Saxonvale Frome - Mendip Councillors Ignore 258 Objections And Approve It!

Mendip Councillors Ignores Residents AGAIN

 

258 Written Objections were lodged to the dreadful and hated Saxonvale planning application.

Yet at Thursday's Planning Board, Mendip councillors ignored those 258 objections to somehow APPROVE the scheme.

In fact, they did worse than approve the scheme. They delegated to officers to finish it off, behind closed doors.

After the meeting, a member of the public told us, when commenting on our article on Mendip being reported in Private Eye:

"MDC Planning Board voted against allowing more voices to be heard last night at the Board meeting on the proposed Saxonvale development in Frome. Despite strong opposition from local bodies & residents the Planning Board gave approval for the current proposals."

Somerset Independents objected to the application, with Andrew Pope also speaking on behalf of Somerset Independents and all 258 objectors at the virtual meeting. Andrew mentioned that Mendip Council "love to do things behind closed doors". Some of Andrew's speech was reported by SomersetLive reporter Daniel Mumby on Twitter and in the article here.

None of the detail will be agreed in public. It will be done behind closed doors under so-called "reserved matters" and a "Section 106 Agreement". Mendip Council spends your money and does not listen to you. We've said it before and we say it again. The evidence is huge.

Responding to us, their legal officer even tried to infer openness and transparency by saying the agreement would be publicised. He did not mention that reserved matters and Section 106 Agreements are done by officers, not residents, and councillors are ignored by Mendip District Council. So it will all be done behind closed doors. We have an email from a Mendip council officer confirming that reserved matters do not involve consultation of the public.

Denise Wyatt also spoke at the meeting, to remind Mendip District Council that Somerset Independents has already, on several occasions, pointed out the failings of Mendip to listen to the public and to allow the public to have their say, and then for the Council to ACT on what the public tells them. Daniel Mumby also reported on what Denise said.

Denise Wyatt, Nominations Officer
and Expert on Council Governance

But of course, just like all the other times, they tried to ignore us. It doesn't work. And others, both locally and nationally, agree with us about Mendip's failings.

Since we pointed out Mendip's failings last year, now the Local Government Association (only now being consulted by the Chief Executive after the Council's Cabinet Member for Finance Councillor Barry O'Leary and the previous Chief Finance (S151) Officer were humiliated by our investigations into Mendip's accounts), Ernst and Young, local residents worried about developments like Saxonvale, Easthill, Sandys Hill Lane, Selwood Gardens, Coleford, and now Private Eye magazine, have all pointed out the failings in Mendip District Council and its councillors.

Denise also reminded the 14 councillors on the Planning Board that it is a huge conflict of interest to allow Cabinet members who have already been doing deals behind closed doors with developers, to ALSO vote on the planning application. Yet she was ignored - 3 Cabinet members voted for Saxonvale.

Both Denise's and Andrew's speeches provoked responses from officers during the meeting, who made laughable defences of Mendip District Council. But as Andrew said in his speech, Mendip is already under investigation by Ernst and Young.

Yet Mendip councillors STILL ignored the 258 objections.

11 councillors on the Planning Board voted for the application. All of them were Liberal Democrat or Conservative councillors.

3 councillors on the Planning Board voted against approving the application. They were all Green councillors.

The two ward councillors spoke against the application. They are both Green too.

Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope,
Leader of Somerset Independents

 

"Like we say regularly, Lib Dem, Green or Tory, same old story.

They tried to tell everyone that the Planning Board is not party political. Yet they all voted with their political groups - WHAT A COINCIDENCE!

What opposition was there? The Green councillors were pathetic on the Planning Board. They don't know what they are doing, despite having been on there for nearly two years. And the two ward councillors were similarly weak.

When you have a campaigner for the legalisation of drugs as your Group Leader, Green Councillor Shane Collins, and there have been dodgy deals between the Lib Dems and Greens behind closed doors, it is perhaps unsurprising that the councillors are rubbish at providing opposition.

Somerset Independents has consistently spoken up for residents, and has done so again. These national party politicians from the Lib Dems, Tories or Greens cannot be relied upon to stand up for residents.

Because they don't even listen to residents in the first place! They ignore residents instead.

I spent a very long time and went through all of the objections and tried to represent them in the paltry three minutes that I was given by the Lib Dem Chair Damon Hooton, who interrupted me more than once. Other councillors also interrupted and tried to prevent me from speaking.

It was shameful that Mendip councillors did not take our advice, last year, to change the Constitution, to allow more time for public speaking. I asked Damon Hooton again, prior to the meeting, but the Chair claimed to not know that I was speaking. Can you believe it, because I don't?

 And then, when given the opportunity to vote on whether to allow more public speaking time, the councillors voted AGAINST doing so! What a shower!

Denise Wyatt, who is the Nominations Officer for Somerset Independents, says:

"Somerset Independents was formed to stand up for residents. Our profile is growing and we are helping residents in Frome, and also in other parts of Somerset. We've already won campaigns with residents and we will continue to grow throughout 2021. Join us to fight back against the national political parties who put themselves and their party ahead of residents."

