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

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

VICTORY UPDATE (30/4/21): Somerset Independents FORCES Mendip Council To Change

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope

UPDATE (30/4/21): It has taken a long time for Mendip District Council's External Auditor Ernst and Young to take the issue to the Council's own Audit Committee.

It has been reported by Daniel Mumby for SomersetLive here, with quotes by Somerset Independents officer Denise Wyatt.

Denise Wyatt
Nominations Officer
Somerset Independents

Denise Wyatt says: 

"Somerset Independents had to take action because the councillors, council officers and the auditors did not. It is their duty but the councillors, council officers and the auditors failed.

Instead of doing their jobs and being paid a lot of public money, to do it, it was Somerset Independents and volunteers doing their jobs for them! It's just wrong.

So we had to use the law against them. And make Mendip District Council listen, even though they had their fingers in their ears. This is usual for Mendip, sadly.

Somerset Independents has also proved that Mendip broke the law of meetings in how it allowed a Chair to preside over his own election.

And their lack of openness and transparency has meant they have had to re-issue minutes of meetings. It sounds boring. But it isn't. Why?

Because those meetings considered the spending of millions of pounds of taxpayers money. And public money MUST be accounted for. It's the law.

Mendip councillors and officers HID WHAT THEY DID, and tried to get away with it! Somerset Independents stands up for residents and public money."

---

 

UPDATE (28/12/20): We are signing off 2020 with another victory for Somerset residents, and celebrating our other recent victories.

Our Leader Andrew Pope says:

"Ever since we were formed during Lockdown 1, Somerset Independents has been telling Mendip District Council that they need to change.

We told the councillors and officers at many meetings that they had to listen, and act, on residents' concerns.

But they refused to listen.

And they refused to act. 

We carried on regardless.

Now, after months of campaigning with Somerset residents on a wide range of campaigns, we have discovered that because of the actions of our members, that they have been forced to change - on Easthill, on how they run meetings, on how they listen to the public, on how they should act for the public, and now on how the Council is run.

These are big victories, and we have done it by working with Somerset residents, and acting for Somerset residents and the environment.

We don't just SAY we do it. We actually do it. Join us to help us to make Somerset's councils listen to residents, instead of doing bad things to residents using taxpayers' money."

We will be providing more updates, as and when the Council's External Auditors Ernst and Young take action, and when the Council make material changes.

At a recent public meeting, councillors have been forced to commit to "review" the Constitution - something that we asked them to do many months ago. During the virtual meeting, the Chief Executive was forced to explain to councillors and the public what had gone wrong.

As we have previously reported, members of Somerset Independents raised a number of serious concerns, including a formal Objection to the Mendip District Council Accounts, with Ernst and Young.

Ernst and Young accepted part of our objections and is investigating further. They did not accept other parts. We still maintain that those parts of our Objection are correct.

In early December, Ernst and Young informed our lead on Governance, Denise Wyatt, that and we quote:

"Our investigation of the issues we accepted within your objection is ongoing.  As a quasi-judicial process it would not be appropriate for me to provide any detail of the status at this time.  I do not have a timescale when it will be completed, as I need to ensure that the process is properly followed."

This was in response to further concerns that Denise raised on Mendip District Council's Governance, on top of those raised in the formal Objection to the Council's accounts.

We are concerned with how long the investigation by Ernst and Young is taking, and how Mendip District Council are acting in hindsight to try to cover up the Council's failings. 

This now includes "revised" versions of minutes of meetings of the Phoenix Sponsorship Board, which were put through on the hush-hush on 23rd December 2020, in response to our formal objection. 

This Board has been making decisions on property and has met behind-closed-doors for years. Yet under the Liberal Democrat Administration that came in during May 2019, it became even more secretive than it was under the previous Conservative Administration. Like we say regularly because it is true - Lib Dem or Tory, same old story.

