residents

Mar 19, 08 - 12:41 PM

Last Night's Council meeting

If you took the trouble to squeeze in to the Pinder Hall lat week you'll know that the residents voted overwhelmingly for the parih council to reject the traffic and tranport report as that's the report that so many people ar aginst because it proposes a road acro Poundfield, a car park on Marsh Meadow and a road round the back of Holy Trinity chool plus coach park.

At lat night's meeting the council had a motion on the agenda which reflected the mood of that residents meeting i.e.
'To consider the motion to reject the Traffic and Transport Working Group section of The Cookham Plan – as requested by residents at the Annual Parish Meeting on 11th March 2008'

Despite speeches fro members of the public and from MJ Saunders asking them to respect the resdients wishes, the councillors did not reject the traffic and tranport report. They changed the words of the motion at the last minute and instead voted to'review' the traffic report which is what they were going to have to do all along - they will have to review all the report which are part of the cookham plan.
So today the traffic report still stands.

What do we do next with a coiuncil who are either too stupid or too pig-headed to do what residents ask them?

By the way one councillor was heard before the meeting using an extremely rude term about two of the residents who spoke at last week's public meeting.

Says it all.

MarkG

Mar 19th, 2008 - 1:24 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Easy. When's the next election?

Joanne

Mar 19th, 2008 - 2:15 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Surely it is the role of Councillors to reflect the wishes of the majority of Villagers rather than ignore them. AFter all, we voted them into the position to represent us!! I suggest that Councillors should formally explain why they have opted to review rather than reject the Traffic and Transport Working Group section of "The Plan".

Paris

Mar 19th, 2008 - 3:10 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Just when is the next election? The councillors seem to have forgotten that they are only in 'power' because us villagers voted for them. If they really are so obtuse as to think they can ignore the wishes of their electorate to this extent, then I think it is time we elected some candidates who are receptive to what we think.

Observer

Mar 19th, 2008 - 4:42 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

This is appalling, after what was agreed and what the Chairman so reassuringly told the meeting after a unanimous show of hands. It should simply have been a case of ratification last night - the Parish Council was TRUSTED by everyone else in the hall to do this.

If the Parish Council cannot be trusted by the electorate in this way and refuse to comply with the wishes of the majority of Cookham people on an issue where more than 99% of residents feel as strongly as they do on this, just what the hell do they think they are elected by us to do?

Geoff

Mar 19th, 2008 - 5:36 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Joanne, the formal explanation should be why they went against the very distinct and unmistakeable wishes of an electorate who put them there (clearly in error).

Idea

Mar 19th, 2008 - 5:39 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Is there not a process whereby a disgruntled electorate can demand a sacking of the current PC on the grounds of no confidence?

If people feel so strongly, are there any measures the community can take to enforce democracy?

JS

Mar 19th, 2008 - 6:04 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

There must be such a process, and that sounds a very good idea.

Although we have some good councillors in Cookham, unfortunately this is is now clear evidence that more than half of the others have neither integrity nor the foggiest idea how they should conduct themselves in their role.

Idea

Mar 19th, 2008 - 6:08 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

What about an Alternative PC, form a committee, get legal advice and re-claim your village!

If the view is strong and widely held it shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Concerned resident

Mar 19th, 2008 - 7:19 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Along with a dozen other concerned local residents, I too attended last nights PC meeting up at Cookham Rise School. I noted with grave concern one particular coucillor's demeanour as four residents and a Borough Councillor spoke fluently against the Traffic and Works Plan. A constant shaking of his head and a totally disinterested posture during the speeches summed up his attitude - and frankly, I suspected this outcome.
I won't name the particular councillor - save to say he is the same person referred to above overheard making desparaging remarks about the two ladies at the Tuesday AGM i Pinder Hall.
He knows who he is - and vested interests are very much to the fore here.

Yes - I fully agree, it is now time to rattle the Parish Council's cage and demonstrate to them just how powerful a united front of local residents can be when their clear objections are so blatantly discarded by self-serving individuals who clearly do not gve a stuff aboput the strong feelings as demonstrated at the AGM week before last.

to such are made is against such cronyisms as recently shown by the publcation of the absurdities and

Concerned resident

Mar 19th, 2008 - 7:26 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

My apologies .... I hit the wrong button - being new to all this forum posting!!

To conclude - the ignoring by the Parish Council of its local residents views spells rough times ahead for us all. And certainly, nearer the time, I would suggest a collective body, selected from within the residents body - to stand against and oust said councillors whose own interests it serves to stay on the Council.

I would urge all residents to be extremely vigilant and to monitor carefully "our" Parish Council's decisions in future. This is, I'm afraid, the thin end of the wedge.

Their total disregard of our wishes - practically the entire body in Pinder hall that evening who voted AGAINST the Cookham Plan - is alarming. If they can carry on regardless of our views, who's to say they wouldn't stop short of adopting the Plan in its entireity without further consultation?