Putting Residents First

UPDATED (2/2/21): Shady Mendip Lib Dems Spend YOUR Money On The Wrong Things

 

Lib Dem Councillor Barry O'Leary
Mendip Cabinet Member for Finance

UPDATE (2/2/21): Mendip District Council's Cabinet, which includes Lib Dem Councillor Barry O'Leary (above) who is councillor responsible for the finances of the Council, received a report yesterday which stated:

"28. The Council’s External Auditor, Ernst & Young, gave an unqualified opinion on the 2019-20 financial statements. The Value for Money opinion has been delayed due to an objection to the accounts by a member of the public. The external auditor is yet to complete his investigation into this matter. The Council has considered the issues raised and has taken steps to mitigate the issue which was identified. We will continue to work closely with the External Auditors and react positively to any issues identified"

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope, who was one of the Somerset Independents investigators into Mendip's accounts that led to Ernst and Young investigating, says: 

Andrew Pope
Leader of Somerset Independents

 

"In other words, the Council's own report shows that Ernst and Young are not prepared to state that the taxpayer (you and I) got value for money for our council tax. 

In a democracy where we pay taxes to councils, it is essential that residents know whether YOUR MONEY is being spent correctly by those councils. And if it isn't, councillors must answer our questions. If they don't want to, then it looks suspicious.

Mendip Lib Dems, especially Finance Cabinet Member Councillor Barry O'Leary, are not spending our money on the correct priorities. And they want to hide their spending.

Councillor O'Leary and his Lib Dem mates are gambling millions of taxpayers' pounds on property, but the streets in places like Frome and Evercreech aren't being cleaned, despite it being Mendip's responsibility!

They want volunteers, who pay their council tax, to clean the street for free instead!

Which in a democracy, is wrong.

This shows that we were right to raise the Council's accounts with Ernst and Young. And we look forward to their investigations being concluded and reported on."

---

UPDATE (1/2/21): The Audit Committee stopped the public from seeing the agenda item 

"14        SECTION 25 REPORT OF THE SECTION 151 OFFICER   "

Why would they not want the public to see a Section 25 report? 

We quote from the Surrey County Council minutes:

"The Local Government Act 2003 (Section 25) requires that when a local authority is agreeing its annual budget and precept, the Section 151 Officer must report to it on the following matters: the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the calculations, and; the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves."

Surely it is in the public interest to know?

And especially so, given Ernst and Young is investigating the property investment of the Council's accounts?

Other councils such as Surrey and Waltham Forest did not seem to have a problem with it.

But Mendip District Council does.

WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE?

---

There was an Audit Committee meeting for Mendip District Council this evening (27/1/21) at 6.30pm, where our Lead on Governance Denise Wyatt spoke about the "External Audit Update" that relates to her formal Objection to Mendip District Council's accounts.

Denise mentioned the real-life impact on people's lives, that the mismanagement of Mendip Council's finance by the Liberal Democrats has had. She mentioned the Easthill proposal by the Lib Dems to sell their land to Aster for social housing. 

And she mentioned the failure of Lib Dem, Tory and Green councillors to hold them to account. 

This is the purpose of the Audit Committee.

But those councillors on the Committee HAVEN'T AUDITED THE COUNCIL.

This is why Ernst and Young (E & Y) is investigating Mendip District Council. Kevin Suter of E & Y mentioned the Objection in his comments.

What Denise said is below:

Leading on Governance
Denise Wyatt

"Good Evening 

My name is Denise Wyatt and I am here to speak about the Council’s accounts and governance.

For your information, I am an experienced governance officer.

Early last year I needed to find some information about the Council. I couldn’t find it. I asked questions. I hit a brick wall.

I looked more deeply at the Councils finance, governance, and decision making. I could not believe your practices and constitution. I was appalled that the Council appeared not to comply with the law.

I made further enquiries and sought assurance from the Monitoring Officer. I was unhappy with the replies.

I spoke at various council meetings including Full Council. I also emailed councillors. My concerns were ignored.

My concerns, particularly regarding finance, and councillors decision making was not a matter for the Ombudsman, as it did not personally affect me.

It was therefore my duty to ask questions about the council’s draft accounts.                                                                           

I thank the s151 Officer, Richard Bates for his forbearance. I know he had some difficulties, getting prompt and clear replies to my questions on the accounts.

I would also like to thank Kevin Suter of Ernst and Young for his assistance.

YES, I am the Objector to the Councils accounts.

This authority claims openness and transparency and yet as a Council you appear to ignore the Law of Meetings, as it applies to local government.

I refer you to the Local Government Act 1985. This Council is quick to apply the Act when you want to move to private session such as with Easthill, but in other respects you seem to fail to apply the law and best practise.   

Following my objection to the Council’s accounts, I was delighted to hear at a recent meeting, that the Council is now seeking advice on governance from the Local Government Association. Finally you are listening - thank you.

Councillors your function as a committee is to provide an independent assessment of the Councils governance and public finance.