As well as a range of other failings in openness and transparency, Denise showed that the minutes of the meetings were unlawful. Denise raised this with Ernst and Young and directly with the Council's officers, including the new Chief Finance Officer, so-called "Section 151 Officer" Richard Bates.

Denise also showed again to them that other aspects of Mendip's governance were also unlawful, including the lack of Background Papers cited in reports to councillors. While this may seem trivial, it is like an academic paper not citing who has been quoted, or whose work has been used, in the paper. In the academic world, it would be unethical and plagiarism.

But when it is councillors making decisions that affect people's lives and spending millions of pounds of taxpayers money, including on shady and risky property deals it is vital that councillors and the public are informed. But it is also the law, under the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

Mendip District Council has been breaking the law on this Phoenix Sponsorship Board. And also on another property-related committee, the Asset Management Group.

And we have discovered from local residents, via the Frome Facebook Group, that our work has been picked up by Private Eye, although sadly our article on Sandys Hill Lane and Mendip District Council was not credited:

 

Cutting from Private Eye
taken from Frome Facebook Group

 

It is good that Private Eye has picked this up. But what matters most is that we are helping to shine a light on the grubby dealings of Mendip District Council, and that local residents are made aware of it.

Throughout 2020, ever since Somerset Independents was formed, the poor Governance at Mendip District Council has been raised directly with councillors and officers - on very many occasions.

We will be providing further updates. To see them, please Like our Facebook Page by looking for our username @SomerInds (Somerset Independents) and our Twitter feed @SomerInds.

If you would like to help our work, please get in touch via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

Standing Up For Residents

Mendip District Council Thinks The Nolan Principles Are Optional!

Andrew Pope
Mendip South Candidate
for Somerset County Council

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope, is also our Candidate for the Mendip South division on Somerset County Council at the 2021 Elections.

Andrew spoke at the 9th November 2020 Mendip District Council Full Council meeting, to remind them of their obligations under the Nolan Principles. All public servants are required to adhere to the Principles, which were originally stated 25 years ago.

Andrew also attacked Mendip District Council for not adhering to the Nolan Principles in relation to its property investment and the proposed development of social housing at Easthill, From. The chief legal officer wrote to Andrew this year to say that the Nolan Principles were not part of the code of conduct. An incorrect and outrageous assertion.

His speech can be heard on the recording on the Mendip District Council website here.

The speech is also transcribed below.

"Good Evening! I am Andrew Pope, Leader of Somerset Independents, Somerset’s newest and only dedicated and registered political party.

I speak tonight on the 7 Principles of Public Life, also known as the Nolan Principles, which councillors and officers in public life, should live, breath and practice. They are:

    selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership

Lord Jonathan Evans, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, recently reflected on the 25th Anniversary of the Nolan Principles, by saying:

“It’s clear that some of these elements are more developed in some areas of public life than others.”

So how “developed” are the Nolan Principles at Mendip District Council, and do you know what the expected standards of behaviour are? I suggest to you that behaviour and culture are not developed, in light of the fact that both the Deputy Monitoring Officer and Monitoring Officer have told me in writing, and I quote in response to a Formal Complaint I submitted on a Mendip District Councillor.

They said: “With regard to the Nolan Principles, they are exactly that and underpin the code of conduct but are not part of the code.”

A bit of a surprise to me that was. That might explain perhaps that the investigation was not conducted properly because of this, and the Councillor escaped the sanctions that should have followed a proper investigation. Let’s be absolutely clear – the Nolan Principles ARE part of all councils’ codes of conduct. They relate to ALL public servants.

Allow me to give you an example of why the Nolan Principles are so important to the people of Somerset – indeed across England, as the law is the same, yet councils like yours think that it isn’t!

In 2013, I was a Councillor in Southampton City Council and the Leader of the Council had to resign because he breached the Nolan Principles after an investigation.

