issue 10

editor@cradleyenquirer.com
CradleyEnquirer.com
editor@cradleyenquirer.com
Online News & Topics for Cradley,Storridge & Mathon
asking the questions you want asked and seeking the answers you deserve
Issue
10
28th March 2018
in this issue
Page 2
Page 3
Maclean and free speech
Community Tree
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Grumpy George
A PC Plan
What is going on in our PC?
Page 7&8 Rights and wrongs the Clerk
Page9 Pragmatic?
Page10 Worth 1000 words
Page11 Notices
Page12 Quicky Questions
Page13 Useful information
ENQUIRER VIEWINGS
Issue 1 23rd Feb 1394
Issue 5 18th Feb 3115
Issue 6 27th Feb 1284
Issue 7 3rd Mar 1615
From The Editor
The Enquirer has received some
accusations that it is overly biased against
the Parish Council and in particular
councillors who hold offices of the council.
This was even stated at the PC meeting on
13th March in a statement, not minuted
and not discussed but, more on that in Issue 11
All we can say is to those who think so: they should
read our strap line contained in our logo and
acquaint themselves with our stated Ethos which
hasn’t changed since the day we started.
To the Parish Council and anyone else who’s
ambitions challenge or threaten the rights of the
community we say that we will continue to lift the
rocks that you hide under and illuminate the
shadows within which you hide. The verdict on your
anti-community agendas will be made by the
community.
The simple solution to make the Enquirer go away is
to DO IT RIGHT!
Very simple, but this somehow eludes some.
Issue 8
10th Mar
731
Issue 9 18th Mar 331
THE ENQUIRER,
A NEW DAWN FOR OPEN
COMMUNICATION IN
CRADLEY, STORRIDGE AND
MATHON
So, let us have your news and views on anything in
Cradley, Storridge and Mathon, no matter how
controversial (just remember our conditions). Just
email us or click on the contact button in the menu.
We don’t require your name, address, blood type and
a letter from your Mom to put your opinions forward
and we will not require you have your name
broadcast with your opinion or question
This is YOUR community.

Maclean Memorial
Work is continuing in the community
to set in place the work to get the
monument in Rectory Lane cleaned in
time for the Armistice clelbration later
this year. Mike Hames has now got
confirmation from the Maclean family
that they are happy for the cleaning to
take place and that two members of
the family have now expressed their
wishes to attend the service. British
Legion members who have been
contacted have given their support.
We will keep you posted in each issue
Spot the contradiction ( no prize we are afraid)
WE FULLY SUPPORT
FREEDOM
OF SPEECH
As stated, we are
always open to ALL
opinions and will give
whatever space needed
to those who wish to
have their say
but only if you
agree with us
It’s been a busy week since the last Issue and the
Enquirer is steaming ahead in popularity.
We are informed that the CMS Newsletter has decided
to pull our advert taken out with them and paid for in
full, because of editorial decision.(they say)
A clandestine ,self appointed editor seems to be
roaming the Parish removing our small notices
regarding the Enquirer and how to contact us.
We view these sort of actions as slightly childish and
confirmation that the Enquirer is doing its job of
highlighting things that have no place in our
community.
We, fully support freedom of speech but unlike our
friend here inclusive of those who don’t agree with
our viewpoint

Community
at Work
Well done to the ‘Tree Planters’ of
Storridge
who on 24th March planted a Pin Oak
at Crumpton Hill Storridge donated
by Cradley & Storridge PC

