Does anyone else smell a rat here?
AM I alone in wondering what s going on in Fenland Hall? We have just learned that the property company belonging to a district councillor registered ownership of Public Open Space in March in 2005 and wanted to build houses on it. I have now discovered t
AM I alone in wondering what's going on in Fenland Hall?
We have just learned that the property company belonging to a district councillor registered ownership of Public Open Space in March in 2005 and wanted to build houses on it. I have now discovered that Fenland District Council neglected to object to this claim despite knowing the county council owned the land!
Then there is the matter of the years that FDC neglected to collect "community benefit" money from developers (Cambs Times reported as the "£1million black hole").
Following this fiasco being put into the public domain FDC set about collecting money owed in effect to us, but even then they didn't ask for surcharges due for late payment. And in some cases they have been so slow in getting around to passing the money on to the communities there has been a danger of losing it! (Cambs Times, February 2007).
Mind you, the last financial year was a funny year for FDC. I have been studying the online accounts. The consolidated revenue account went down by £17million. I don't altogether know what that means, but it doesn't sound too good!
At the same time FDC spent £949,000 on ITC. That's only slightly more than was spent on the salaries of the top 11 members of staff. Together that's over £50 per household.
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Small wonder the current Cambs Times online poll registers that nearly three quarters of Fenlanders don't believe FDC when they assure us that life is improving for all of us.
I wonder what the poll on May 3 will register!
Time for a change?
Chris Howes
Chatteris
e-mail: FenlandDeservesChange@googlemail.com