So, if you haven’t understood why I tell you that story and you still ask what has this got to do with you, then you have been misled by Mendip District Council and its poor quality of organisational culture and behaviour. It is a culture and behaviour which, as a result of investigations under the 2014 Regulations by members of Somerset Indepedents, has now resulted in an investigation by the External Auditor Ernst and Young into two of the Nolan Principles – openness and transparency, in relation to the Council’s policy of property investment.

And as we’ve heard this evening, just look at the Easthill development in Frome, the decision happening behind closed doors.

What makes Mendip District Council so special, councillors? What do you have to hide? A lot, it seems.

You need to make sure that those Nolan Principles are at the heart of everything you do.

And that needs to start now.

Thank you very much for listening."

UPDATE (6/2/21): Easthill Frome - Councillor Resignation at "Farcical" Mendip District Council Meeting

 

Lib Dems "Run" Mendip Council

UPDATE (6/2/21): Now includes links to Somerset Independents, SomersetLive and Private Eye articles relating to Mendip District Council and Frome.

Members of Somerset Independents attended last night's Mendip District Council Scrutiny meeting (Monday 16th Nov 2020). The meeting was run virtually (link here to the Microsoft Teams recording). 

The meeting may well go down in history as one of the most chaotic in a Somerset council.

The Scrutiny Board is supposed to hold the Lib Dem-run "Cabinet" or "Executive" to account. But it does not, and it has not. During the meeting, even the Chair and former Chair (Lib Dem Councillor Damon Hooton) admitted that it does not do this - whether Lib Dems or Tories are in control of the Council.

Then the Chair, Councillor Philip Ham, quit, saying it was "ludicrous" and "farcical". It is the same Cllr Ham mentioned by Private Eye in relation to his planning application and land near Sandys Hill Lane, also in Frome.

Easthill, Frome
Isn't this beautiful?
(pictures used with permission of owner)

Residents local to Easthill spoke at the meeting. Somerset Independents is standing with them against this disgraceful development.

Denise Wyatt

Our County Council Candidate for Frome Denise Wyatt spoke to support them in their campaign to stop the Lib Dem-controlled Mendip District Council from building 77 dwellings on this prized haven for flora and fauna. Denise's speech is at this link here.

What Denise said has also been reported by Daniel Mumby via the Somerset County Gazette here. In response to Denise and the local residents who also spoke, the Council Leader, Lib Dem Councillor Ros Wyke, spouted her usual meaningless platitudes such as: "My administration wants to listen and reflect" and "We welcome transparency".

Councillor Wyke's claims go against the evidence. The Council's External Auditor Ernst and Young is conducting an investigation into the evidence that Somerset Independents has provided that Mendip District Council's property investment is lacking openness and transparency!

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope, who spoke against the development at last week's Full Council meeting, to support local residents (speech at this link here), says now:

Andrew Pope

"Somerset Independents was formed to stand up for Somerset residents, and to stand up for wildlife. Since we learned of Mendip District Council's plans and local residents' outrage and surprise, we have supported the residents in their fight.

Somerset Independents live-tweeted from the meeting, so you can go and read what happened on our Twitter feed here.

The meeting was a shambles. As we live-tweeted, and as reported by BBC Radio Somerset today, the Chair of the Scrutiny Board, Tory Councillor Philip Ham, resigned as Chair. The former Chair Lib Dem Damon Hooton, who is now Chair of the Planning Board, told him to "suck it up"! What a disgrace!

There was very little proper order or control, with Vice-Chair Councillor Chris Inchley forced to chair the meeting when Councillor Ham quit.

Councillors spoke over each other and there was no proper debate because Lib Dem Councillor Sam Phripp and other councillors supported his bad idea that there be no debate at this meeting.

The whole point of the meeting was to listen to residents' concerns. Instead of doing that, the Lib Dem, Tory and Green councillors bickered amongst themselves and the Lib Dem councillors tried to stop debate. That's why we don't like the Westminster parties - the Lib Dems and Greens put themselves ahead of residents in their dodgy backroom deals. The Mendip Tories' form of opposition is also pathetic.

