Joanne Roney OBE
Chief Executive
Wakefield Council
Town Hall
Wood Street
WAKEFIELD
WF1 2HQ
19.01.2011
Ref: Previous concerns forwarded to you
Dear Mrs Roney OBE
From my original letters to you in November and December 2010 you put Mr Andrew Wallhead in charge of replying. We have corresponded numerous times mainly due to my questions remaining unanswered. These are now being formulated as a list that will as a final effort be then sent to Mr Wallhead.
My reason for again contacting you is to make you aware of developments in the last week that leave serious questions regards those responsible.
Mr Wallheads last correspondence informed me of two possible options I could take. The fact is that there was a third option. I could ask the three local district Cllrs to ask WMDC for a public enquiry. I am informed that if the three district Cllrs agree that there is a problem then they can request this measure. At a meeting in December 2011 all three Featherstone district Cllrs did just that and all agreed in a recorded meeting(unless the records have been changed). Apparently a public enquiry can not be called for if an officially recorded complaint has been sent to the correct department regards the same matter. On Friday I informed Mr Wallhead that I did not wish to make an official complaint at least until I had heard back from the Featherstone district Cllrs who I had all ready made a request to. Not surprisingly by Monday a twist appeared. On Monday morning I bumped in to Cllr Binnersley. I asked if she had received my request that was also sent to the other two district Cllrs. Cllr Binnersley informed me that she had but was unable to act on my request as she had been informed that I had lodged an official complaint with the correct department at WMDC. I informed Cllr Binnersley that I had not. That was as far as the conversation could go.
My first search to find out what was going on was by making a call to Mr Wallhead. After an odd conversation I was informed that he had miss understood my last reply and had made a complaint on my behalf. Hard to believe especially when I clearly stated “I do not wish to complain”. The options offered for complaint are a waste of time and would have no chance and would waste public money. A public enquiry would give an honest chance for Featherstone people to try and improve and would be public money well spent.
Mr Wallhead further informed me he would contact the three District Cllrs and inform them that they had been miss informed and could in fact call a public inquiry regards the road issues they all agree on.
This was Monday and I have not heard back from anyone as yet. After checking further I was sad to discover that politics may have intervened for the worse yet again in Featherstone. After inquiring today I discovered something called the whip. It appears that the Labour controlled WMDC will probably “whip” its Cllrs in to submission to turn a blind eye to road safety in Featherstone and make them change their minds regards their original views on the highways concerns. As two of these Cllrs are Labour Featherstone looks doomed yet again.
I must comment that the terms of “whips” I find very concerning. I believed I lived in a democracy where people elected Cllrs so that their area will improve. As I understand the world when a country determines public opinion by “whipping” the people it is usually considered a “communist state”. For me the term “whip” appears to be a legal get out.
I regret having to voice my opinion to you but this will not be the first time false reports have been made or documents have been altered over politics and against Featherstone.
I would be grateful if you could make sure that my concerns are not dismissed any further. The Featherstone junction Highways alterations are a disaster. Please stop wasting anymore public money and correct the mistakes made by WMDC as contractors and planning approvers.
Regards