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Liphook Herald - Dawn H (4th Dec 2009 - 19:17:55) In light of the’ story’ in this weeks Herald, I would like make the following points. There were a number of spectators at the council meeting - of which I was one. I stayed until public questions were finished and then left. What is in the paper is not a fair representation of what happened at the meeting. From memory the public session went like this (this is in my words) Mr Burns spoke to the council and told them they were behaving like a bunch of infants and to sort themselves out. That was quite a lengthy speech but in essence that was the drift of it. He then went on to tell them that the clerk was rude to the public and the councillors alike, unhelpful etc and that he must be ill or something to be behaving in such a way. He told them that instead of griping about it they should get him some treatment for his illness – or whatever it is that is making him so difficult to deal with. Lots of heads hanging in shame but no specific answers given. Mr Les Fucher addressed the council. He wanted to know how it was possible that as a serving councillor at the time of the ‘ex-gratia payment’ he knew nothing about it. He wanted the chairman to explain why it had been kept secret. Cllr Ana James explained that the power to make that decision had been delegated to a small group. The response didn’t explain how the rest of the council could have approved that decision in the minutes without knowing about it. It was NOT said at the meeting that no councillors at the time had objected to the ex-gratia payment (Ms Pike has added that bit in herself). It was said that the councillors had agreed to the delegated powers. I asked the council if this payment was all above board and morally correct, why is was kept so secret as clearly the councillors at the time knew nothing about it. I spoke and wanted to know status of the clerk currently as the Herald had falsely reported that he was on gardening leave. This would mean that he had been sacked but unable to work for a competitor. The response was that he was on ‘paid leave’. I wanted to know when the investigation into his behaviour would commence and conclude as we as tax payers are paying wages for absent staff. The chairman has no information as no investigation has yet commenced but he said he would tell us when anything came to light. The meeting broke down into a bickering session with Cllr Peter Wilson shaking fists and waggling fingers at Cllr Evans. Very aggressive and very childish – spectators all standing open mouthed. Cllr Wilson accused Cllr Evans of all sorts of things – Cllr Evans just told him what he was saying was untrue, that no accusation was made whatsoever. Cllr Ana James and Cllr Peter Wilson agreed that they had heard Clr Evans answer the question put to him by Cllr Wilsons. They did not say that they heard Mr Evans ask the Clerk a question (Ms Pike has added that bit in herself). I wanted to find out who had given such poor legal advice to the council in telling them to ignore the Information Commissioner regarding the ‘ex-gratia payment’. I wanted to know if they would be seeking a refund for this advice. The response was that the legal advice had cost NOTHING so no refund could be sought. They did not reveal who had given this incorrect information so did not really answer my question. I directed a question to all of the councillors asking if any of them were brave enough to admit in public who had been giving Ms Gabrielle Pike her ‘stories’. Chairman did not answer but then asked me if I had anything to do with it. I confirmed that I have NEVER given any journalist any comment and had never been approached for a comment. (I meant to say that if I had done, the story would have been a very different one than that which we were given – but was interrupted). I concluded by making the suggestion that the councillors should enter into some sort of mediation as they clearly could not agree on even the most simple accord. This then broke into a bit of a farce with a number of councillors stating that this had been recommended 6 months ago but was being blocked. The Chairman said that as mediation was voluntary he could not force people to agree with it. Mr Burns who was a spectator joined in at this point saying that all this was just a ‘talking shop’ and that the councillors should enter into mediation and sort themselves out – or perhaps they should ALL resign! General rounds of applause from the public ensued. There was also a question about the developer who is doing the Bohunt Estate works who is embarking on a legal challenge to the frontage boundary - as he wants to build industrial units / housing. Cllr Anna James said that anyone was entitled to mount a legal challenge at any time and there was nothing the council could do to stop that. That about all that happened at the meeting, as I’m sure the other members of the public will agree. The story in the Herald is just that – a story! It would seem that not only is Ms Pike unable to write an accurate account of events, she is also unable to choose her own headline. (see the following from Mr Bill Mouland it’s pantomime season……… parish council secrecy) No councillors were brave enough to admit handing the confidential story to the Herald, instead the Chairman asked me If I had done so, I answered that I had helped a councillor in a matter which is now concluded. I did not say it was legal help (Ms Pike has added that bit in herself). I would like to add that I have written a letter of complaint to the Editor of the Tindle News Group about the untrue and biased coverage of this incident. I have not received a reply. So in effect I have had contact with a journalist - but not in the way they meant. I would also like to make a point in relation to Ms Pike who asserts that I am not qualified to assist when asked. Whilst undertaking my Law degree I received firsts or upper second class honour grades in Accounts, Administrative Law, Applied Contract Law, Business Finance, Business Law, Commercial Law, Comparative Law, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Costing Fundamentals, Criminal Law, Discrimination Law, Environmental Law, EC Law, Economics, Employment Law, English Legal System, Equity and Trusts, European Union Law, Financial Reporting, Intellectual Property, Landlord & Tenant Law, Legal Method, Property Law, Public Law and Tort. In my penultimate year my grades were such that I was offered my training contract (articles) at a city law firm, which I accepted. for the next two years I was further trained in Advocacy, Interviewing, Legal drafting, Legal research, Legal writing, Probate/ Administration of estates, Professional conduct & financial services, Solicitors Accounts, Business Accounts, Litigation, Property Law, Business Law, Debt Finance, Private Acquisitions and Equity Finance. In addition to my time at the Citizens Advice Bureau and prior to my TC at Simmons, I spent time at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Slaughter and May, Coffin, Mew & Clover, Biscoes and the EEF. Anybody could have given the help that I gave, no qualification was required, but if Ms Pike, you think I was underqualified to answer the simple question required and sign a witness statement as to the TRUE STATE OF AFFAIRS occurring at the time, then you are very sorely mistaken. In addition Ms Pike, by trying to smear others, you do nothing to take away the focus of the true cause of this debacle. You can try to belittle me, Cllr Barry Hope or anyone else as much as you like, I doesn’t bother me a jot, but you cannot alter the events of the past, you cannot change WHAT I SAW, WHAT I HEARD, and what I have sworn to in my witness statement. Neither can you do so for the other witnesses. So get over it and start reporting it properly!