MarkG

Mar 19th, 2008 - 8:33 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

There is one point in all this that I am unclear about.

Gordon Harris sits on the Parish Council but he also was on the Transport and Traffic group who's report was supposed to be rejected.

Can anyone who was at the meeting re-assure us that he withdrew from the meeting before it was decided to change the motion from 'reject' to the meaningless 'review'.

If anyone from the council reads this can they tell us whether this happened.

If not, why not? How can he have sat in and argued about what should happen to his own report?

Concerned resident

Mar 19th, 2008 - 9:11 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

As the public gallery emptied and the meeting convened, he was still seated at the table.
MarkG raises an extremely valid point.
How can one "debate" one's own submissions and thereafter cast an unbiased vote on it?
By the way, can anyone shed any light on whose interest Mr Harris serves when sitting on the Council whilst spreading himself across the Parish 'wearing his various hats'?

BrianB

Mar 19th, 2008 - 9:29 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Let's face it, the whole issue positively stinks!

Dean resident

Mar 19th, 2008 - 9:39 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

If the above information is correct, the parish council cannot be allowed to continue to behave in this cavalier manner regardless of such positive direction by a massive public majority.

Such blatant disregard of such a clear and very emphatic request from the majority of parishioners present certainly appears to warrant an investigation by a higher authority, which the parish can insist upon if it believes that its council is not acting correctly or in the public's best interests. The parish council is far from being a law unto itself and has to abide by legislation.

In the event of an investigation, questions may well be raised about the fact that parish councillors were allowed to be on a Steering Committee containing members with heavily vested interests.

In view of the disgraceful revelations at the AGM and comments above, the council would now be prudent to protect its own reputation by distancing itself from the Cookham Plan as it now stands, considering the contemptible manner in which the survey results were abused.

Concerned resident

Mar 19th, 2008 - 10:13 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Further to Dean resident's comments ...Who can local residents contact - at a higher authority - to have a thorough investigation carried out on the activities of this parish Council?
The contemptuous vote last night "to review the Cookham Plan" in its current form (rather than reject it per the clear mandate from local residentsat the AGM) has certaily convinced me that this Parish Council is not acting correctly or in accordance with the public's best interests.
In lay-terms - the whole affair reeks of shady dealings.

Paddy

Mar 19th, 2008 - 10:49 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

I beleive Mr Gordon Harris is an employee of Mr Geoffrey Copas.

No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

So Parish Councillor, member of the traffic committee, member of the Cookham Plan steering committee, Copas employee ...I wonder if he was one of the councillors who said the motion last night should be to have a'review' of his own traffic report rather than 'reject' it outright as the the residents had mandated?

Anybody from the council got the guts to tell us who said what last night...it was theoretically a public meeting so there's no reason why they shouldn't.

thoughtful

Mar 20th, 2008 - 12:16 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

I am confused. I thought the Parish Council was elected by ALL people who live in the Cookhams - not just the people who live near Poundfield. At the meeting in Pinder Hall there were a good number of people who were not allowed to speak by the rabble at the front. Why not review not reject the report? ARe the Poundfield NIMBYS frightened it might turn out to be right?

Concerned resident

Mar 20th, 2008 - 7:21 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Do the "NIMBYS" you so childishly refer to also include those local residents vehemently opposed to the Moor Car Park being moved (from National Trust land to Copas owned land) ... or perhaps those residents opposed to the installation of a car park/new routing around Holy Trinity School ... or indeed those residents opposed to the Plan in general - including BOTH our Borough Councillors?
So we're all NIMBYS (whatever that might be) - well maybe so, but I certainly am proud to be one if it means safe-guarding the village I've lived in for 21 years; being watchful of cronyism and greedy landowners, and mindful that the elected officers on the Council represent and reflect the wishes of an overwhelming majority of the people of this Parish (not a handful of supporters sat at the back of Pinder Hall nor indeed the local landowners such as Geoffrey Copas through his lackey Gordon Harris who clearly has his fingers in half a dozen pies as a Councillor).
So why haven't the 'non-NIMBYS' put forward their points of view? It would be interesting to note what it is that convinces you and the handful of like-minded people to support the Cookham Plan in its current form ... unless of course you happen to be a landowner seeking a handsome return!

Sally

Mar 20th, 2008 - 8:23 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Try googling for info on parish council rules; some of it is very interesting. Presumably, the RBWM would be their higher authority?

thoughtful

Mar 20th, 2008 - 8:46 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

I think 'concerned resident' is hitting way below the belt having a go at Gordon Harris. this man was looking after Cookham way before 'concerned resident' arrived here. No one has put more effort into safeguarding our villages. He was born here, and yes he and his father before him have worked for the Copas family. so what? A great many people eat copas turkeys and fruit - does that make them want a car park on Marsh Meadow? Keep your arguments civil and they may be listened to. I would also say I think the chairman of the PC has acted with dignity throughout this sorry time. Get behind your council and change things democratically - not with gutter tactics.

