Tag Archives: Anston

Freedom of Information and Secret Meetings

When the Rotherham Local Plan for building on greenbelt hit the headlines a year or so ago I wanted to find out more. I wanted to find out where these plots of land drawn on a map came from. Who drew them and what work was done to prove they are sustainable.
I found it was not easy to get this kind of information, Council officers were guarded when it came to the sit down meetings they have with developers. I logged a Freedom of Information request as I felt it was in the public’s interest to know how the process had been carried out.
I was shocked when my FOI was knocked back, I had asked for details of any meetings or correspondence and they were claiming none existed. I queried again and again and a subsequent reply said some details had “come to light” but release was not possible for reasons of commercial sensitivity and confidentiality.
I don’t think a Council embarking on a public consulation should be having secret meetings and communications. I think if a public body is doing something they don’t want us to find out about then they ought to consider whether or not they should be doing it. I KNOW they should not put the commercial wellbeing of developers ahead of the public good.
I have taken the matter to the director concerned, the Chief Exec and the Council leader, they now refuse to discuss it further. They have also refused to show the info to elected councillors which begs the question, who are these people answerable to?
When a Council serving a quarter of a million people feels it necessary to keep secrets from its own elected members I think we are in a dangerous place indeed.

The A57 Improvement Scheme Todwick Crossroads (Updated)

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Update 4: Half Open!

The new route is now operating in single carriageway only!

Video here!

Update 3: Todwick Road is Open!!

The new roundabout on the A57 at Todwick is now open for business and can whisk you directly from Todwick to Dinno! I had almost forgotten the road existed, but coming from the M1 you can now turn left onto the new traffic island, and go straight on to good old Dinno!

Update 2: Delay on re-opening Todwick Road

Speaking to Ringway today , the company carrying out the work it has become necessary to keep Todwick Road closed until 18 May. This does mean that traffic will continue to be a problem through North Anston, but was unavoidable as delays arose redirecting some of the vital services like BT cabling. I am quite impressed so far with the management of traffic, when you consider the magnitude of the work.

Update 1: Scheme progresses

The A57 improvements are plodding along, to be honest I’m surprised how smooth things have been so far, although the closure of Todwick Road is causing a large increase of traffic through North Anston. This temporary closure should be lifted at the end of April.

The scheme is scheduled to be completed in early 2014, more info is available on RMBC’s web site here.

Original Post: The A57 Improvement Scheme Todwick Crossroads

The A57 has always played a part in the make up of Dinnington since I were a lad, snaking through our modest settlement and cutting South and North Anston down the middle (sort of). I remember a friend’s mother telling me it went from Liverpool to Lincoln when I was little and that made it seem like the road to the rest of the world.

The stretch from Todwick to the M1 has always had a bad rep, what with its twisty turns and tricky crossroads which has seen more than its share of tragedy. They’ve been thinking about doing something since I was knee high and it is finally happening, behold the magnificence of the new A57…

Coming from the M1 up the hill the road continues as dual carriageway, bypassing the bends and cutting across Todwick Grange. It emerges to a brand new roundabout which will lie a hundred yards or so closer to Dinnington than the current crossroads. A fifth leg from the roundabout leads to the Pub. Goosecarr lane become left in and left out only with an access road to the bypassed properties.

No need to strain your eyes, a PDF copy is right here:

A57

It looks like an improvement, but it may just move the congestion elsewhere, Anston crossroads, perhaps? Improvements to Anston crossroads are mooted in the RMBC local plan and I think it has dual carriageway and roundabout written all over it. I’m not so sure about this one, as it would cut Anston in half far more fundamentally then at present. The best course would probably be to build a bypass around the back of South Anston, leaving the current course of the A57 to be developed as a proper civic centre for Anston, can’t see this happening though, too much money.

Here’s my attempt anyway, there, I’ve made Anston whole again! The fully dual carriageway A57 flowing round the back of South Anston in a red line, sorted! Now we can have a nice row of shops, restaurants, new swimming baths, comprehensive school, rail station when we re-open the line….

If only it were that easy!

Anston Parish Council Meeting Feb 25 2013

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It’s Monday night and off we trot to Anston Parish Hall to meet the usual Councillors, agitators and members of the general public for a fantabulous Anston Parish Council!

Mr Beck looking marvellously turned out (maybe he thought he might get on film again?) and opening the proceedings with an appeal for calm and orderly conduct. Politely given and well received by all but the most bloodthirsty.

