It really is simple, allegations were made concerning a conflict of interests involving TDC Chief Executive Dr Sue McGonigal acting as a board member of East Kent Opportunities (EKO) property company set up by TDC and KCC and the Planning department of Thanet council.
Cllr Ian Driver rightly made a formal complaint, which was being investigated by the monitoring officer, Harvey Patterson, who was abruptly removed from the council in the last week or so.
Why? Good question, still Thanet Council claims on it's web site that it "is following due process and in order to allow this to be properly and thoroughly considered, and in fairness to the parties concerned, cannot provide any comment on the details of this investigation at the present time.
Not sure how fairness can be squared up by removing an experienced officer, while resolving these serious accusations.
Thanet Council is a public authority, which should serve the community, not officers or politicians.
This matter needs greater scrutiny, In my view, Clive Hart and his Labour members could do more for you and I, by way of open governance. Still so long as Clive and his mates attending meetings can top up their wages, pensions or benefits with generous "allowances" who are we the taxpayer to complain.
The Gazette have covered this issue with a rather miserly report hidden on page three of Friday's edition, I understand that there some further astounding allegations, concerning conduct in this matter with local councillors, I think we should be told of.
Finally Clive Hart, also in this last week's local rag, ends his inspirational column with this gem "The tiny but very noisy and disruptive minority of councillors playing petty and vindictive politics with very sensitive issues should be totally and utterly ashamed. Quite what he means is a mystery? Still if you are Clive Hart please explain yourself.
Yes disappointing the Gazette doesn't take up the LGA report and unquestioningly publishes Clives ridiculous whitewash
ReplyDeletevote of no confidence needed this week at annual council
You wonder how labour members, assuming that most are decent people allow this sorry of nonsense to go on, of course it's all ironic because without labour, Ian would probably never have been elected and we would most likely be in the dark
DeleteDid you know Tony that local council receive huge sums of money for allowing new builds under the latest government scheme. A development such as the 1000 new builds at Manston north as discussed last month by the airport owners and TDC including cllr Hart could bring £5 or 6 millions into TDC coffers. But in response to the accusation that this meeting had been kept quiet he said this today on Twitter -"I stated clearly & very publicly in a BBC TV interview broadcast a week ago that the last thing we need at Manston is a huge housing estate."
ReplyDeleteNow this seems to t odds with his position on the EKO management board who are appealing against TDC turning down their proposal to build 550 dwellings. Maybe he think 550 is not a large estate but 1000 is!
Good point proving he's not really on top of things, still it's noticeable labour bods don't rally to help him,
DeleteThe operative word in his statement is "huge". Huge is subjective. He did not say "no" houses. He could mean say a dozen or several thousand houses, as the mood takes him. He is obfuscating (I only chose that word to see if I could spell it at this time in the morning).
DeleteCan anyone me who owns the Isle Thanet Gazette?
DeleteWho will you rant about now that he has resigned, Mr Flaig? Your bag of wind will be empty, won't it?
ReplyDeleteAlan Poole could well inspire a bit more wind
DeleteClive's lackey Everitt has potential to be even worse after the Port secrecy
DeleteYou are as unfunny as you are uninformed and foolish, Mr Flaig.
ReplyDelete