Concerned resident

Mar 20th, 2008 - 9:31 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

"thoughtful's" comment -
Keep your arguments civil and they may be listened to.

Perhaps you ought to direct that particular comment at the parish councillors who decided contemptuously to ignore the vote (which THEY THEMSELVES sought) at the AGM meeting in Pinder Hall two weeks ago when voting two nights ago to "review" said ambiguous document titled "The Cookham Plan" rather than bin it.

'Civility' was thrown out of the window at the exact moment when said councillors decided to revert to type and vote against the majority's wishes.

Re: Gordon Harris ... perhaps again, you ought to consider the comments attributed to said gentleman on the night of the AGM before rallying to his defence! And thereafter try to assess whose "interests" are being looked after whilst he sits on several and varied bodies within the Parish, which clearly call into question his conflict of interest.

But my gracious thanks for your views "thoughtful" - they will be noted.

A Very Concerned Resident

Mar 20th, 2008 - 10:10 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

What a very sad day indeed for democracy when an elected PC goes against the wishes of 99% of the parish that elected them. The public turn out at the Pinder Hall meeting was the largest in the 108 years of the parish councils history. It goes beyond belief that the PC have chosen to ignore us. Gordon Harris clearly has a conflict of interest and should resign from the PC immediately.

James

Mar 20th, 2008 - 10:27 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

A couple of points for Thoughtful to ponder.

I don't think buying the occasional turkey can be equated to being on the payroll of someone and pushing their development for profit related agenda quite so openly. You may care to review that statement.

And you may want to explore further your advice that residents should try following the democratic process. That's what happened at Pinder Hall - yet the Parish Council saw fit to retreat behind closed doors so key and indentified individual(s) could continue to manipulate the agenda further. I'm not sure what kind of democracy you have in mind but when the wishes of, let's say conservatively, two hundred people in the hall are squashed by two or three individuals behind the scenes something is a little out of kilter.

However you under estimate the strength and depth of feeling and have seriously miscalculated by thinking Cookham residents are fit only to be dismissed and ignored by those who see the village as their own personal plaything.

Paddy

Mar 20th, 2008 - 10:51 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

"Thoughtful" is doing what many of those in favour of building all these roads and houses have been doing ever since residents stared to make a fuss in January.

He dismisses our calls for transparency, accountability, and democracy as 'personal attacks'on the likes of Mr Harris while he talks about 'the rabble at the front' (I take it he's not referring to the Parish Council who were sitting at the front?!) and 'gutter tactics' and NIMBY-ism - how personal are those comments then?

I don't understand how wanting to preserve Poundfield is dismissed as NIMBYISM, and yet wanting to make vast amounts of money from building on it is somwhow acting for the public good. Why are the likes of the residents of Poundfield getting hammered for wanting to preserve the staus quo? Do you knoww the Parish council office has been inundated with calls from developers offering to build the road on Poundfield for free in exchange for first choice of land for building on? Wake up everyone...this will happen if you don't do something.

Those people who have been in positions of comfy power 'looking after Cookham for many years' unchallenged by those of us who've been sleeping are clearly worried - and they should be.

'Thoughtful' is clearly one of them, or speaks for them. But they still believe deep down they can do what they like - it's 2 years til the next election...plenty of time to have their feasibility studies for all these roads and have the foundations laid.

thoughtful

Mar 20th, 2008 - 12:23 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Paris should be so so careful with their comments about Mr Harris and his 'lifestyle' up in Cookham Dean. That makes a great many assumptions and I think - if this were not an anonymous website - Mr Harris would have just cause to consult his lawyer! But sadly it is typical of those who speak from the heart but not from the head. This kind of scaremongering does not help the cause of making our village a safe placer to live and walk round. I have heard so many inaccurate rumours flying around - did you know that Mr Copas is due to build a block of flats on the Gasholder site and that they were going to put a motorway through Poundfield. How does this kind of rubbish help? p.s Mr Haris lives in Cookham Rise

Paris

Mar 20th, 2008 - 2:51 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

I've obviously caused offence. Didn't mean too, thought I was merely posting an observation. Webmaster please can you remove my previous post.

Concerned resident

Mar 20th, 2008 - 3:43 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Thoughtful - you are either
(a) very very naive or
(b) interested only inasfar as burying your head in the sand or
(c) have a vested interest, whether direct or indirect, in one or several of the misguided plans that make up the heavily flawed 'Cookham Plan'.

Please refrain from speaking to those against this plan in a manner resembling that of an irate school master.

The majority of local residents' vested interest lies in the preservation of our village - not reconstructing it to suit those for whom the £ sign mean a **** sight more.

