Ferret, as others was intrigued by Councillor Jean Eccles acceptance speech, and HER priorities for her term of office which will run until May 2023.
These were shared with members of our Township at the Annual Town Meeting on 19 May 2022.
However, it seems that already some of these pledges have already fallen by the wayside in a matter of weeks.
Jean told us she wanted to work with our District Councillors in future and expected them to attend Independent Hemsworth Town Council meetings, yet they were not copied into the agenda circulation list, by way of an informal invitation to the Town Council Meeting on 16 May 2022.
How can they attend a meeting if they don’t know anything about it?
Disabled access for the facilities at the Waterpark was discussed at length and Councillor Jean Eccles agreed to include this item on the next Town Council meeting agenda.
It wasn’t there, so Ferret has to assume no progress will be made at this time
The Water park/Lakeside Cafe Bar lift was discussed and again, the need for a feasibility study and business case was seen to be the correct way forward.
Once again, there’s no mention of this on the agenda. Maybe Councillor Eccles accepts this is not the priority she and Gordon Eccles have bemoaned for the last year?
Resurfacing the Waterpark paths was discussed (along with the Car Park needing investment). Thankfully, the paths were on the agenda as “to consider resurfacing” them.
Ferret was sure the Council had already agreed to consider resurfacing them and that Mr Alan Draper – Clerk, was asked to determine options and Ferret would have hoped maybe draft up a business case?
Mr Draper, however failed to do this and had only managed to contact one company and receive a “ball park” figure of £45,000, meaning more delays ahead.
A lengthy discussion was held regarding the non-attendance of Mr Alan Draper and Councillor Jim Kenyon at a WMDC Housing Meeting, and how it came about that no other Councillors were able to attend instead (but Councillor Hird managed to obtain an invitation directly). Alan Draper was asked to investigate and report back with an update at the next meeting, as lessons need to be learned.
Again this was not on the agenda. Ferret wonders why?
Councillor Jean Eccles provided us with her priorities for 22-23:
“To help as much as we can towards local groups, because we’re going to have a tough time ahead”
and
“To scrutinise Wakefield Council to do more in the area and to work with our District Councillors, so we are all on the same page.”
Jean went on to say
“Obviously, as the Chair, I will be promoting my priorities, because it’s going to be tough so obviously I’m sure, but I can’t speak for other Councillors, I’m sure that all, I’m presuming that they would agree with me on the priorities”
Ferret can’t understand why this wasn’t on the agenda, to allow the other 14 Councillors to discuss and agree the Hemsworth Town Council priorities for 2022 – 2023, taking into account the Chair’s suggestions.
Maybe Jean isn’t interested in an “open and transparent” debate?
Other issues which came out of the Town Council meeting will be looked at over the next few days…