31 October 2011

If the glove fits........




I was noodling the interweb a couple of days ago and came across the cartoon which adorns the 'masthead' today. I'm sure that someone could suggest a more interesting caption for it. 

Contributions, by email, to muckandbrass@gmail.com or muckandbrass@googlemail.com The best suggestion, in the view of the Editor, will be awarded anonymity.

Till next time, I'm still Niall Connolly

27 October 2011

Our friends in the north.............

For those readers who have followed the M&B saga, today is the 2nd anniversary of the mass resignation of the Keenan/Canvin administration from Somerton's Town Council. That mass resignation was triggered, in large part, by the opposition of a large number of Somerton's residents to Canvin's proposal to relocate the Household Waste Recycling Centre from his trading estate on Bancombe Road to his land at Badger's Cross, on the other side of Somerton.


That project subsequently ran into a variety of obstacles, not least the impact of financial restrictions at national level which meant that the project was effectively scrapped. However, it was always my own belief that the recycling centre was only the first stage in the 'Bancombisation' of Badger's Cross and, sadly, that would seem to be the case.


News has reached me that at yesterday's meeting of the South Somerset Area North Committee, Canvin's latest application for B2 use on his land at Badger's Cross was approved. From a cursory glance at the file on SSDC's planning portal, it would seem that the Officer's recommendation to refuse was ignored by the Committee who voted, almost unanimously, to approve it. I understand that only Ward Member David Norris voted against it. So what is to be made of this curious turn of events?


Back in July, I attended the Area North Committee meeting when, again against Officer's recommendation, the Committee approved the Edgar application for Etsome Terrace. Canvin was a pivotal figure in the deal that saw Edgar Homes buy the Etsome site and Canvin spoke at that meeting in support of that application, which the committee subsequently approved (with only 1 vote against). Now we have Canvin's own application being considered, with 137 letters of objection, an Officer's recommendation to refuse and a Highway's opinion against the application, yet the Area North Committee decided in favour of the applicant.


So, the question I would ask is, "Who does Area North represent, the wider community who they are elected to represent or the narrower community of their friends and ex-colleagues in the development community?". On current performance, I'd say the later.


What is more frightening is the prospect of Minister Pickles' 'Localism Bill' making it even easier for local interests to influence the planning process over the heads of the wider community of voters. So, it would seem that the 'Somerton Spring' may actually have been the 'Somerton Autumn'. Don't bet against the Keenan/Canvin axis taking back Somerton Town Council.


Till next time, I'm Niall Connolly

15 October 2011

A reason to resign.......



So, Mr Fox has now resigned and in his letter to 'Dave' he said:


"As you know, I have always placed a great deal of importance on accountability and responsibility. As I said in the House of Commons on Monday, I mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to become blurred. The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days. I am very sorry for this."

I wonder how many of our elected representatives across the country would follow suit if the spotlight fell on them. And, by the same token, I wonder how many will resign once they have used the freedoms of Mr Pickles' 'localism bill' to get their snouts ever deeper into the trough.

Till the next resignation, I'm still Niall Connolly

10 October 2011

Hindsight is a wonderful thing

In the light of the public debate regarding the involvement of the Defence Secretary, Mr Liam Fox, and his friend, Mr Werrity, in matters which might have touched on the Defence Secretary's governmental duties, Mr Fox made a statement in Parliament where he said: "As I said yesterday, I accept that it was a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my personal loyalties to a friend. And Mr Speaker, I am sorry for this, I have apologised to the Prime Minister, to the Public and, at the first available opportunity, to the House."


Later, and regarding a meeting with a potential commercial supplier, the Defence Secretary said: "I accept that I should not have had a meeting with a potential commercial supplier without an official being present. This was entirely my fault and I take full responsibility for it." and on the same issue he went on, "As I said yesterday, I accept, with the benefit of hindsight that I should have taken great care to ensure a more transparent separation of Government, party political and private business and that meetings were properly recorded to protect myself and Government from any suggestion of wrong-doing."



Its a pity that Somerton Town Council didn't take exactly the same precautions in 2008 with regard to property deals and councillors' involvement in them. Equally, the Town Clerk might have been expected to keep better records to ensure transparency. But 'a previous town council' tended to do things it own way which led directly to investigation into its affairs, an investigation which, it must be noted, is still underway and where the External Auditor has yet to report.

Till next time, I'm still Niall Connolly