Why don't the Mendip Greens and Tories provide proper opposition?

What was the "informal" arrangement between the Lib Dems and Greens that Green Group Leader Councillor Shane Collins admitted to the BBC's David Garmston live on TV in 2019, just after the Mendip Council elections?

Was it a coincidence that in so many Mendip wards, the Lib Dems and Greens did not stand against each other? NO!

It was another dodgy backroom deal, just like Easthill, but this time, instead of the integrity of the elections, its residents and wildlife who are losing out! I thought the Greens were supposed to fight for wildlife, not have housing built on it! All the while, brownfield sites like Saxonvale remain derelict! We've spoken out on that too!

All the evidence points towards an electoral pact, and hidden deals between the Lib Dems and Greens, but did they tell the public? No. We've asked them to but they have refused. 

Did they tell the local residents that a vote for a Green was a vote for Lib Dem and vice versa? NO!

The public need to know what the Lib Dem-Green deal was! Since then, the Greens have gone easy on the Lib Dems - with all Green councillors even voting for the Lib Dem budget.

They've gone easy on the Lib Dems on Easthill too. Why? They are supposed to be in opposition, not in a cosy cartel!

Councillor Philip Ham summed the Scrutiny meeting up when he said it was "Farcical". He quit because he said that the Scrutiny Board was once again being stopped from doing its job of scrutinising the Council. He was right!

The Somerset Lib Dems don't like being challenged and they have regularly ignored members of the public, including members of Somerset Independents, when they have spoken at their meetings. Green and Tory councillors at those meetings also ignored our representations on behalf of Somerset residents. We even chased them up.

So it's no surprise that the Lib Dems don't want to listen to Easthill residents either.

We will continue to stand up and stand with these residents and with the wildlife. As Denise said when she spoke, this development must be stopped by Mendip District Council.

Denise has confirmed with the Council directly that the land has NOT been sold yet. They must not sell it. It must be saved for Frome."

 

Easthill, Frome

 

Denise Wyatt Speaks Up for Frome Residents

 

Denise Wyatt

At last night's Mendip District Council Scrutiny meeting, our Frome County Council Candidate Denise Wyatt spoke.

Denise stood up for residents of Easthill who are opposed to 77 social housing dwellings being built on the beautiful wildlife haven there. Somerset Independents is standing up for them.

Easthill, Frome

The Lib Dem-run Mendip District Council Cabinet already agreed to sell the land to Aster, the social housing provider.

We agree with residents that this site is the wrong place for social housing, especially whilst sites like Saxonvale remain derelict.

Denise's speech is below:

"What took Mendip District Council so long to spend this funding? They've had two years! Why the secrecy?
Members of Somerset Independents have been investigating Mendip District Council.  Our investigations have led to the External Auditor, Ernst and Young investigating this Council’s lack of openness and transparency in its purchase of commercial properties.
The Councils Monitoring Officer, as my colleague Andrew Pope said at the last Council meeting, does not even think that the Nolan Principles are part of the councillor’s code of conduct.
So it comes as absolutely no surprise that this Council is not being open in its decision-making at Easthill. No wonder residents are so unhappy.
I was astonished when watching the Cabinet meeting, that Cllr Janine Nash, did not raise questions at Cabinet, about local residents concerns, and on wild life at Easthill. Was this because as someone said to me, she is probably worried about being “drummed out of the brownies”- the Liberal Democrats?
You can resign from the Liberal Democrats Cllr Nash and still remain a councillor.
The main reason that the Council are pushing for this site to progress so quickly and without proper process and openness, is because they will lose funding.   