Two Police officers promptly walked in and stood at the back near to the previous chief protagonist Mr Lewis, thou to be fair I think that was coincidental, they were just trying to get out of the way.

No filming, recording or broadcasting during the meeting please says Mr Beck politely and oh off we trot! Protestations galore from many present, mostly referencing the government’s belief that bloggers and citizen journalists are within their rights to film and tweet at Council meetings.

I have to say I tweeted throughout and it was pretty obvious what I was doing, in full view of the Police and no one pulled me up on it.

A little bit flustered by this Mr Beck kept his composure (mostly) as we hit the next obstacle, is this a new meeting or a continuance, should the public be allowed to speak? Mr Saint John insisted it was, others disagreed, names were shouted as Mr Beck threw the rabid dogs a distraction…

Mr Lewis’ letter from last week was read out in full by Mr Beck, if only he’d done that last time, thou in all fairness it was pointed out that the letter concerned SJ and now he was here to answer for himself the time was right. Fair enough.

Mr SJ gave his version of events, many members of the public and councillors shouting at him claiming he speaketh with forked tongue. Mr Lewis called him a liar and demanded an apology, SJ told him where to get off.

Cllr Brindley and Mr SJ also accused the hecklers of bullying and stopping the Council machinery from grinding onwards. I also have to say some counter attacks came from the back against the hecklers, certain people had obviously brought a fan club.

Cllr Thornton made the general point that the Council need to pull their socks up big time and received the only applause of the evening for doing so.

The letter was dispatched to RMBC standards committee forthwith and Stuart closed with a request for a letter to Mr Lewis and a call for the Council to put together its own procedure for complaints.

Mr Beck expressed doubts, saying that’s what the standards comm. is for (he should know, he’s on it of course)

Cllrs SJ and Thornton clashed over a letter allegedly sent to the standards committee containing lies, then a surreal moment descended as the song “Englands Green and Pleasant Land” floated in from the room next door. This was short lived as…

..Cllr Thornton struck again, announcing he was calling a Parish meeting with the support of another Cllr. There was some debate over whether he could do this, but the meeting was duly scheduled for April 29. With tea and biscuits.

An email from Save Our Greenbelt Dinnington prompted calls for a private meeting with the group, but Cllr Thornton asked it be public. SJ appealed for calm and eventually it was decided to arrange said meet so the group could give a presentation. Cllrs were again accused of selective memory but the meeting moved on.

Next up the possibility that money might be tight next year, and was this the best time to be getting a loan to buy some land (wonder where that could be? *cough* Anston Stones)

Questions were then asked of all councillors whether they had been contacted by the Brethren prior to a previous meeting where the religious sect’s planning application was to be discussed. Mr SJ was also criticised for attending the planning board as a member of the public then supporting the application whilst announcing he was a Councillor. Mr SJ poo pooed this saying he was his own man.

Most Councillors declined to answer the question of whether or not they were contacted, Mr Beck said yes he was, but for routine enquiries only. This was poo pooed, but Mr Beck moved to progress. Cllr Dalton confirmed she met the Brethren but she wasn’t at the vote.

Stuart called for more time for the public to speak at meetings, Mr SJ threw more poo poo on this suggestion saying it would need a lot of debate and a change to standing orders. Stuart disagreed, called for a vote and lost spectacularly.

Councillors agreed to object to the closure of the Council centre in Dinno and the reduction on library hours, plans were also put in motion for greater public consultation for future budgets. Local roads were slagged off, pot holes the size of craters don’t go down well with anybody quite frankly.

The suggestion that the Council adopt the RMBC code of conduct when dealing with planning was carried. Some members thought this would have improved the handling of the Brethren application.

A vote was taken to set aside up to 1500 quid for an Anston Day of some kind, and an amendment was put forward to pilfer the fund for a Chairman’s chain of office to help pay for it. This was defeated handily by the chain loving majority.

Mr Beck then took questions from the public, handling things well and politely.

The Core Strategy will be discussed at next meeting. The greenbelt may be doomed, but the chain of office lives to fight another day.

A meeting will be held about bus cuts in the Dinno Interchange at 10-3 on Friday, so don’t miss that. Not more bad news hopefully.

Then came Mr Lewis again! An apology was demanded again from Mr SJ and another Cllr and as things started getting shouty Mr Beck was asked to comment on his own comments made in the local paper.

