Dear Editor,
Through your publication I must report on an astonishing experience I had whilst attending the meeting of Henley & Beaudesert Joint Parish Council on the evening of Monday 6th December.
As a local resident I have some concerns about the planning application submitted by Taylor Wimpey for the Henley Market re-development. At the special meeting convened by the JPC at the High school on 2nd December I listened attentively to all the points raised by those who spoke up. After a few days contemplation, I decided to submit my views by email to each and every member of the JPC in order that they could take this into consideration when reviewing the planning application and the various procedures associated to it.
On Monday night, I simply wanted to ensure that every councillor had received and read my email so I attended the JPC meeting in order to ask that simple question in the “open forum”. This is where members of the public are supposed to be entitled to three minutes to address the Council members on matters that concern them.
Before anyone could speak, the chairman, Cllr Les Goodman, declared that no comments regarding the planning application would be permitted. He then invited me to address the committee from the public gallery. I tried to say that I had turned up on a bitterly cold night along with others in order to provide further information about the planning application. As soon as I commenced, he shouted over me and demanded that I not do so before I had an opportunity to explain why I wanted to speak. I was dumbfounded by this and bullied into sitting down. Mr Goodman made it clear that he was not going to permit me to speak any further on that subject.
Councillor Les Goodman was dictating what members of the public could talk about in what is supposed to be an open forum. I didn’t realise that as Chairman of the Parish Council he had such powers of censorship over democracy.
I felt offended as I was embarrassed in public by his behaviour and consider his manner to be an abuse of his position and have made a formal complaint to the Standards and Ethics Committee of Stratford District Council. I hope all those who witnessed this outrageous conduct will support my complaint by writing to the Monitoring Officer.
Mike Faulkner - Resident Price Harry Road
Other Comments Received by Henley NEWS
If the JPC give this development the go ahead they will lose the confidence of the electorate that the JPC acts for the benefit of the community it is meant to serve and it will inflict further damage to what is already a much questioned and sullied reputation.
The Chairman doesn't have the authority to make such decisions.
The JPC more closely compares to a dictatorship than a democracy. Any attempt to mention the market development was stamped out by the Chairman - no Councillors were asked their opinion so the decision appeared to be taken by the Chairman alone. The open session is meant to be for the residents to mention anything that interests them – it should not be censored, particularly by one individual.
Cllr Osborne was not allowed to make her point in public session – once again by the sole discretion of the JPC Chairman.
The JPC Chairman objected strongly to being ‘told’ how to vote (with rumblings of hear-hear coming from a number of the Councillors)
The JPC Chairman was NOT being ‘told’ he was being ‘reminded’ that his position depended on voters – fact not ‘blackmail’
The JPC is meant to represent the residents, not operate unilaterally.
Even Cllr Matheou was censored from talking about ‘compensation’ which I thought was a good point.
With everyone standing over the District Council we ought to get a good result, so keep up the pressure and don't doubt that the CPRE will back you all the way. Can't believe the arrogance of the JPC and I fully expect a severe condemnation in the next issue of Henley NEWS.
I was very disappointed with this item on the agenda last Monday- it was made quite obvious that we were not permitted to speak in the open forum prior to the meeting. Several issues were discussed at the "special "JPC meeting last Thursday, we were not allowed to make comment during that meeting, therefore residents should have been given the opportunity to make a comment during the public forum at the beginning of this meeting as it was on the agenda. The "no comments on the development" ruling was not voted for at the start of the meeting by the whole JPC. I found it unsatisfactory and undemocratic.
I can understand Les Goodman not wanting to have further discussion on this matter but not sure whether he had the right to prevent it. There was a public session and therefore any member of the public should have been able to talk about any topic on the JPC Agenda. I believe there was a topic on the agenda to discuss the special meeting held on 2nd Dec and as such would have thought that public comment was admissible. Generally I got the feeling that there was little transparency about most subjects and it reminded me of some kind of secret society meeting.
It was amusing to hear Les and others complain bitterly about a statement of fact in a circulated e-mail. This is surely another example of them believing they are above the democratic process. What is normal political activity for everyone else, is blackmail in his and others' eyes. A wonderful contribution made by Trinder and Love AGAIN! Should we be keeping a record of the number of meetings they attend and do not contribute?
Plan 'too complicated' for council to decide yet - Stratford Herald headline.