And if that's considered libelous, then I will repeat myself at the next open forum that this Parish Council calls to discuss the issues and thus provide those "offended" parties ample opportunity to either sue me or be ****ed.

Concerned resident

Mar 20th, 2008 - 3:46 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

And by the way, the asterisks (automatically inserted) are neither swear nor abusive words - merely Private Eye speak, courtesy of "Sue, Grabbit and Runn", esteemed ficticious solicitors of said satirical magazine !!

NL

Mar 20th, 2008 - 7:20 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

For all those seriously concerned about the future of our village I think it's time to re-group because I think some of us appear to be getting a little paranoid. Let's not forget that there are some good people on the parish council who are on our side and we need to keep them there. Slagging them off won't help our cause one bit. Whilst I agree that we need to be vigilant and keep up the pressure, we also need to be calm and measured. We have all made our feelings quite clear to the parish council and the Cookham Society and our MP, all of whom, as far as I can see, are sympathetic to our views. Let's now give the council some space to discuss the plan and reach their conclusions. We should not put them under this kind of pressure, they are not professional politicians, they are just ordinary folk like you and me, giving up their time to serve the community. Let's put our faith in democracy and not allow this histeria to divide and conquer.

Poundfield area resident.

Janet Wheeler

Mar 21st, 2008 - 1:12 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Hi

Just wanted to give you some information for those wishing to investigate the proceedings of Cookham Parish Council. RBWM can only offer you limited advice and their legal team is very new and inexperienced. However you can get better advice from the Berkshire Association of Local Councils (BALC) - I do not have their details with me but anyone can call me during working hours for their number. The head office is at Aylesbury and they have a web site. Contact name: Irene Thompson and her team.

Also please remember that all our meetings are public meetings, not just the meeting at Pinder Hall. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 1st April 2008 at 7.30pm at the Community Room in Cookham Library. You are welcome to come along and voice your concerns at the Open Forum at the start of each session.

Janet Wheeler
Clerk to the Council
01628 522003

Archimedes

Mar 21st, 2008 - 11:13 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

The Secretary
BALC, County Hall
Aylesbury
Bucks HP20 1UA

Email: balc@buckscc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01296 383154
Fax: 01296 387966

bazza

Mar 21st, 2008 - 9:11 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Thoughtful and the rest of the other pro-copas clique have happily labelled anyone who doesn't agree with them "rabble", "washerwomen", "NIMBYS" and made a great fuss about the "disgusting treatment" of Mr Simmons at the PC AGM. i.e. throw enough dirt, some may stick.

That's rich! I would be interested to read the minutes or hear the recording of the AGM. I don't recall Mr Simmons being called any names until he decided to exit stage left after being caught out apparently bending the truth rather! It was heated but people were attacking the The Plan and the Transport Group's pathetic but deadly contributions and not Mr.Simmons personally.

The worst verbal abuse I heard was one of his henchmen (presumably) berating the Parish Clerk afterwards in a most aggressive manner. Totally out of order and reprehensible.

BS

Mar 24th, 2008 - 2:12 PM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

Someone said on this discussion board a few days ago that the only reason that one of the parish council members keeps getting elected is because anyone who stands against him is 'persuaded' to cease their campaigns.

Is there any proof of this and, if so, does it suggest that continued 'persuasion' in this area could be the problem that Cookham is now up against?

No-one I have spoken to can think of any other logical reason why two or three councillors should reverse a decision reached by a public show of hands actually requested by their own Chairman, which represented the views of the 250 Cookham people attending the AGM. This action was reprehensible and can only raise the suspicion of ulterior motives.

Concerned Resident

Mar 25th, 2008 - 7:27 AM

Re: Last Night's Council meeting

There can be no other logical or comprehensible reason other than there being ulterior motives (as submitted by BS and several others on this forum) for a couple of councillors to have ambushed the residents of Cookham by press-ganging the vote to revisit the Cookham Plan in its current form. Certainly I know of 5 councillors who most definitely, do not support the Plan as it stands. As such, it would be interesting to find out just exactly how the ambush was sprung.
Are minutes of the latest meeting available for scrutiny soon?

It is also alarming to read that coersion, in whatever form, exists in our village at election time - however, if that is the case, surely it can be proven in one way or another. Do politics, even at this lowly level, attract unsavory characters and behaviour? Visions of Brando in The Godfather making an "offer that can't be refused" come to mind ... which is very unsettling when transposed to Cookham Parish Council.

The appropriate word to describe such people and their actions is reprehensible - a word twice used on this thread - and the sooner local residents rise to the challenge and purge the Council of these thugs, the better.
I suspect "thoughtful" will now respond with the usual warnings of caution and the possibilities of litigation for character assassination!

"Bring it on" I say ... the sooner the rot is dealt with, the better for our village.