Members you are not here to rubber stamp reports. You are here to question. I had to do it, because this Committee failed to do so. You MUST challenge challenge and challenge again.

If a member of the public comes to you with concerns about governance and finance please don’t dismiss or ignore them.

Councillors I repeat something I said to you all at the Council meeting last July.

Your practices and process of council meetings NEED to change,

You NEED to ensure the Council applies the law of meetings: and

Your Constitution NEEDS to change –

So please change it..

Thank you"

The Chair made no comment in response to Denise's speech.

The only councillor to reference Denise's Objection was the new Vice-Chair of the Committee, Councillor Michael Gay. He asked what actions E & Y can take.

Mr Suter confirmed that he could make any recommendation at any time.

This can include a Public Interest Report. We have asked that E & Y make this recommendation. This has happened at Croydon, Nottingham and York councils, to give three examples.

Mr Suter also confirmed that he could not take questions on the Objection from councillors, on the detail of the Objection.

This is because it is, in his words, a "quasi-judicial" process. In other words, a legal process governed by law applying to the audit process in councils.

E & Y's investigation into Mendip District Council's investment in property continues.  

The new Section 151 Officer Richard Bates later commented that the rules regarding property investment are changing. He asked councillors to be aware of the Council's Treasury Management, and the Council's policy.

He will report back to the Committee and the External Auditor.

Somerset Independents will continue to hold Somerset councils to account on the mismanagement of public monies, and report back to Somerset residents.

If you want more info on what happened at the meeting, our live-tweet of the meeting starts at the Twitter link below:

There is an Audit Committee meeting for @MendipCouncil this evening at 6.30pm, where our Spokesperson Denise Wyatt will be speaking about the "External Audit Update" that relates to her formal Objection to Mendip District Council's accounts. More here: https://t.co/p6is2f4fo2 pic.twitter.com/oIcL2pFjkR

— Somerset Independents Putting Residents First (@SomerInds) January 27, 2021

COVID-19: Glastonbury 2021 Cancelled and Other Somerset Mass Gatherings Postponed and In Doubt

 

Glastonbury (Pilton) Festival

BREAKING (13:25 21/1/21): Sad news to report, following our article published yesterday. Glastonbury Festival 2021 has been CANCELLED, as reported by the BBC.

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope

 

"This is very sad news. But it is the right decision for the public health and public safety of Somerset residents and everyone who would have been coming to Pilton and the surrounding area.

I would like to thank Emily Eavis and Michael Eavis, and their team, for making the responsible decision, and placing public health and public safety ahead of financial concerns. I am pleased that they have clarified that the Festival has not, after all, been at risk of bankruptcy.

Hopefully the next Festival will be able to be put on safely with the close co-operation of the organisers and with the protection of Somerset residents at the forefront of plans, working with the local authorities including Mendip District Council, Avon and Somerset Police and Somerset County Council."

---

Since the Covid-19 Global Pandemic, mass gatherings have been postponed, cancelled or in doubt. 

We timelined on this website the decision-making of the lockdown and the decision to cancel Glastonbury (Pilton) Festival 2020. 

To protect Somerset residents, Somerset Independents has also challenged a wide range of local authorities and festival organisers to protect Somerset residents from public health risks.

Today, we received news from the Trustees of the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet that they have decided to postpone the substitute event for the Bath and West show that normally takes place every June.

The Showground is currently hosting Covid-19 vaccinations.

In a statement, they said:

"It is clear that life is unlikely to be back to any semblance of normality until well into the summer, making it a challenge to host mass public gatherings safely and securely until later in the year.

While the Royal Bath & West Society is delighted to be part of the COVID19 NHS Vaccination Programme, it is clear that life is unlikely to be back to any semblance of normality until well into the summer, making it a challenge to host mass public gatherings safely and securely until later in the year.

With this in mind, Trustees have agreed to postpone the Bath & West “Country Festival” from early June to 27th– 29th August 2021. Moving the Society’s showcase event will allow the greatest opportunity for the Society to host a safe and holistic event that the whole family can enjoy without the threat of COVID19 hanging over them."

Other mass gatherings in "early summer" of 2021 must also be in doubt, or at risk of cancellation. This includes Glastonbury (Pilton) Festival 2021.

Yet the organisers of Glastonbury Festival have not announced that the 2021 event has been cancelled, or postponed until later in the year.

Both Emily Eavis and Michael Eavis have made public statements, claiming that the Festival could go bankrupt if it did not go ahead and also asking the Conservative Government for help. Eavis Senior, who stood as a Labour Parliamentary Candidate in the 1997 General Election, has also admitted that it would seem unlikely that the Festival would go ahead due to safety concerns. There are also insurance concerns.

Acts that may or may not have been booked to appear at the Festival, have claimed that the Festival will not or should not go ahead. This has included one of the two surviving members of the Beatles, Macca (Paul McCartney), and a member of the Spice Girls.

McCartney described the 2021 event as being a "super spreader" event.

Mel B told the BBC on Radio 5 Live that the event had been cancelled.

This led to denials from the organisers.

