BONKING coppers, a pensioner going bankrupt for on line gambling debts, the headmaster of Queens School, Wisbech, finally bowing to the inevitable and resigning, and a hotelier in court on firearms charges. Don’t ever let anyone say life in the Fens is dull. Not even for a minute.
But as is often the case it’s the events in local government which again have been taking my fancy this week. Nice to hear of Florrie Newell’s return to the fold, even if it was at the expense of her previous Lib Dem principles and the requirement to switch parties to the Conservatives to be assured of a haven inside Fenland Hall.
Pop Jolley, for those with fine memories, did much the same thing by switching from the Independents to the Conservatives, not in his case to grab a seat (he had that already) but to bring his influence to bear on the local cut and thrust of the political world.
Pop is, sadly, no longer with us - in the physical sense he’s very much alive, thankyou- but his fall from grace, well documented, has made him a codicil on the landscape of Fenland politics. Expect him not to remain so for too long, however, for if what I hear is true he is planning a challenge to revive his fortunes come next May’s local elections.
These, undoubtedly, are turbulent times for those hardy souls who pitch in to the political pack at Fenland Hall- and its going to get much tougher before it gets much better.
I do find it extraordinary to be constantly on my guard to ensure absolute fairness and accuracy in the reporting of affairs at Fenland Hall. But sometimes they become their own worst enemy.
The new head of PR, whichever company gets the job, has been detailed to provide at least 20 good news stories per month on behalf of the council. A sad indictment of the way the job is perceived, if that’s the case, since the remedy is very much in the hands of those officers and councillors who have ready, easy and proper access on a daily basis to local journalists, and know little about how to use it.
This week, for example, we’ve been looking at the costs of photocopying documents from planning files at Fenland Hall. I went there on Monday, with a solicitor, to obtain some copies of petitions, etc, regarding proposals for a fish and chip shop in Wisbech (planning committee members rejected their officers’ advice and voted it out today!). However the cost of photocopies worked out at £1.25 a copy, which meant a bill of £62.50 for some simple copies of a public document. Ridiculous? Of course, but instead of a positive response from the council that the charges are out of line, and that the council had already acted on a ruling from the Information Commissioner to reduce them, there was an incomplete commitment from Fenland about ringing in some changes, simply a reminder that charges are set each February, and that they might be reviewed shortly. Why not a simple, straight forward acceptance that the charges are too high, and that there was some urgency in remedying a problem. Others have complained, so officers then spend even more time dealing with complaints which could long ago have been dealt with.
There are enough councillors and staff from Fenland Hall briefing me on the difficulties many of them face going about their jobs, and the pressures to toe the line are not getting any easier.
Even today I read a letter from Chucks Golding, the council’s monitoring officer, and sent to all councillors headed " the responsibilities of councillors in the decision making process." Underscored in red ink was this gem:
"In the event that a decision is taken on behalf of the council which is not in the council’s best interest, despite advice being provided, councillors may through legal action against the council become personally liable for the decision taken."
Twice today (Wed) the planning committee overturned recommendations from officers- the biggest proposal that for 50 flats on the former West Walton garage site in Elm Road, Wisbech.
Does that now make councillors liable in some way for not following the recommendation of the planning officer?
The councillor from Wisbech ( watch the mole hunt!) who handed me the document is angry that their powers of responding to public opposition, and taking a non partisan view of planning, could be under threat by such letters. Maybe, maybe not.
From a journalist’s point of view the on going issues surrounding Fenland offer fertile pickings.
But the idea they need a spin doctor to conjure up 20 good news stories a month is laughable, and will make precious little difference.
The solution is to let the facts and issues speak for themselves. Offer open and sustained open access and the good stories, as they are perceived, will tumble out alongside the occasional not so positive story.
My advice is to open the doors and let the reporters in, and let the officers and staff tell it as it is.
The powers that be might just discover how responsible BOTH parties to the deal really are, and we can get on doing our jobs, and they can get on doing theirs, and the end result should be a dynamic, trusting and proper relationship.
If you’ve got to the end of this, thankyou. It’s been a long day, but as ever in Fenland, definitely not dull.