Not missing a trick Mr Lewis came around for another bombing run on the poor chairman only to find the meeting closing before his eyes and the barrage balloons going up. Another saga ended we filed out into the rain to contemplate next meeting and hopefully a proper discussion of the Core Strategy.

A far more civilised affair then last time, thou I don’t think this was anything to so with the presence of the Police. Heckling actually got better when they left, it was at it’s loudest right from the start as I recall.

An improvement from Mr Beck definitely, but there remains something rotten at the heart of this Council. I hope meetings will continue to be well attended and pressure brought to bear to bring real improvements to the way they do business.

This is only of course my recollection, if I got anything wrong please tell me, if I got anything right please feel free to tell me I’m a good lad. All the best and good night.

Anston Parish Council Survival Kit

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Thinking of going to Anston Parish Council to argue your point? Worried about being arrested, dragged out and spending some time at her majesty’s pleasure?

Then be sure to take our patented Anston Parish Council survival kit, this fine mask which will offer you perfect camouflage when the time comes to pose your sticky question. Simply cut around the dotted line with scissors (if you’re from Thurcroft just bite, or if you live in the Old Village or on The Green just get your butler to do it)

Simply affix to your face using a piece of string attached to points A and B and you will find that when the moment of conflict comes Comrade Chairman will have no option but to report HIMSELF to the police, you will be perfectly safe, just remember to remove the mask BEFORE they kick the door down.

Job done, say no more.

Splinters in his Bum!

Anston Parish Council Meeting Feb 18 2013

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My first attendance of Anston Parish Council was to be all about Rotherham Council’s local plan and the programme of housebuilding which could see our greenbelt swallowed up by hundreds, possibly thousands of houses over the next 15 years. I didn’t expect much satisfaction when we raised the question of whether Anston would follow Dinnington’s lead and object formally to the latest round of consultation. The chairman Mr Beck said it could be discussed at the next meeting, conveniently forgetting that it would be too late by then.

The few rational voices on the Council were drowned out as Mr Beck’s cronies fell over themselves to bury an issue which is proving to be a major embarrassment for the local Labour party.

What happened next really took me by surprise, however.

An elderly chap called Mr Lewis has asked a question earlier concerning a complaint he had with another Councillor who was not present today. Not placated by Mr Beck’s evasive and unhelpful answers Mr Lewis refused to sit down and doggedly insisted that his emailed complaint was read out in full.

Mr Beck didn’t like this challenge to his authority, and tried repeatedly to censure Mr Lewis by warning him that if he wasn’t quiet he would be asked to leave. Mr Lewis is made of sterner stuff and kept on insisting that he was entitled to a full answer and asked time and again for his complaint to be read out to the Council. Finally to try and assert his dubious authority Mr Beck ordered Mr Lewis from the room, Mr Lewis refused to go and so Mr Beck left the room saying he was going to fetch the Police. He returned some time later with the meeting adjourned and we all settled down to see what would happen.

It was actually quite pleasant as the room broke up into smaller groups which allowed those of us representing various issues to talk one on one with the Councillors and much constructive discussion took place. Without knowing it Mr Beck had transformed the meeting into a useful brainstorming session.

Time passed and then some more time passed, the Police were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were fighting crime, or perhaps they already knew what we were beginning to realise, that Mr Beck is a twit.

Finally with half the room remaining and people rubbing their eyes and yawning Mr Beck once again took his seat to declare the meeting closed. All of a sudden who should appear but two Police officers, up jumped Mr Beck, and started explaining to the officers why he wanted the vile disabled pensioner physically removed from the hall.

It should be said that whilst Mr Lewis was very determined and rather loud he never exhibited rude or offensive behaviour, he was never threatening or even overly disruptive, he simply would not be brow beaten by the local little Hitler.

I started to film the scene at this point as I genuinely thought I was going to witness an elderly fellow dragged away by the Police for standing up to the local bully.

It was left to others to point out to Mr Beck that as he had declared the meeting closed there wasn’t really a meeting for Mr Lewis to be ejected from. Faced with this logic the Police made a dignified exit and handled the situation superbly. My video footage won’t be ending up on YouTube. There are people on it who are innocent of Mr Beck’s brutal democracy and they may not appreciate it.

Comedy quote of the night must go to Mr Beck, however as the Police went to leave, “But officers, officers, this gentlemen is getting in the way of democracy!”

Oh, Mr Beck… How embarrassing… You really are a twit.

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