So has Glastonbury Festival 2021 been cancelled? Perhaps the organisers know that and have not revealed it to the public? Or they are waiting for other information, such as on insurance and public safety?

Emily Eavis in response to the claims of Macca and Mel B has said via Twitter, that the organisers are waiting for final details, and that the Festival had not been cancelled "yet" (21st December 2020).

There has also been speculation that Pilton Festival will be held in August or September 2021. Again, this has not been confirmed.

Somerset Independents recently challenged Somerset's Covid-19 Engagement Board. At the meeting, our Leader Andrew Pope asked when mass gatherings would be allowed.

The question was directed at the Leader of the Council Councillor David Fothergill, who chairs the meeting. He passed the buck to the officer substituting for the Director of Public Health at the meeting (Louise Woolway). Ms Woolway said that she didn't know.

Andrew Pope says:

"As this Bath and West event in June has been postponed, with organisers saying that it is unlikely they will be allowed by June, then it is reasonable to conclude that all such events before August will also be called off.

It is up to local health authorities and organisers to clarify this as soon as possible, and for organisers to work transparently with them. I applaud the Trustees of Bath and West for making the responsible choice.

We will keep putting pressure on authorities and organisers to protect the health of Somerset residents, and not put financial concerns ahead of public safety."

 

Standing Up For Somerset

Sandys Hill Lane Frome - Private Eye Reports On Mendip District Council

Cutting from Private Eye
taken from Frome Facebook Group

UPDATE (30/1/21): Saxonvale has now been approved by Mendip councillors despite huge objections, and only after Sandys Hill Lane had already been approved. As we said before, it's an interesting sequence of events, especially in the light of the conflicts of interests that both we, and Private Eye, have exposed.

---

Last year, Somerset Independents worked with local residents to oppose the proposal to develop housing near Sandys Hill Lane in Frome. 

Sandys Hill Lane is a single track road that is not suitable for large vehicles. It runs downhill from the Frome McDonald's that is regularly causing road traffic tailbacks. Opposite the McDonald's is Sainsbury's, Pizza Hut and KFC. As residents have noticed, it is also where Avon and Somerset Police park their vehicles.

Sandys Hill Lane, Frome

The Planning Notice
at Sandys Hill Lane

Our investigations and reports were published after the Planning Board at Mendip District Council shamefully approved the scheme in a grubby meeting that we reported here. 

As you can see in the photo, the proposal is a departure from the local plan. It is also not mentioned in the Frome Neighbourhood Plan, approved by a Referendum of residents in 2016. Yet when challenged by Somerset Independents, Frome Town Council had not objected and claimed that policies in the Neighbourhood Plan were relevant.

Land in the proposal is owned by Conservative Councillor Philip Ham. The first appearance at the Planning Board led to the issue being deferred to another meeting, because the plans were not clear enough. An administrative error meant it had already been delayed, because those who were supposed to be consulted, were not consulted by Mendip District Council. Anyone would think this was being rushed through, while the brownfield site at Saxonvale remains derelict (UPDATE 30/1/21: now approved for development, but what will actually happen?).

Now the national investigative newspaper Private Eye has reported on Philip Ham. They note the impact on local roads and the ownership of land by Councillor Ham. Private Eye's piece says, and we quote it here in full:

"Like the rest of the country, Somerset is under pressure to build more homes. In delightful Frome, a scheme for 235 houses, a commercial development and a "drive-thru" was recently approved by Mendip district council despite concerns over its impact on local roads. One of the applicants behind the scheme is Mendip councillor Philip Ham, a local farmer who owns part of the land where the large development will be built. 

While backing his own Frome plan, Ham was busy opposing - and winning the fight against - a proposal for 63 houses outside the village of Coleford. Why the sudden aversion to development? The new homes would have been in the Mendip district council ward of Coleford and Holecombe, represented by one Cllr Ham. The development is strongly opposed by the parish council, chaired by Cllr Ham. And local residents, including Cllr Ham, who lives nearby, also cited concern for its impact on ... local roads.

PS: Any local wishing to further examine Ham's role in the Frome development could contact the chair of Mendip's scrutiny board: er, Cllr Ham."

Cllr Ham has since resigned as Chair of the scrutiny board, citing a "ludicrous" lack of transparency over property dealing in Easthill, Frome.

One Frome resident told us:

"I'm sure you couldn't make this stuff up, even after a long night in (the pub)!!"

We are not making it up. It's very real and serious.

We are not amused.

These are very serious conflicts of interest, that have not been managed. We have argued that Mendip District Council is letting these conflicts of interest go unchecked, and Private Eye have noticed it too. 

When our members have spoken at the Planning Board meeting and written to Mendip District councillors to ask them to better manage the conflicts of interest, councillors have not acted to do so. They tried to ignore us, with the Leader of the Council Ros Wyke trying to brush us off and telling us that our concerns over Mendip's governance had been "noted".

Somerset Independents does not take no for an answer.

We continued our campaign to stand up for Frome residents, and for Mendip residents as a whole. And to expose Mendip District Council for its shoddiness and grubbiness in spending YOUR money and affecting YOUR lives.