Meet George the Enquirer’s
very own Grumpy Old Man
(subtitled: a view from God’s waiting room)
TV! now we have hundreds of programmes to
watch. Yippee loads more rubbish!
All the adverts are now colluded to occur at the
same time(they slipped that in while no one was
watching-pun intended!) thereby removing my one
enjoyable pastime- channel hopping or advert
dodging as I used to call it.
Join George in posing
those questions and
making observations on
life that only someone
with some miles under
their belts have to
worry about.
Email the Enquirer with
your “grumps” for
publication
Ahaa! I hear you cry! go to BBC where there are
no adverts……WRONG! BBC is infested with
adverts for, well, the BBC, which of course
coincide with the adverts on all the other
channels. Even going to the ultimate insult of
advertising the very programme I was watching
Add to this an increase in the amount of
advertising time per programme and the moronic
Americanisation of repeating the end of the
previous pre-advert section of the programme at
the start of the next I get less actual programme
to enjoy and more adverts, which I don’t.
Programme producers: I know I must be a
candidate for senility but even I can recall what I
watched a couple of minutes previously so stop
insulting my intelligence and padding out your
programmes to cover up cost cutting.
Grumpy George
And another thing………
Why is it that in the much broadcast camera in the car,
camera at the scene of the crash, people falling down etc.
show it is felt that the occurrence is shown 3,4,5 or even 6
times?
I got it the first time and perhaps a slow motion replay
might be interesting, but come on!

A GUIDE TO
A
PARISH COUNCIL
RE-PRINTED
BECAUSE SOME
STILL DON’T
GET IT
Working groups
& committees
Formed by council to
work on specific items
under consideration or
to have delegated
powers of decision
making and spending
Finance: Set budgets
and precepts
Employment: Set &
monitor employee
matters
Planning: Investigate
and advise on planning
matters
Communications
Group: Investigate &
advise on
Communications
NDP Group: oversees
the implementation
and effectiveness of
the NDP
etc. etc.
Parish Council
Elected members bound
by their code of
conduct and statutory
obligations to carry out
duties and decisions on
behalf of the community
Instruct
Inform
and
Recommend
Instruct
Liase
Elect
Other Bodies
Parish Chairman
Is elected by the Council
from within their ranks to
Chair meetings of the
council. The Chair carries
the power of a casting
vote in votes by the
council
Inform & Advise
Parish Clerk
Employed by the council
to be their officer to
implement Parish
Council decisions, advise
on procedure and legal
matters and if the
finance officer, to keep
and monitor the PC
accounts and ensure that
budgets are met. Also to
minute meetings and
prepare agendas and
information for
councillors to be kept
informed
Inform
THE PARISH COUNCIL ARE AT THE CENTRE OF THIS UNIVERSE
NOT THE CLERK NOR THE CHAIR AND DEFINITELY NOT
OUTSIDE BODIES
Request
Provide Information
Information
Hereford
Association
of Local
Councils
HALC
subscription
paid advisory
body

WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR PARISH COUNCIL?
Yet another meeting and yet more of the same chaos and total lack of any leadership or
direction.
This Parish Council seems to be putting down its foundations firmly on a bed of sand destined
to be washed away at the first bit of wet weather. It has lost its way under misguided and
erroneous attempts at leadership and decision making, completely devoid of councillors
informed input. We have purposely repeated last issue’s map of what a Parish Council make up
should be.
The last meeting received a grovelling apology from councillor Harries over his “mistake” in not
contacting Mr Lowder, who you will recall was to be replaced in the agenda and the minutes in
his duties as clock winder. Total lack of communication or regard for peoples feelings or reactions
to such uncivilised methods seems to be the order of the day for the chair and vice
chair.
Mr Harries made an excellent “fall on my sword for my leader” apology in a cover up that
Richard Nixon would have been proud.
This matter should never have arisen to be apologised for in the first place and appears to be
an echo of the arrogant attitude that has crept into those attempting to mould the
COMMUNITY’S Parish Council to their will or master plan.
This has got to stop now!! Decisions made by the council affect the PEOPLE of the community
They are people to be served NOT RULE BOOKS to be followed
GET YOUR PRIORITIES SORTED OUT:
WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY FIRST. RULES AND REGULATIONS SECOND
WHAT HAS CRADLEY PARISH
COUNCIL DONE FOR THE
COMMUNITY SINCE
JAN 2018?
List on the last page

