There may be a little confusion around the statement added to the last Parish Council minutes due to wording.
The statement was compiled by the three remaining Parish Councillors, after the mass resignations of all the Ten Mile Bank members at the 24th September Parish Council meeting at Hilgay Village Hall. The statement is to represent a brief account of events leading to that happening. Mrs Heatrick and Richard Munday produced and agreed the statement, which the Parish Council agreed for it to be added to the minutes, in order to give the public some clarity.
Yours sincerely
Graham Carter
Hilgay Parish Chairman
To Councillors past and current and to all public – this is my, Graham Carter’s, evaluation of the Riverside Toilet Saga
Firstly, the toilets have always been needed for the River field summer season. They were constructed in the 1980s for that reason.
The sluice out for the boats was originally paid for by the River Authority (now Environment Agency), who later withdrew financial support. The Parish Council took control of them, they soon decided to open only one accessible toilet, which worked well.
The day arrived when they needed repair and upgrading, so the then Parish Council voted to obtain to get costs and quotes to refurbish one accessible toilet? How did that change? Was there an objective assessment made? Were three quotes gathered? How were parishioners consulted? How did it get to a point where a vote was taken by TMB Ward Councillors only?
In my 45years involved with the Parish Council I had only ever witnessed a vote on any ward’s interest, it had always been by the ward councillors. Why did it change?
Was there any discussion regarding alternative uses? Could there be any income uses? Was the vote taken by TMB Ward Councillors to demolish the toilets, a legal quorum for Hilgay Parish?
There was a collective vote to disconnect services to the aforesaid building. Was this given a proper evaluation for the property as a whole?
I as a trustee of the Charity which owns the land, I conversed with and emailed Mr Colin Wills, explaining that if those services were to be disconnected from that building, I asked that they were studded for easy reconnection if they were needed in the future. This was totally ignored.
Why?
At this time the Hilgay Ward Councillors started to realise that the whole process was possibly greatly flawed, even down to the spoken state of the building was nowhere correct, also public opinion was raising questions.
So with strength and purpose those Councillors tried to halt the process until it could be fully reassessed, however it seems a war like attitude persisted from the TMB Ward Councillors who held the majority share of the Council.
Even when a special meeting was called and held in Ten Mile Bank? The meeting was described by one parishioner as ambush like. Had we forgotten our job description as Councillors? Sensible dialogue failed by the look of correspondence from The Clerk. Did he fail to keep his neutrality?
Even standing orders were attempted to be used as a defence. What do standing orders suggest – When you believe something has not been done correctly or very well – what process is suggested?
Then we get to September 24, Hilgay Hall Parish Meeting and the mass resignation, in front of a large audience of parishioners and guests, of all TMB Councillors even though they held the majority on the Council. On that night, did they fulfil their duties as Parish Councillors? Did they collude before the meeting? Did they come predetermined to that meeting? What was their purpose? So what brought it to this dramatic act? Poor leadership? Forgotten their roles as representatives of all their parishioners? Were they unable to converse in a democratic way? Was the whole process of the Riverside Toilets done correctly or very poorly with blinkered eyes?
What a sad day in our parish history. Our Hilgay Ward Parish Councillors had tried to get a
review of all the actions taken along the pathway, leading to the vote to demolish the toilets. Did they stand up and represent good democracy?
After this those ex TMB Councillors started a process to suggest a separation of the two wards. They failed to consult with the Parish Council on this matter. There process in engaging TMB parishioners lacked some of the pros and cons of the separation of the wards. Their comments and reasons could possibly be seen as an insult, to our Parish Councillors who had served before them in the last 130 years. As the fairness and balance was always at the forefront of parish business. This whole saga has damaged our Parish and left a very bad taste.
Everybody who was involved in this sad saga, I would implore to stand in front of the mirror and ask themselves, ‘ Could have performed better for our combined community?’
Yours sincerely
Graham Carter