We flagged a whole range of dodgy practises in a formal Objection to the Mendip District Council accounts, following detailed and lengthy questioning of Council officers including the interim Chief Financial (Section 151) Officer, Richard Bates. The former S151 Officer Paul Deal left suddenly last year.

Ernst and Young, Mendip's external auditors, are now investigating Mendip District Council. More information is available on other articles on this website, including this one. It is due to report back to Mendip's Audit Committee later this month.

We work with Somerset residents to hold Mendip District Council's Lib Dems, who are supposed to be in control, to account. 

The Lib Dems replaced the Tories that came before them. But as author of the "Flatpack Democracy" book, Peter Macfadyen, told us recently as part of our campaigning with the Frome Easthill campaigners, it seems that Mendip is still being run in the same way as the Tories, but by the Lib Dems.

Lib Dem or Tory, same old story? It seems that when we say this phrase, we are spot on, once again. 

What's the point of voting in Lib Dems when you get a plastic, yellow Tory and no change? It's the same in South Somerset District Council and Somerset West and Taunton Council. 

And the "opposition" to the Tories on Somerset County Council is pathetic. Robin Head, local National Education Union rep told our Leader Andrew Pope recently that the Lib Dem councillors are still tainted by their Coalition with the Tories by Nick Clegg and David Cameron.

Mr Head is right. We will continue to work with Somerset residents to expose the failings of Somerset councils and Lib Dem or Tory councillors.

Somerset Lib Dems
Lib Dem or Tory, Same Old Story

COVID-19: Somerset Authorities Failing Residents and Taxpayers

Andrew Pope
Speaking Up For Somerset

UPDATE (15/1/21): We've just seen this press release from Somerset County Council, which relates to the questions being asked about Covid-19 in the House of Commons. We also asked a follow-up question on this. Tory Council Leader David Fothergill is denying that they have misused Covid-19 monies from the Tory Government.

---

In a time of national crisis, Somerset's councillors of the national political parties are not standing up for you. Instead, they like to keep their heads down and keep taking their councillor allowances, and taking your vote for granted. Worse, most of the County councillors even want to postpone the County Council elections due in 2021.

The Covid-19 situation just gets worse and worse. And we are not going to let the Government and County Council get away with failing residents. We've already asked a lot of questions of authorities across Somerset, during 2020.

Now we are demanding more answers. But of course Conservative County Council Leader Councillor David Fothergill and his merry band of followers don't want to answer. They just want to carry out the instructions of Boris Johnson's Conservative Government.

Somerset Independents does not take no for an answer.

So, our Leader Andrew Pope has just spoken at the Somerset Covid-19 Engagement Board this afternoon. Here is what he said, leading up to asking only three questions that he was allowed to ask at the meeting:

"The numbers on Covid-19 are the worst ever. That is an indictment of the failures of the Government and the failures of the County Council. I have some sympathy with the local teams who have been sidelined and left in the lurch by the repeated failures of the Government. But I believe that you should stand up for Somerset residents. But you haven’t done so regularly enough or with sufficient strength.

Due to those failures, there are a large number of questions that I think the people of Somerset deserve answers to. These questions should be asked by elected representatives, such as councillors. But there is little evidence of that in the minutes of this Engagement Board. So the public has to.

I have already asked 13 questions of Councillor Fothergill as Leader of the Council and Chair of this Board. Most of his answers were non-answers. Which is disappointing but not surprising.

I thought that I might get answers to 9 further questions from this Board. After being ignored by officers, then having the run-around and then having to chase up, I was then told by an officer that I could only ask 3 questions. Then I was told by an officer that my questions had been answered and so there was no need for me to come to speak to you. Someone had been misinforming.

I got the distinct impression that I was not welcome at this meeting and that the questions were not welcome either. But then this Engagement Board seems to operate more like a Government Propaganda Machine, than a way for the public to be represented. Why do I say this?

If the minutes are accurate, and you have agreed that they are accurate, I have seen very little in the way of pushback, little in the way of challenge, little in the way of representation of Somerset residents. All I see are things being “noted” and “agreed”. No votes. No dissent. It’s like a branch of the 21^st Century Chinese Communist Party, not a 21^st Century democracy in England.

I have been promised that all of my questions would be answered. The three questions that I would like answered today, and for which I would like to hear you all to consider and answer please, are as follows:

1. Last year, I asked the Director of Public Health why the Risk Register had not been updated to include outbreaks of novel viruses such as Covid-19, because it only allowed for influenza? Has the Risk Register been updated and published and if not, why not?

2. What is the earliest possible date that so-called "mass gatherings" will be allowed again?

3. What audit measures have been taken to ensure that there has been no fraud or corruption in the use by Somerset County Council of the Covid-19 grants provided by Government, and what reassurances can you provide that none of these monies have been diverted for other purposes, such as the unitary authority bid "One Somerset"? Please confirm that they are completely ringfenced.

Thank you and I hope that you will ensure this Board operates as a democracy from this point on."