Rights and Wrongs
Going back to last month’s report on the Chairman’s totally unethical, unnecessary and
unprofessional conduct at the 13th March meeting where, he made accusations against Parish
Councillors in public, without allowing them a right of reply or presentation of defence.(and
still has not)
We are informed that a formal complaint to Herefordshire Council’s Monitoring Officer over
his conduct, which contravened so many points in the code of conduct , is in preparation
and should have been made by the time you read this.
Those who attended the meeting were met by the chair opening the meeting and reading out in
full the Clerk’s resignation letter. In it, unfounded accusations were made against councillors in
connection with the pressures put upon her. THESE ACCUSATIONS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN
MADE IN PUBLIC WITHOUT THE COUNCILLORS HAVING THE RIGHT OF REPLY.
All that should have been sated was that she had resigned.
As it was read out in public then the Enquirer has investigated the accusations and will analyse
them here so no one can be in the dark as to the real reason the clerk resigned and not the
implications and accusations brought up in the Chairman’s PERSONAL STATEMENT THAT
FOLLOWED ( we will analyse his statement in Issue 11)
THE CLERK STATED: That she had phone calls that challenged her on several issues which she
found to be aggressive and confrontational, and the experience felt hostile upsetting and
stressful
ENQUIRER STATES: The background to this is the firm instructions from the chair that ALL PC
business was to be sent to Helen and that councillors could not make any decisions and
EVERYTHING HAD TO BE SENT TO THE CLERK WHO WOULD DEAL WITH IT. As far as the Enquirer
can ascertain the councillors were doing just that. Perhaps her perception of aggression and
hostility was based on the frustration of the elected councillors to get answers to their
questions (as is their right and duty)
THE CLERK STATED: That she arranged a meeting which she did, but then questions the
councillor present for recording the meeting without explanation . Again she complains of an
unpleasant atmosphere and the recording intimidating.
ENQUIRER STATES: The councillor had a perfect right to record the meeting without explanation
and a fully qualified Clerk should have known this. The Clerk never questioned the recording of
the meeting until her resignation list. With past history of meetings not being minuted and
decisions “lost” or altered we can understand his desire for accuracy of the meeting.
THE CLERK STATED: That “the meeting did not achieve anything productive”
ENQUIRER STATES: The Clerk must have attended a different meeting. The meeting was held on
9th March. On 12th March the councillor emailed his suggestions for a way forward to resolve
perceived and actual problems. This was sent to the chair,vice chair and clerk on 12th March.
The councillor received no re-action or acknowledgement of his suggestions from any of the
other parties at the meeting

Low and behold! the chair emails all of the council to suggest that there should be a plan
produced to put together a schedule of tasks and prioritising to get the pc back on track.
Another miracle occurs when the clerk who’s resignation was announced on 13th March posts a
roadmap on the PC website for suggested works for the pc to carry out dated the 16th March.
The Enquirer is still looking into the origins of this as it bears a great resemblance to another
councillors work.
Nothing was accredited to the councillor who suggested after the meeting “where nothing was
achieved”this very action as a result of that meeting. DUPLICITOUS IN THE EXTREME.
THE CLERK STATED: that she contracted to do 10 hours work per week and often exceeded this
for no financial reward
THE ENQUIRER STATES: If that is indeed the case then she should have met with the members of
the employment group, and the chair to have the terms of her contract negotiated to a more
equitable one reflecting the works she had to carry out. The fault is with those who interviewed
her, estimated her work requirements and laid out the contract without making allowance for
councillors being told that they must take everything to the clerk without exception and the
clerk must do everything!
Having looked at the Clerk’s complaints in full (and the other side) we can conclude that the
fault does not lie with the Parish Councillors but with the terms and conditions in the Clerk’s
contract. Perhaps she should not have put complete faith in those that “sold her the pup”
It is not, as the chair puts it in his statement “to the shame of Cradley and of the council “ but
mis-management and incompetence by those who attempted to control the clerk alone and
fully specify her workload which she deemed unacceptable.
MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE ENQUIRER (it really does get better)
Chaos: complete disorder and confusion

