surprise me if indeed that is what FC are doing so as the Cambodian police turn a blind eye to there activities???

Tithe money well spent no doubt!

image.jpg

 

https://instagram.com/p/5173eNwz09/

Those banners - they reek of Nuremberg. Even more offensive when you see them carrying on their antics in a country that's had more than its fair share of tragedy thanks to deluded fanatics and ideologues.

Shame the Cambodian traffic police don't seem to be on the case.

Whats wrong with the council earning revenue from parking? That can't increase council tax and the gov. grant is cut annually, Our local council needs to find new sources of revenue and this is as good a way as any.

It will also have the added benefit of reducing traffic congestion, reducing pollution as well as giving extra business to the bus companies and helping to keep our vaulable bus services viable.

Why should they help themselves to more of our money? They'll only spaff it up the wall on more useless managers recruited from the dregs of the public sector, paying off employees guilty of manifest wrongdoing (e.g the former head of ICT and the former head of PR/Communications), refurbishing their Plough Lane HQ and jobs for the boys projects like Hereford Failures.

There's also a wider point here – the road traffic act which regulates car parking schemes is not meant to be a revenue raising measure. Local authorities are using it to generate cash, not to control parking and traffic which is what it is intended for. Councils are breaking the law. Unfortunately, the Barnet case aside, nobody seems able to  take them on.

This bit is interesting, next to the street parking proposal: "It would also provide ongoing revenue to support transport services."  This seems to be the very thing that the Barnet case says they can't do. 

The amounts quoted in Bill Tanner's article also suggest that the money they're already raking in far exceeds the actual cost of the scheme. This is a revenue raising excercise, pure and simple. 

 

I must admit, my understanding was that sentencing for the above had been set for August but I'm hearing from a pretty reliable source that Guy has been sentenced to:

 

• a 12 month community order:
• 150 hours of community work
• £1000 fine
• Restraining order not to go near Bodenham Manor or it's owner.

 

No doubt he'll be on Youtube before too long spinning it as yet another victory against the system. Then again, by his standards it probably does qualify as a good result. I gather he's no stranger to the taste of porridge.

I believe this may be illegal. The Barnet case of a couple of years ago would suggest that Councils can not use parking charges to raise revenue:

http://www.walkermorris.co.uk/charging-services-%E2%80%93-barnet-parking-permit-case

Not that potential illegality has ever deterred Herefordshire Council before. Still, I'm sure the monitoring officer has advised members and senior management on any risks involved.

Comments left on HT.

 

Although with the speed stories disappear from view on line, this will only be fleeting.

 

 

Comments already being deleted - gutless rag.

It beggars belief that the Council can close down a valued,  essentia even, service to save money yet can blow tens of thousands of pounds on an executive recruitment search that merely confirms the present incumbent in his post. Beyond satire, you couldn't make it up.