CAMPAIGN: Somerset Residents REJECT Unitary Authorities AGAIN

 

Lib Dem, Labour, Green or Tory
SAME OLD STORY

 

Despite our country being in a Covid-19 Crisis throughout 2020, elected Lib Dem and Tory councillors in Somerset have been trying to sneak through changes to how YOU are governed and how YOUR money is spent. They've done it using money that could be spent on Covid recovery.

And now we know that what Somerset Independents told these councillors:

• the timing is wrong, 
• the idea is wrong, 
• residents don't support it

- was absolutely correct. 

Because the people have spoken in two separate surveys, paid for by taxpayers because councillors spent your money to prove what residents already knew. Yes, really.

In one survey, 71% of 2,046 residents surveyed as a representative sample of Somerset adults said that they did not support the Stronger Somerset proposal of two more unitary authorities, as proposed by South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Sedgemoor and Mendip district councils. 

And 86% of residents surveyed said they did not support the One Somerset proposal of one unitary authority for all of Somerset. The Somerset county boundary excludes North Somerset and the parts of Somerset in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority areas. So it would not have led to "one" Somerset, but three. Anyway...

The question was already a biased question, asking them what restructure they would choose. So this is the best that they could manage.

In 2007, a postal poll of residents resulted in about the same result - 82% saying no to a unitary authority.

SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE 2007 AND THEIR PROPOSALS ARE A WASTE OF MONEY DURING A NATIONAL CRISIS!

Instead of getting their priorities right, and listening to residents, the councillors of the national parties have been spending YOUR money on a futile exercise to re-organise our councils.

This is why we were calling for a Referendum of ALL Somerset residents, because YOU should have your say.

But councillors carried on spending your money on this futile and offensive exercise.

Somerset resident Alan Guest, who has lived in Somerset since 1988 and worked for the County council from 1996 to 2010, told us:

"It's all well scripted self promotion and no substance or as they say where I come from originally, it's all fur coat and no knickers! They keep pumping out the same old same old, in the mistaken belief that if they keep telling us over and over we will eventually take it as the truth."

Mr Guest's view is echoed by the over 158,000 people who voted against a unitary in 2007, and also by those who responded to these new surveys.

The survey results completely justify our questioning of the decisions and the money spent.

Yet Somerset's councillors carried on, despite that 2007 postal poll of Somerset residents which showed - again, that 82% of residents DID NOT WANT a unitary authority. The poll was conducted by independent body Electoral Reform Services, and jointly paid for by the five district councils back then.

Roll forward to 2020, and councillors used more public money to produce a report, the FoLGIS (Future of Local Government in Somerset) report. Which councillors and council officers under instruction of councillors then worked to discredit and undermine, variously describing it as wrong and discredited. The report included a very balanced piece of work by academics at De Montfort University. But that work was shoved into the Appendix. De Monfort's work showed that these types of amalgamations don't work - not in the UK, not in Europe and not across the world.

But the Tory councillors on Somerset County Council didn't listen to the experts. And they did not listen to the residents. 

Instead, Tory councillors spent even more taxpayers money on their "One Somerset" proposal for a single unitary authority to replace all four district councils and the county council. They even voted to STOP YOU HAVING YOUR VOTE IN MAY 2021 IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS! And to award themselves more allowances for a longer period!

After this, the Liberal Democrats and Tories on the four district councils spent yet more taxpayers money on a "Stronger Somerset" proposal for two unitary authorities to replace them.

Then all these councils spent even more money, in a battle and competition on which proposal was best. All to try and please dodgy MP and Minister for Local Government Robert Jenrick - who was last year caught up in a corruption scandal relating to property deals and planning permission. Councillors claimed that it would be him making the decision, not residents.

Councillors then used public money to pay PR people to try to sell their stupid ideas, using misleading information, with Stronger Somerset falsely making claims that Professors support their ideas, (we have it in writing that Stronger Somerset never contacted the authors of the aricle - see * below) and using dodgy statistics that do not represent the full facts.

How much money have they wasted on this futile exercise? The public need to know.

The councils could have joined together, or they could have stopped this madness during a National Emergency, but they used public money to argue amongst themselves.

And most importantly, they did not bother to ask you whether they should have started this futile process in the first place. They just went ahead.

In our campaign for a Referendum, Somerset Independents contacted ALL district councillors and county councillors. Some on several occasions.

We spoke at council meetings to ask them to back a Referendum.

We were campaigning for a Referendum very loudly and very consistently.

But the vast majority of Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Labour and Green councillors DID NOT LISTEN!

The vast majority DID NOT EVEN RESPOND TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS! They thought that they knew better than the people of Somerset.

And now, the people have spoken again AGAINST unitary changes. TWICE!

TWO REPRESENTATIVE POLLS OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF SOMERSET RESIDENTS SHOW THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF SOMERSET RESIDENTS DO NOT SUPPORT UNITARY CHANGES AND/OR THAT  THEY HAVE NOT EVEN HEARD OF THE PROPOSALS!

An Ipsos Mori poll was conducted and paid for with YOUR money by the Lib Dem and Tory district councillors, and supported by Labour and Green councillors too. 