I quote from a Cabinet Report of July this year.
“ Approximately £570,000 of Land Release Fund,  grant remains unspent, and Mendip could be at risk of losing this money, if a programme to deliver housing is not agreed, implemented and demonstrable progress, made by the end of 2020. “
The Council have had two years to spend this money. So why hasn’t it?  The Council is now in a panic to spend the money by the end of December.
So the environment and wildlife of Easthill is to be sacrificed and built on because of the incompetence of the Council.
This is why the rush and lack of consultation and why the Council has failed to be open and transparent.
I had it confirmed by the Monitoring Officer just before 5pm this evening that the land at Easthill has not yet been sold. The land is still within the Councils ownership.
So I ask councillors, that you, tonight amend the proposed recommendations on the report, which you can, as you can ask Cabinet anything.

Ignore Councillor Wyke, and request the Cabinet to reverse its decision on Easthill and remove it from the house building programme.

What took Mendip District Council so long to spend this funding? They've had two years! Why the secrecy?
Because this Council is incompetent and
Because this Council appears to disregard the Nolan principles."

Leader of Somerset Independents and Mendip South Council Candidate Andrew Pope also spoke in support of local residents at last week's Full Council meeting of Mendip District Council. His speech is here.

Easthill, Frome

VICTORY (19/12/20): Easthill Frome PAUSED: Mendip Lib Dems In Another Dodgy and Rushed Deal

Easthill, Frome

VICTORY UPDATE (19/12/20): The Liberal Democrats have been forced into a humiliating u-turn and have stopped the sale of Easthill - for now.

This is due to the pressure from Somerset Independents advising the local campaigners.

It is the second victory for Somerset residents that we are advising.

But it is only a temporary reprieve.

Denise Wyatt says:

"It is another example of the farcical Liberal Democrat Administration of Mendip District Council. They should never have agreed the sale in the first place. They were hoping to sneak it through, but we worked with local residents to stop it. We will be watching them very closely."

---

The Liberal Democrat-run Mendip District Council recently made a decision behind-closed-doors, to sell land at Easthill in Frome. Local residents are shocked and surprised by this decision, yet at the Full Council Meeting on 9th November, Lib Dem Council Leader Ros Wyke claimed that the decision was "open"!  

 

Mendip Lib Dems
Mis-using YOUR Money

This is despite local residents speaking at the meeting to prove that the decision was far from open, and making clear their anger and distress at the development.

Local resident Ba Pardhy spoke at the meeting. She told Somerset Independents:

"Mendip District Council wants to build on Easthill Field between the Cemetery and Easthill/Styles Park boundaries.

What does the Council think it is doing?

This is the Council that, in 2019, declared a 'Climate and Ecological Emergency'.  Now the Council is going to build on a habitat with bats, dormice, slow worms, owls, birds, amphibians, endangered species and numerous beneficial insects.

What the Council says and what the Council do are two different things.

Mendip Council is not listening and this development must be stopped."

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope spoke in support of the local residents, pointing out that the decision was not open or transparent and that Mendip District Council does not uphold the Nolan Principles of openness or transparency. His speech is here.

Denise Wyatt, Somerset Independents County Council Candidate for Frome, says:

Denise Wyatt

 

"What took Mendip District Council so long? They've had two years! Why the secrecy? Residents contacted Somerset Independents for our help. This rushed and hidden scheme should have been proposed a year ago, and residents properly listened to, with their concerns acted upon.

Instead, it's being rushed through by Lib Dem councillors amid false claims of building "council housing". It isn't. These won't be council-owned. Mendip Council is selling land for social housing that it should not be selling, behind-closed-doors and in a rushed way.

Somerset Independents has triggered an investigation by the Council's External Auditors, Ernst and Young. The Auditors are asking more questions about the Council's openness and transparency in property investment. Money from the sale of this land might be used for commercial property investment, a highly controversial and risky Mendip Council policy that needs to be stopped. Millions are at risk.

Cabinet members that made the decision to sell behind-closed-doors at Cabinet, also sit on the Planning Board. How can anybody believe that they won't approve this, when they have already approved the sale of the land, and the funding from Government runs out very soon!

Somerset Independents stands with local residents and local wildlife to protect them from this dreadful dodgy deal."

Standing Up For Residents