Biggleswade Town Council Meetings & Minutes

On the 25th August 2012 I emailed the Biggleswade Town Clerk and copied it to all Town Councillors:

Do you think we could have some minutes of this financial years meetings published please?

 

I think by now, these ones at least should be published on the web site:

 

15th May 2012 – Off Street Car Parking

12th June 2012 – Planning

26th June 2012 – Council

10th July 2012 – Planning

 

and what about the minutes of the F&GP Meeting held on 15th November 2011, and

 

the minutes of the Public Land & Open Spaces Meeting held on 27th March 2012. This is not even on the meetings list. I brought this fact to your attention on 7th March 2012, 31st March 2012 & 29th April 2012 but have never received any response from you.

 

Is the Council really going to meet on Sunday 23rd September 2012 as published on the web site? I have not pointed this out before in view of the response I got the last time, when I brought an “odd” meeting date to your attention.

 

 

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By the 15th September 2012 there had been no response so I emailed the Town Clerk and all Town Councillors again.

 

It is now three weeks since I wrote to you and copied it to all Councillors concerning minutes that have not yet been published on the Town Council web site. I received a read receipt from yourself and Councillor George Wilson and from Councillor Jane Lawrence “Your message was deleted without being read on 11 September 2012”

 

Lets look at the progress that has been made:

 

15th November 2011 - Finance & General Purposes Committee Minutes.

Still no minutes published.

 

27th March 2012 - Public Land & Open Spaces Committee Minutes.

This meeting was not included in the meeting list.

Still not included on meeting list so no minutes published.

 

15th May 2012 - Off Street Car Parking Committee Minutes.

Still no minutes published.

 

12th June 2012 - Planning Committee Minutes.

Minutes belatedly published, the document was created on 30th August 2012.

 

26th June 2012 - Council Meeting Minutes.

Minutes belatedly published, the document was created on 29th August 2012.

 

10th July 2012 - Planning Committee Minutes.

Minutes published, the document was created on 29th August 2012.

 

The meeting list still shows that the Council will be meeting on Sunday 23rd September 2012.

 

The Council Meeting Minutes of 24th July 2012 and The Planning Committee Minutes of 14th August 2012 have been published in a document created on 4th September 2012 and marked as "Provisional", whatever that means.

 

One I missed before, the Minutes of the Precept Meeting held on 24th January 2012, not yet published.

 

I understand that Biggleswade Town Council are looking at becoming a Quality Council. One of the basic tests is that they will be required to publish draft minutes of meetings within two months of the meeting taking place and make them available for inspection by any elector in the parish, as a minimum. Given that there are unpublished minutes going as far back as November 2011, (10 months), I see very chance of Biggleswade Town Council qualifying.

 

I get quite used to you ignoring me, and it does not bother me providing at least something happens about the genuine issues I raise with you.

 

Can someone at Biggleswade Town Council do something about getting the rest of these minutes up to date on the web site?

 

 

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I did receive a response from the Town Clerk on the 17th September 2012, but I do not have explicit permission to reproduce it here but I think from my response you will get the gist of it.

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Email sent to today, 4th October 2012, to Town Clerk and Councillors:

 

With reference to your email of 17th September 2012.

 

Firstly regarding deletion of messages, I think you need to read my email of 15th September 2012, again. At no time did I suggest or think you had deleted my message of 25th August 2012, without reading it. I did say, and from Councillor Jane Lawrence “Your message was deleted without being read on 11 September 2012” In fact I have received another identical one from Councillor Jane Lawrence to my email of 15th September.

 

You now admit that the non publication of the F&GP Committee Minutes of 15th November 2011 was an oversight!!!!!!!

 

The omission of Public Land & Open Spaces Committee meeting of the 27th March 2012 from the meeting list was brought to your attention by emails on the 7th March, 31st March, 29th April and 25th August, none of which you replied to, or had the meeting added to the meeting list. The minutes were finally published on the 18th September 2012.

 

The minutes of the Off Street Car Parking Committee of 15th May 2012, you say cannot be approved until 20th November 2012 because you say that the Committees only meet quarterly and this delays approval and publication of Minutes. The Off Street Car Parking Committee met on 14th August 2012, or at least I have the Agenda for it, so why were they not approved then?

 

The 12th June 2012 Planning Minutes might have been created by yourselves on the 20th June, but the document was not added to the web site until 30th August 2012. The 26th June 2012 Council Meeting minutes might have been created by yourselves on 12th July, but again not added to the web site until 29th August 2012. The same with 10th July 2012 Planning Minutes, created by yourselves 17th July but not added to the web site until 29th August 2012.

 

The Town Council web site is the face of the Town to the world, and members have agreed that it needs updating. I would have hoped that as Town Clerk you would have given it a higher priority, and taken personal responsibility, ensuring that it was at least up to date, and factually correct.