More Somerset Lib Dem failures! Our County Council Candidate for Frome, Denise Wyatt, will be speaking at tonight's @MendipCouncil Scrutiny Meeting. https://somerinds.blogspot.com/2020/11/easthill-frome-mendip-lib-dems-in.html

There will be more public speakers, as well as Denise, speaking at tonight's meeting. They will also be speaking about the Easthill, Frome, sale of land by the Lib Dem Council to Aster for social housing.

Hopefully @SomersetLive @CountyGazette @levellerlive @FromeNubNews @frometimes will be listening to the virtual meeting. Link is here: https://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/8760/Scrutiny-Board-Monday-16-November-2020

Once again, there are problems getting members of the public registered to speak and properly welcomed to the meeting. Other councils seem to manage it, but not Mendip District Council. Plus councillors are not properly connected, including the Chair Councillor Philip Ham.

The Leader of the Council Councillor Ros Wyke has requested, at the last minutes, to speak BEFORE the members of the public speak. It hasn't been explained why.

Ros Wyke says "we welcome transparency". The evidence points to the precise opposite. We have brought evidence to the attention of the External Auditor, as here. https://somerinds.blogspot.com/2020/11/easthill-frome-mendip-lib-dems-in.html

Councillor Ros Wyke has just now effectively admitted that the decision of Cabinet over Easthill was flawed. She is supposed to be a Leader, but is sadly a follower.

Bharati Pardhy is the first public speaker on Easthill.

"I wish to challenge the misrepresentation of my speaking at the Cabinet", she says. It was not evidence of residents being informed. An informal aside is not... openness and transparency, she says.

She questions the claim that there was no environmental impact, as stated in the report. This is not the right location, she says, for social housing.

She questions why members of the Cabinet are also on the Planning Board.

The next speaker against the Easthill development against is Simon Pugh-Jones. He says that local planning committees hold how we deal with climate change. All the small developments add up.

He says that the Climate Change Strategy doesn't seem to be considered in this Easthill development.

The next speaker was supposed to be Simon Bishop, but Denise Wyatt has been brought forward.

Denise asks the councillors to request that Cabinet REVERSES ITS DECISION. They have the power to do so, but will they? Denise had it confirmed from the Monitoring Officer today that the sale has not been completed. THEY NEED TO STOP IT and remove it from the housing programme.

Simon Bishop spoke next. He pointed out Aster's record of dealing with anti-social behaviour, which has been raised in Parliament.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Board, Councillor Philip Ham, did not know whether he could bring items forward. He relied on officers. It has now been brought forward.

And Easthill has now been brought forward. The Chief Executive claims that the "report is self-explanatory". He refuses to speak to his own report! Wow.

Councillor Chris Inchley, Independent councillor for Shepton, is making a proposal. But it isn't what Denise Wyatt asked for, that it should be refused. Councillor Phripp claims that there is no need for a debate here.

Councillor Sprawson-White also says she won't speak!

This appears to be an attempt to shut down debate at the meeting. This is very poor by the councillors present who should listen and ACT on what the public speakers said.

Chaos is now ensuing. Lots of councillors have spoken, many over each other. Officers are supposed to be in control. The Chair is hapless.

What an absolute shower. This is another demonstration of why Somerset Independents has spent so much time exposing what a massive failure that Mendip District Council.

Councillor Helen Sprawson-White @CllrHelen_SW wants to refer it back and have no debate, and have no discussion on the points raised by FOUR members of the public. No wonder she has re-joined the Fib Dems!

Once again, this is Mendip District Council IGNORING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKING AT A PUBLIC MEETING. One councillor said that she is concerned that lots of people spoke.

So what is the point of the Scrutiny Panel, if Cabinet cannot get a flavour of what councillors on the Panel feel.

The Chair of the Scrutiny has JUST RESIGNED AS THE CHAIR OF THE SCRUTINY BOARD. @DanielMumby He says this is the latest example of Scrutiny being ignored.

Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Panel Chris Inchley asks Councillor Philip Ham to reconsider. Silence.

Somerset Independents discovered today that the Clerk of the Scrutiny Board did not know which councillors had called in the decision on Easthill. How is this possible? Did the Chair know? The public need to know. The Monitoring Officer (Head of Legal) has gone quiet.

Lib Dem wet blanket Councillor Adam Boyden @CllrAdamBoyden finally pipes up and speaks against his own Liberal Democrat Administration. Cabinet didn't have an informed decision. It's his Lib Dem party that he is talking about here.

"That's just what we wanted", says Councillor Janine Nash. People have been deprived of that opportunity, she asks?

She says those points need to be explored here.

Councillor @samphripp claims now that he did not intend to shut down debate. Except that is what has happened.

Councillor Nigel (something something) who declared an interest relating to Aster earlier, says something. Council doesn't follow its own procedures.

Councillor Eve Berry says she takes umbrage at @samphripp .

Easthill is in her ward. She is making the points that former Lib Dem Deputy Leader Janine Nash, and also ward member, could have made. But has chosen not to, to stop herself from "being drummed out of the brownies", as Denise Wyatt suggested in her speech tonight.

There are a few Lib Dem councillors, at least, who are telling porkies to local residents. If they truly believe this decision was wrong, they should quit from the Lib Dems.

. @CllrHelen_SW tells everyone that there was a private briefing for councillors. We wonder whether that was conducted properly and in accordance with the Nolan Principles. Perhaps she can advise?

This is the Liberal Democrat party that you have re-joined, Councillor Sprawson-White. You quit it, then re-joined. Now you are seeking to defend the very same party. Will you be quitting the Lib Dems again?

Ward member Councillor Janine Nash now tries to piggyback on what Councillor Eve Berry said. We predict that resignations will follow Councillor Philip Ham's resignation tonight.

Councillor Drew Gardner now belatedly says that everyone should be involved. Erm, bit late for that. Does he, all of a sudden, support the Modern Committee System that Somerset Independents has been campaigning for?

Councillor Drew Gardner states that only one housing organisation was asked.

Councillor Michael Gay speaks up, too late, totally misunderstands what has happened. These people are supposed to be representing us! Greens, Lib Dems, Tories, all hopeless!

Councillor Philip Ham says lots of things have been avoided, despite spending 35 minutes... valuations, lack of procurement. Other councillors want to speak, but not being allowed to speak. Farcical. "I will be putting in an official complaint", says the former Chair.

Councillor Helen Kay gets to speak, but only seemingly because it was brought to the attention of the new Chair by the former Chair.