Ferret listened keenly to Councillor Mr Jim Kenyon – Chair Independent Hemsworth Town Council, trying to justify the purchase of numerous amounts of plant machinery, procured from at best dubious sources, which has cost you £1000s of pounds in a recent Town Council meeting.
Councillor Shaun Middleton had requested that the following item be placed on the agenda:
PLANT MACHINERY
To review the council’s plant machinery
Councillor Middleton informed the meeting that no other Council of the size of Hemsworth had plant machinery, they hired it in as and when needed. This was also confirmed by the Clerk to the Council Mr Draper when questioned by Councillor Middleton, as he is the former Clerk to South Kirkby Town Council who confirmed they do not have such machinery.
Councillor Kenyon was extremely vociferous in his response to Councillor Middleton citing that the plant machinery had been used to “clear a number of allotments, dig out the access road and the stage area at the Waterpark ready for the Vengaboys and to extend the car parks at both Cemetery Road Football field and Sandygate”.
Councillor Gordon Eccles in his only input to the whole meeting said “it would be daft to sell them”.
Ferret has been and taken a look at these improvements:
Waterpark
Cemetery Road
Sandygate
Improvements or fly typing and a mess?… I’ll let you decide
as usual a response of bluster and b/s, one councilor raised the subject, time for rest to prove they are not kenyon/eccleites and cabaliniesta`s jump on this subject heavy plant bought at a cost that benefits tw0 councilor`s financially and to facilitate the personal whims of king rat in aiding a concert we did/do not want, urine taking of the highest order furthermore a request via f.o.i regarding qualified personnel and evidence of proof of qualification was not wholly sufficiently supplied apparently one full time member and one part time member attended such courses required to operate the machinery but evidence of course attendance dates stc was refused to be given , errm
Kenyon the Destroyer in action, when are Cllrs Hirst and Mitchell going to wake up and see the real world they are complicit in. Your votes along with the declared opposition councillors can stop this now or Ayr and bancruptcy here we come, remember you live here, Kenyon and Eccles and co will be long gone.
Whatever is their reasoning behind these purchases only they know but it’s certainly not one based on economics or necessity. Take a look at. Larger parks than this ran by city councils you won’t see these things because they hire when needed which is rare it’s a park not a building site. The claims they were used belies the stupidity of their logic are being used would be more appropriate. The contractor doing the sewer down there dug a road out for them the other week at the back of the old church heading over to Wakefield road. I spoke to the lad on the digger he told me HTC had told his gaffer’s they needed it because they’d lost the car park due to the works more lies we all know what it’s for. No one down there has been trained in the use of those machines so instructing someone to use them in itself is a breach of the health and safety act for which they can and should be prosecuted.
Serious question. Does anyone know if any employee down there has been competently trained in the use of those machines and do they hold a valid certificate of competency to say so this applys to all three machines digger roller dumper? Does the clerk have this information has he been asked for it if not any of you councillor reading this should be finding out? If those machines are being or will be used by anyone not holding a appropriate certificate and license then any public liability or any other insurance on those machines is nul and void period. God forbid anyone getting injured or a serious accident happened ie services cables gas water etc being breached there would be holy hell to play and the council could be held criminally responsible
Kenyon probably thinks they look good compared to his own garden.
All of his neighbours, have had to put up with this for years and years, never mind when he had dogs locked up all day and barking all hours. Even pigs would refuse to live with him. Sooner he’s gone the better
The piles of rubble at sandygate have been there months, limiting the parking there.. Meaning that cars have to park on the narrow road outside. So that cars can get by drivers have to park half on the pavement.
Well done HTC brilliant improvements.
Mr Eccles exactly words were
In my opinion it would be very silly to sell them
I don’t know much about how town council meetings should be run, or indeed if how HTC run meetings is typical of all councils. Do we know what information was provided in the meeting to allow this ‘review’ to take place? Coun Middleton had done his homework and had the list of machines and their cost, did the clerk provide each councillor prior to the meeting details of each?
To allow a review to take place surely you’d need to know Cost, what jobs they have previously been used for, what jobs were planned, the predicted cost savings for buying rather than renting, ongoing maintenance costs, insurance, cost to train staff, any risk assessment, storage costs and so forth, that’s just off the top of my head my knowledge of plant machinery is limited. I didn’t hear any evidence of this when I watched the meeting back just reassurances that it was worth it with nothing substantial to back that up.
Again and again discussions are held without any real evidence to enable anyone to make an informed decision.
This review I imagine is now considered complete based on conjecture and opinion. We have a small number of councillors not willing to accept this method of decision making but there’s a majority who do and frankly it’s absurd.
Kenyon’s garden is a tip at best of times. The stench of cannabis coming from the property too. The way the family seem to think they own the road. To the point of putting the grandchildren that are often there at risk. I’ve witnessed them riding into oncoming traffic, then JKs wife comes out shouting at the motorists. I’m not saying the motorists are always innocent but who allows children to ride around in the middle of the road and on a blind bend? The attitude of JK seems to be filtering down to the grandchildren poor kids.
i believe eccles was instrumental in the purchase maybe when they saw the cost of leveling clr eccles car park, almost 4 k we paid in return we received 208 pound errm maybe they thought it would be beneficial to purchaser the plant machinery off eccles relieving him of running cost of the plant yet still have it at his disposal should he require it if/when he gets his greasy thieving fingers on our water park, forward thinking of criminal minds, deffo needs chasing up
Every time anyone dares to challenge any decision made at HTC, the way our Independent Councillors respond is always the same:
1. First they try to explain why they made the decision ie the benefits according to them (even though the minutes never show these reasons, in the actual meetings there’s never a debate or any details revealed (eg cost vs benefits, options, funding etc) and, as Donna pointed out, there’s never any paperwork distributed to Members prior to any meeting to support an informed discussion.
2. Then they get frustrated that anyone could have a different opinion to them. We just need to trust them!
3. Then they demonstrate how much they have done for the community and that we should be grateful. Everything they do is for us and it’s what we, as residents want, deserve, need etc.
4. Then they roll out the old justification of making any decision, because “We are damned if we do and damned if we don’t”. Their decisions are always based on “This is what people want”, without any consultation, because they just know what’s best.
5. Then they begin to be dismissive towards those residents who have no alternative but to voice their concerns on Facebook or in meetings – by calling them “Keyboard warriors” in a derogatory manner and trying to marginalise those residents who actually care deeply about our community, by telling them to be quiet.
6. Then they decide to shut down any meaningful debate, take a vote, and move on regardless.
This is far from decision making at it’s best.
This does not demonstrate strong leadership.
They do not represent our best interests.
They deliver a few meals, hand out chocolate eggs, play bingo calling, bake buns and employ singers to show the community how philanthropic they are as Councillors.
Yes, these are all lovely things to do BUT this isn’t the real job of a Councillor, this is just PR.
We need our Councillors to listen to residents and to make rational, well informed decisions, backed by proper business cases and supported by the community.
I’m just appalled at their continued demonstration of incompetence and lack of respect.
i notice on htc website regarding bonny night etc limited free parking on cllr eccles car park that we paid for does that mean eccles will again be benefiting financially
correct linda its dictatorship at the very least
Knowing Eccles’ it’ll be free on entry and £10 to leave lol😂