On Thursday 24 March 2022 there was a Town Council meeting and Ferret has to say this was the usual farcical event, which has become common place under the stewardship of Mr Jim Kenyon and his Independent cabal.
It was Jim Kenyon at his best or worst, depending on your point of view, aided and abetted by Jean Eccles. On this occasion Jean chose to play the victim, Ferret has to wonder if Jean has enrolled on acting classes during lockdown.
Jean claimed to have health conditions, but failed to provide any evidence to defend the despicable actions that She, along with the rest of the Jim Kenyon led independents have engaged in other the last 3 years and for many more years previous, in Jim Kenyon’s and some others cases.
A comment was made to Ferret that it was like watching reality TV at its worst. Ferret has to agree the meeting descended into scenes which were reminiscent of an episode of Jeremy Kyle.
Ferret has nothing but praise and admiration for the residents in attendance who stood firm, showed resilience and intelligence in their efforts, to obtain truthful answers to the questions they raised.
Unfortunately, Chair Jim Kenyon was not able to match them on any level, being even unable to demonstrate that he has learnt the rules of chairmanship, let alone able to tell the truth.
Instead he chose the old worn out tired format of trying to divert, deflect and blame anyone and anything but himself and his colleagues for the catalogue of their actions.
Local plan 21
His excuses for not consulting the local residents included but were not limited to:
- The last labour lot (of course) in 2017
- Covid and the Lockdown
- Wakefield
- They didn’t know anything about it. (Surprise surprise)
Local residents and the real community minded councillors, from both the Labour Party and the genuine Independents, joined forces and stated the case against each and every one of these lies and systematically destroyed Kenyon’s fairy stories with the real facts of the issues.
Despite Kenyon’s claims, they were elected in May 2019 and somehow to Ferrets amazement knew enough about the local plan for the Town Clerk to submit statements to Wakefield on the areas that were of only interest to them, The Kirkby Road site for one example.
The review period was open to December 2020. One year and seven months for them to inform local residents and gather their vital opinions, just as Ackworth Parish Council did.
Chair Kenyon then played what he thought was his master card, it was the Covid lockdown. Strange how it didn’t stop them putting their views forward for their personal concerns and the newsletters to the community that could have been utilised to garnish the vital information, were instead used to promote the Jim Kenyon show.
His biggest blunder was not being able to answer how our neighbouring council, Ackworth, managed full consultation with residents during this same period.
He even tried introducing a lengthy document to support his tall tales, but again it consisted of little or no truth and again bestowed the virtues of all Kenyon has done for us. It real intention to deflect and divert and of course use up valuable time.
According to the doctrine of Kenyon, Protestors are friends of Saul.
Jean Eccles and Scum
Jean Eccles tried playing the sympathy card using health issues and the “poor me” tactics. However she soon reverted to type calling Ferret scum and believe it or not she actually said she lives at the Waterpark, no wonder she had a gate fitted to keep us scum and friends of Saul out.
CCTV
Good old Jean told the meeting she had been victimised and she’s perfectly entitled to use CCTV on her land. So an admission that “her land” extends to the access road to the Waterpark actually owned by Wakefield Council. She was also adamant she had done nothing wrong filming people on this road and posting their images on Facebook. She is above the law, so that’s self-promotion from lady of the waterpark to Queen of the realm.
Vote of No confidence
The residents present called for a vote of no confidence in Kenyon citing the above issues and the appalling delaying tactics that had been employed by him and the Town Clerk Mr Alan Draper, to prevent a Public meeting taking place.
It was carried overwhelmingly by those present.
Kenyon, red faced and flustered, then closed the meeting and left important agended matters not discussed and residents’ questions still unanswered.
Will Kenyon go, Ferret doubts it. Will any of those councillors supporting him in office change their allegiance to him and so remove him from office at the meeting in May, to select a new Council chair and vice chair etc. remains to be seen.
Ferret sends a big thank you to all those who contributed to exposing the lies and attempted cover up by Jim Kenyon at this meeting and on a daily basis.
All, whether they spoke for a short while or at length or just by raising their hands, were a credit to this community in the face of repeated attacks on its people and assets by Kenyon and his Independent Councillors.
This is not a full report of the meeting and more posts will follow.
Well done and a massive thankyou once again to all involved.
It’s time now this community did pull together and show the bad apples on the HTC that we do matter,we do count,we have a voice and will use them to show councillors Kenyon and co enough is enough .The meeting on 24/3/22 was as predicated chair councillor Kenyon when being challenged about his continual lie after lie regarding the ongoing LP21 proposed housing development,when given a full Residents pack of evidence which I can confirm Mr Draper had given him his on Tuesday 22/3/22 as prior warning and time to muster his last ditch attempt to pass the blame for the Independants total lack of transparency total lack of honesty to pull sheets of total rubbish together and put the blame as he says It was Labours fault in2017.Thus is total utter RUBBISH he blundered on and on digging an even bigger hole for himself we almost needed to get his precious digger.When challenged who was in chair in2020 when residents statement of Information community plan should have been done with residents in our community he failed to grasp it was Him and the Independant councillors failed several times to understand that if he knew nothing about it how come on his instruction the councils objections on 2 sites only out of the proposed 7 on Wakefield’s 2036 plan were put forward on8/12/2020 signed emails by Mr Draper .These very important emails which in an hour long meeting I had with MR Draper Town clerk on Monday 21/3/22 who admitted anything to do from WMDC LP Plans he was told to wing yes wing them to their solicitor Mr Paul Stokes.Emails not read Emails not circulated to all the councillors who told him to do this Chair Kenyon this is why I challenged at the meeting and asked the councillors to raise and show of hands who honestly knew nothing about the LP plan and as expected blank shocked faces admittance from councillors they had not been collectively informed of such major developments which will have serious consequences on our community,not seen any emails no wonder residents have attended 5 meetings and looked on to blank vacant and YES uninterested faces from some of the councillors who didn’t even follow or look at the packs of evidence presented to them now the community know why ,their leader hadn’t informed them kept them in the dark well now it’s time to show this community you have some credibility and decency and voice your vote on the side of this community at the Parish meeting and remember this community can voice our votes at the next elections.We must say a huge Thankyou to our ward Councillor Maxine Hird she is a true community councillor a star you could all learn from her.Let’s hope our community can get back on track and we can ring in the changes but only if we stand together as a community and use our voices at meetings .
On one final note residents have now contacted The press and I have been told both Calendar and Look North informed and invited to the next meeting hopefully a PARISH, meeting.
Kenyon will never admit that he is wrong, he is that arrogant. as for Jean Eccles calling ferret ( a member of the parish) scum, well it says it all about what she and Kenyon and Wilson think of us all. its time all 3 resigned as well as Draper and Knowles being sacked as they are just as bad as the rest