Another poll was conducted by the Tory councillors on the County Council. It showed that the vast majority of people had not heard of their proposal.

The report on the poll said:

"Three in four Somerset residents (76%) are indifferent to who delivers their local services, as long as these are delivered to a high standard • However, most want more information about the One Somerset proposal (73%) and don’t necessarily trust local Councillors or politicians to make the right decision about the future of Somerset on their behalf. (p4)"

These polls were paid for by taxpayers' money.

All this public money has been spent, during a Global Pandemic and National Crisis!

It could have been better spent on helping businesses to survive, to protect people from Covid-19 and to provide higher morale and hope for the future.

Instead, Lib Dems, Labour, Green or Tory, the same old story.

Spending YOUR money to protect themselves and their parties.

And to these national political parties, Somerset's local communities, Somerset's local people, local businesses, local areas and local families are way down the list of priorities. 

THESE NATIONAL PARTY COUNCILLORS SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES WHETHER THEY REPRESENT YOU?

WE KNOW THAT THEY DON'T!

Ask them why they did this, when Somerset residents had already told them that they didn't want it.

Vote them out when the time comes!

Vote for Somerset Independents councillors who listen to you, and act for local residents - not political masters in Westminster. 

And join us in our campaigns to stand up for residents and work with residents.

Standing Up For Somerset Residents

 

* Colin Copus, Emeritus Professor of Local Politics, who supports our campaign for a Referendum, rebuffed the Stronger Somerset PR people's claims. He told us in response to Stronger Somerset attempting to use his paper to justify their proposal:

"‘I, or my co-authors, Steve Leach and Alistair Jones, haven’t been contacted by Stronger Somerset. But to set the record straight, our evidence shows there is no need to merge or create bigger councils in Somerset or anywhere else for that matter. We certainly do not show that new unitary councils – of any size - are necessary but that the two-tier system has strengths and benefits that should not be lost by creating unitaries, of any size’."

COVID-19: Lib Dems Wasting £23 MILLION of Taxpayers Money on "The Arts"

Somerset Lib Dems Wasting YOUR MONEY

 

UPDATED (15/1/21) with links to Southampton Independents work and response from South Somerset District Council to our challenges.

During the Covid-19 crisis, South Somerset District Council has decided to commit £23 MILLION of YOUR money, to an arts project. This is despite being challenged by us, in public, as reported by SomersetLive. They have been forced to respond to our challenge. We have a great deal of experience of projects like this, as can be seen with the "Arts Complex" on the archived Southampton Independents website.

Somerset Independents was formed to stand up for Somerset residents. 

We had to be formed, because the Somerset Liberal Democrats are just like the other national parties - Labour, the Greens and the Conservatives. They put their party first and local residents last. And they misuse public money to do so.

Somerset Independents has exposed the Lib Dems on Mendip District Council for their financial mismanagement and hiding their financial decisions behind closed doors from the public. Ernst and Young are still investigating the Lib Dems there, as described elsewhere on this website.

Somerset Independents listens to residents. We believe, from the comments we have heard, that the vast majority of residents do not support South Somerset District Council guaranteeing the £23 MILLION forecast to be spent on the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil.

So we are doing something about it. 

Somerset Independents does not just SAY that it stands up for residents.

We LISTEN and we ACT.

Our Leader Andrew Pope spoke at the South Somerset District Executive (Cabinet) this week. He and his colleague Denise Wyatt have substantial experience at exposing the misuse of public funds. This includes their previous work in Southampton that exposed the horrifying failure of "Studio 144" or "Arts Complex" (link to various articles here).

What Andrew said at the Executive has been reported by SomersetLive and the County Gazette. And a further response from South Somerset District Council in response to our concerns is now here. Andrew's full speech is below:

Andrew Pope

Andrew Pope Speech To South Somerset District Council 7^th January 2020

"Thank you Councillor Keitch.

Thank you very much.

The Octagon Theatre Development...when I saw this report, reported by the County Gazette, I was quite concerned.

Until 2019, I was a City Councillor in Southampton. And during my time as an Independent councillor there, I worked very hard to expose the failings of Southampton City Council and the tens of millions of pounds of public money which they robbed from other budgets to pay for a project just like this one.

It was interesting, I think it was Councillor Clark on the previous item who mentioned about an Internal Audit report.

I worked to leak that Internal Audit report. But it was too late, because the tens of millions of pounds of public money that could have been spent on basic services, were instead spent on arts.

That project now has been an absolute disaster.

The former Leader of the Council, who lost his seat shortly after we exposed this, was former Councillor Simon Letts. He did not want to answer questions from the local newspaper in response to that internal audit report.

As I say, tens of millions of pounds of public money that could have gone on other things.

This report today asks you to underwrite £23 million. That money will have to be raided from other budgets, if you do not raise the funds. That is exactly what happened with the arts complex in Southampton.

It was a project that was going nowhere, the Council stepped in, underwrote the project and then the Council and the taxpayer ended up footing the bill.