Re: Liphook Herald - Allan (5th Dec 2009 - 01:43:39) So, Dawn, what you seem to be saying is that the Herald is at best inaccurate in it's reporting, or at worst, too lazy to research before going to print. I had a scuff with them some years ago and I totally concur with you. It is a rag with not an ounce of worry of the accuracy of what they print (or the consequenses there-after) I guess they will threaten to sue me again when they read this.Do not actually care. Keep going, Dawn, you are clearly well qualified to ruffle their feathers

Re: Liphook Herald - Bill Ratcliffe (5th Dec 2009 - 08:52:48) I would like to support the reported words attributed to Les Fulcher in this article and in the reports in the Herald. Like Les and Barry Hope I was very much against making any special payments to any council staff. It seems now that a group of councillors who wanted to make a payment got together and decided to go ahead with a payment without any reference back to the Parish Council. I think this is likely to be 'Ultra Vires', beyond their legal powers.

Re: Liphook Herald - barbara (5th Dec 2009 - 16:26:14) I agree Dawn, the story in the herald was not an accuirate reflection of what happened. Sadly it implies that all councillors knew about the payment and were happy with it. This is not so, as 4 councillors did not seek re election in May 2007. There is a far higher turnover of Parish Councillors than in most other local parish councils. In regard to some of your other points, l was at the same meeting, in October, and it would have been impossible for any councillor to have overheard the conversation in question . This happened after the meeting.I was the closest to both parties and I did not hear, all other councillors were much furrther away than me. As councillor Wilson chose to bring this up in public I feel that I must also put that out into the public knowledge.

Re: Liphook Herald - Paul Robinson (5th Dec 2009 - 17:51:10) Just for the record, and of course there must be record, might we be told the names of the councillors who voted to award this ex gratia payment of £2,500 to a member of staff and the reason why this payment was felt necessary? This information should be made public and will of couse influence those of us called upon to re-elect these councillors when the time comes, as come it must. Paul Robinson

Re: Liphook Herald - Gaffer (5th Dec 2009 - 21:51:52) If you are so worried about what the paper writes don't buy it! The national newspapers have been writing stories forever and you probably don't read 'THE SUN' or 'DAILY STAR' for this reason so just buy another local paper and forget about it.

Re: Liphook Herald - simon c (5th Dec 2009 - 22:02:26) sadly dawn lives in a fantasy land of her own, the herald report was remarkably accurate for a press story. be careful all dawn supporters because she really does not know what happened.

Re: Liphook Herald - barbara (7th Dec 2009 - 11:48:55) I am astonished that someone who was not at either the October council meeting or the November council meeting can comment on what happened at either meeting. Spin spin and more spin, verging on a smear campain now.

Re: Liphook Herald - liz (7th Dec 2009 - 14:25:53) I have no idea how true all the stories are relating to our Parish Council either in the Herald, on this website or in general village gossip but if there is an iota of truth in any of it surely its time for the Councillors to put all the toys back in the pram (including Teddy), get a sense of proportion and focus on IMPORTANT local matters.

Re: Liphook Herald - Peter (10th Dec 2009 - 14:31:49) Apart from the same handful of posters who keep going on about this, does anyone, anybody at all, have the remotest idea what this is all about?

Re: Liphook Herald - barbara (10th Dec 2009 - 18:11:30) The inaccuracy of the report in last weeks Herald is the subject of the thread. Although the reporter was at the meeting, the report which was published was full of mistakes. I have made complaints about this but as yet have had no reply. A prime example was the previous week when a photograph was printed with a different persons name underneath the picture.

Re: Liphook Herald - liz (11th Dec 2009 - 11:53:40) Newspapers are rarely accurate. I quite like the Herald but you can't take it too seriously! ...But I can choose to buy it or not. However I cannot, except theoretically, choose how my council tax is spent.

Re: Liphook Herald - simon c (13th Dec 2009 - 09:55:18) perhaps Barbara could help by telling us what the 'mistakes' in the Herald article actually were?

Re: Liphook Herald - Dawn Hoskins (21st Dec 2009 - 15:26:09) I understand that questions are to be asked regarding the reporting of the minutes. They are available on the council website, however, all references to the parish clerks misbehaviour / rudeness etc have been removed. Just as they were from the village census - despite being public comment. Outrageous behaviour IMO I am not sure I will get to the meeting tonight due to the weather conditions, but I hope Terry Burns can have his questions answered!! Do you think the carols will go ahead?

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