another shocker

[marky]

another shocker...you lot are busy squabbling like a pack of Neros while Rome burns.

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk

[Inspector Knacker]

You're right. Back to business and ignore thr circus..

[Interested]

Spot on!!!!

[craig finton]

Everything that is currently wrong within HBC is summarised in this story - lack of transparency, bending the rules, councillors acting out of self-interest and doing their best to keep the public in the dark - it's all there. Hartlepool Borough Council is a busted flush.

Those who are prone to slagging off this site should take note. One day these guys will get so pis*ed off with the bitching that they'll pull the plug leaving us all at the mercy of a corrupt council and a local paper so far up HBC's ar** they haven't seen daylight for years.

[Lord Elpus]

Its a great shame that lessons have not been learnt from the LGA peer review, when HBC went out of its was to offer a 'sanitized' version of the report.  The full report had to be almost dragged from their sticky mitts. 

Open and transparent my ass.

[for fawkes sake]

"The council are claiming that the report has not been released because it is currently 'proof reading' the report "

Excuse me but I thought such things were 'proof read' before you issued them; not after you have received them.

[not4me]

Looks like the rule book has totally gone out of the window to me and this lot now think they can do whatever gains them most either politically or financially.

[testing times]

If I'm reading this story correctly then surely the only people in a position to 'whistle blow' on what was said are the people who were present. From another article we're told those gathered were Dave Stubbs, Akers-Belcher, Damien Wilson and Denise Ogden (and the developer). So the obvious thing is which one spilt the beans while the less obvious, but equally important question, is why the other three didn't given that they're all jointly responsible for making sure that things are done properly. Things done improperly would include CAB far exceeding his remit and personally deciding which planning applications will succeed and which will not.

Have we a dictator in the making? And when are council officers going to grow a pair? Or is it the case that they're all a little too bothered about their career and pension prospects.

The town is in the hands of crooks and carpetbaggers.

[steveL]

Dave Stubbs has pretty much confirmed that HBC are refusing to release the report. How's this for a quote:

"After it is checked for accuracy of a factual nature which is normal for all Peer Reviews or inspections an action plan will be put together and reported to Regeneration Committee on the 8th May."

In other words they intend sitting on it until they can get passed the elections - exactly what the front page story says. The benchmark we have is the previous Peer Group Report which specifically asked for their report to be published 'as widely and as quickly as possible'. They didn't and tried to find every way possible to prevent its release.....just as they are doing now.

[DRiddle]

"After it is checked for accuracy of a factual nature which is normal for all Peer Reviews or inspections an action plan will be put together and reported to Regeneration Committee on the 8th May."

Checked for accuracy of a factual nature? That sounds like they might be hoping to point out some 'factual inaccuracies'.

Intersting term that 'factual inaccuracies'.

That was the term Ged Hall used to describe elements of a question I asked in the council once (before they were banned).

I'm still waiting to hear from him as to which bits of my question were 'factually inaccurate'.

Come to think of it, i'm still waiting to hear from his solicitor after he suggested to my boss he was considering suing me for defamation.

I'm also still waiting for my thorough, full and frank apology it was suggested he gave me by a senior legal representative within HBC.

I think i'll be waiting a while....

Anyway, just on this bit....

an action plan will be put together

... we all know how to translate that.

This will be a "yes things were quite bad, but that was under the 'old' system. Now we have a 'new' system with, (choose adjective from the following list) robust/thorough/responsive/systematic procedures in place to ensure this can never happen again, blah blah blah blah......"

Maybe some minor lacky will carry the can (to an extent) like Wilcox did and be sacrificed, and things will continue as 'normal' in no time at all.