I’m asking you to seriously consider very carefully whether you wish to do this and suggest that you do not do this.

If this project is feasible, it needs to be funded from other sources and not from the taxpayers money.

Thank you very much."

CAMPAIGN: When Will All of Somerset Get Superfast or Even DECENT Broadband?

 

Standing up for residents
and businesses

Somerset Independents is campaigning for better broadband for Somerset residents. Why?

Because our residents and our businesses deserve it. And despite broken promise after broken promise by the County Council and Government, Somerset still suffers from poor broadband in too many areas. Their latest promise in late December, is likely to end in more disappointment.

Never mind superfast broadband*, too many households suffer from not even having decent broadband**!

Figures published by the House of Commons Library prove it. They are based on the data provided by OFCOM, the Regulator for communication.

For example, the figures below show how terrible the lack of decent broadband is in the Constituency of Somerton and Frome, currently represented in Parliament by Conservative MP David Warburton.

According to those figures:

• The average download speed was 42.8 Mbps (Mega bits per second) in Somerton and Frome, just less than 25% slower than for the South West of England as a whole. It is 30% slower than the average download speed for the whole of the UK.
• Superfast broadband was available for only 81.5% of Somerset's premises, lower than 91.9% for the South West and 94.8% for the UK. Put another way, 18.5% of households do not have superfast broadband connectivity.
  
• Just under 10% (9.4%) of premises cannot get decent broadband. This is three times as many as just 3.1% for the South West and five times as bad as for the UK.
  

When the averages are broken down into smaller areas within the Constituency, it is even worse. 

Plotted on a map, you can see vast areas with terrible broadband. About the only area that is OK is the northern part of Frome, an urban area.

Mr Warburton has made statements in Parliament and on his website about his "concern" on the failure to deliver.

But he does not need to look far for who has failed to deliver.

It is his own Conservative Party's failure to deliver broadband in Somerset. They've been in power at the County Council for years.

And it is his own Conservative Party's Government's failure to deliver. They've been in power for a decade, since 2010.

His Party's failures might explain why Mr Warburton appears to have done little about it. 

As noted by the Parliament-watching website, TheyWorkForYou.com, Mr Warburton only sometimes differs from his Party and only occasionally rebels against the Conservative Party. And as also shown there, and as found by our own research, Mr Warburton hardly spoke in Parliament in 2020, with very long gaps of months between appearances. 

Even so, speaking in Parliament is just words. Somerset Independents prefers to see ACTION, not just words from Somerset's elected representatives.

Let's not forget, Mr Warburton is one of several Somerset Tory MPs who tried to defend the indefensible on Free School Meals - his Government's failure to sign up for it - and then his humiliation when they were forced to u-turn.

So he is likely to not provide much in the way of exposure of his Government's, and his County Council's failures.

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope, says:

"I live in a rural area. My broadband is provided via copper wires that run on telegraph poles running to an exchange miles away. We are at the end of the line and the broadband is only ADSL. I need decent broadband to run my online business from home. And if my business is to expand, I need superfast broadband.

BT Openreach is so bad that when our line was struck by lightning and the shock came into our house, they failed to investigate what happened, or to visit our property to check the safety.

In fact, it was impossible to get them to give any meaningful response to our concerns. We were told to phone India. The call handlers had no idea about our area and they ignored our problem. We even took it the Ombudsman, who were useless.

So we switched provider. But that has not changed the terrible infrastructure that is so out-of-date.

We had a public meeting at our village hall, with Truespeed giving us empty promises. It was only if we signed up, and if all other villages signed up between us and where Truespeed have their cables already installed. We have no idea when, or if, it will be provided by them, by land. Now the County Council have named them as a new partner. But it is likely that they will fail to deliver, as the others before them, did.

So I am supporting the Voneus satellite broadband that is being rolled out in rural areas. The latest application that I am aware of is in Pilton. I have supported their planning application, because I believe that Voneus have tried their utmost to minimise the visual impact, rejecting sites due to genuine concerns from local residents.

The history of the Mendip Hills shows that, if you cannot go under, you have to go over. But specious and fake objections to technology, such as happened with some people and vested interests when the trains were installed through the Hills two centuries ago - cannot stop genuine progress. Populism cannot stop genuine progress for society as a whole.

 

Somerset Fib Dems Fibbing About 5G

But Liberal Democrat councillors in Somerset like Councillor Liz Leyshon and Lib Dem Bath MP Wera Hobhouse have even used pseudo-science to oppose 5G, just like the Conservative Government has with Covid-19, to justify their populist vote grabbing. To object to masts for visual impact reasons is one thing, but to speak at meeting after meeting in a Luddite way to oppose technology to catch votes, is another.

Somerset Independents will be supporting the rollout of technology that helps residents and businesses survive and hopefully thrive."

* Superfast broadband is defined by OFCOM as "The percentage of lines that were capable of receiving download speeds of at least 30 Mbps in May 2020".

** Decent broadband is defined by OFCOMS as "Premises below the Universal Service Obligation - those unable to receive 10 Mbps download speed or 1 Mbps upload speed".