PRAGMATIC:
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is
based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.
Over several issues the Enquirer has pointed out that the PC had sacrificed the
basis for its existence ( service to the community) on the alter of rabid
implementation of rules and regulations.
The existing thinking being forced down councillors throats is that nothing
could be done on the council without the correct rules being in place, followed
and strictly adhered to with no variation or initiative allowed
As with the committee designing a horse the result is similar. Chaos! and not
what you first envisaged. Not because of the rules themselves, something we
all live with in a society (which could not exist without them) but, their
mindless application with no regard for practical implications or the amount
of work produced for little practical return.
As already state by the Enquirer the PC is elected for the good of the
community first and foremost not to be led by the rule book to the exclusion
of delivering services to that very community.
And lo! another miracle comes to pass. The very person who was the biggest
proponent of the immovable rule book above all, now pleads for councillors to
be pragmatic in their actions and work commitments.
Fake news couldn’t make that up either
What isn’t forth coming is how councillors are expected to be pragmatic when so
many requirements have been passed at council meetings (backed by clerk and
chair). Perhaps they will be enlightened and especially those councillors who
have always taken a pragmatic view in getting work done in council ( along with
every previous council before this one) at the next PC meeting in April
Not surprising that some councillors are wary of the enlightened “pragmatic
approach” suggested because they don’t trust that they won’t be censured by the
rule aficionados

I WAS STANDING
FOR ELECTION
I’M HERE TO GUIDE YOU
I PROPOSE THAT ALL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA
WITH A VOWEL IN THEM BE MOVED TO
THE CONFIDENTIAL SECTION
I WOULD AMEND
THAT TO INCLUDE
CONSONANTS
Meeting of the “nothing to hide” committee

THIS EVENT HAD TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO
THAT NASTY WHITE STUFF
NOW RE-SCHEDULED AT CRADLEY VILLAGE
HALL
Check out
cradleydiary.com
for events around the villages
Help us to help you
Please fill in our Questionnaire
THIS LOOKS LIKE AN
EXCELLENT
COMMUNITY INITIATIVE
GET INVOLVED
Available from:
Cradley Butchers and Stores
Cradley Village Hall
CMS Newsletter
online:
cradleyvillagehall.org.uk/question.htm
It’s your Village Hall, get
involved let them know
what you want there

WHERE IS THE MONEY WHICH
SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT ON
THE LENGTHSMAN’S WAGES ?
HE HASN’T BEEN ALLOWED TO
WORK SINCE OCTOBER 2017
WHEN WILL THE MOLES BE
DEALT WITH AT CHAPEL LANE
PLAYGROUND?
WHEN WILL THE POTHOLES BE FILLED?
WHEN WILL THE GRASS BE CUT
AT THE PLAY AREAS?
WHEN WILL THE COUNCIL
PUBLISH THEIR BUDGET
AND PRECEPT
CALCULATIONS FOR
VIEWING BY THE PUBLIC?
WHY IS THE LENGTHSMAN
NOT BACK AT WORK?
WHEN WILL THE COUNCIL
KEEP TO ITS OBLIGATION ON
OPENNESS, HONESTY AND
TRANSPARENCY AND
PRINCIPLES CLEARLY LAID
DOWN IN THE LOCALISM
ACT?
HAVE THE FINANCE GROUP
ALLOWED IN THE PRECEPT
CALCULATIONS FOR THE
ELECTION COSTS DUE IN 2019?

SOME USEFUL CONTACTS, NUMBERS, EMAILS & WEB SITES
editor@cradleyenquirer.com
cradleyparishcouncil.gov.uk
clerk@cradleyparishcouncil.gov.uk
cradleydiary.com
storridgevillagehall.org.uk
cradleyvillagehall.org.uk
PC website not
working correctly
until further notice
Next Issue:
The great Teddy out the Pram
scandal
And a lesson in history
TODAY’S ANSWER
Nothing, Diddly squat, Zilch, Nada, Nowt, Zero
Damn All, Sweet Fanny Adams…… A Big Fat 0