I spy with my FoI
After singing all the praises of the recycling rate for the new schools project, I was really disappointed to be told about an apparent failure to recycle.
"Just why", posited my informant, "Have FMP abandoned some of the old school portacabins at the Creed Recycling Park?"
It took some digging to get to the bottom of what appears to be a murky tale.
These 9 portacabins sitting rotting at the Recycling Park appear not to actually belong to the Council or any of it's subcontractors. FMP are not just innocent, but sinned against it transpires.
So just who could be able to acquire and site these portacabins on Council owned property? Is there a possibility for other businesses to store their unwanted goods half under a tarpaulin on Council property at very short notice?
(The tarpaulin seems to have blown off since I took this photo, exposing some of the internals to the weather and making the area look a real mess)
Just how do you achieve all these things, whilst on the back of an enforcement notice from Planning to remove the portacabins from their temporary home?
Obviously, being the nephew of the Chief Executive of the Comhairle has absolutely nothing to do with it, as I am sure you will agree.
In an effort to quash these nasty rumours, I have lodged an FoI to ensure that there is no basis in the following wild and malicious claims:
On the other hand, however, the nephew did claim to have almost unrestricted access to the Chief Executive and was able to advise third parties of various items of highly confidential business related discussions that had taken place in the Executive Office. Virtually all of which later turned out to be exceptionally accurate.
As a consequence, I became aware of a number of very high profile matters direct from the Chief Executive's office long before they were public - sometimes even on the day they had arisen - but for professional reasons I could not disclose them to others.
And if these are the ones I know about....
"Just why", posited my informant, "Have FMP abandoned some of the old school portacabins at the Creed Recycling Park?"
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| It's not who you are, but who you know... |
These 9 portacabins sitting rotting at the Recycling Park appear not to actually belong to the Council or any of it's subcontractors. FMP are not just innocent, but sinned against it transpires.
So just who could be able to acquire and site these portacabins on Council owned property? Is there a possibility for other businesses to store their unwanted goods half under a tarpaulin on Council property at very short notice?
(The tarpaulin seems to have blown off since I took this photo, exposing some of the internals to the weather and making the area look a real mess)
Just how do you achieve all these things, whilst on the back of an enforcement notice from Planning to remove the portacabins from their temporary home?
Obviously, being the nephew of the Chief Executive of the Comhairle has absolutely nothing to do with it, as I am sure you will agree.
In an effort to quash these nasty rumours, I have lodged an FoI to ensure that there is no basis in the following wild and malicious claims:
- That there is no formal lease agreement in place; in breach of the financial regulations
- That the lease terms are unprecedented compared to similar leases
- That the lease terms have been hidden or obscured from Councillors and officials
- That no payments have been made for the rent of the site
- That the use of the site was approved by the Chief Executive or his department without any disclosure of his conflict of interest
- That when the Environmental Services Committee considered the plannign application, the Chief Executive had never declared his interest in the matter, despite having authorised the use of Council property to help the applicant with the Planning Department enforcement action
- That serious complaints from SEPA and the Fire Brigade about the applicants behaviour were not brought to the attention of the Councillors as germane to the application
On the other hand, however, the nephew did claim to have almost unrestricted access to the Chief Executive and was able to advise third parties of various items of highly confidential business related discussions that had taken place in the Executive Office. Virtually all of which later turned out to be exceptionally accurate.
As a consequence, I became aware of a number of very high profile matters direct from the Chief Executive's office long before they were public - sometimes even on the day they had arisen - but for professional reasons I could not disclose them to others.
And if these are the ones I know about....
16 comments:
Shurely not?
Ah...... superinjunction!
FOI request to the council? Good luck with that one! Do let us know if you ever hear anything back.
Maybe this is a cunning plan to solve the accommodation problems associated with Hebfest and the National Mod and that they are merely in a holding area prior to relocation to the area presently being cleared where once stood Stornoway Shellfish?
i think its the stornoway trust that own that site.
No names ... no pack drill! This sounds to me (smells like) corruption at the very top of the CnES. What is the time scale for FOI questions being answered? More detail required (ie "evidence").
You really do need to check on your facts Angus.
The land at the Creed Park has got nothing to do with the council. The only plots that are under council control are the Plots on which the Recycling plant is built.
The remainder of the plots are under HIE and SY Trust control including the plot with the portacabins.
An FOI request to the Council will be a waste of time.
i think this is stornoway trust land
we approched the council and the trust for one of these plots to expand our business, we were told that all of these plots were allocated and that there were plans in place to expand the site due to the amount of interest in the plots. This was over 3 years ago, and still nobody is in there, it seems that unless you are a gypsy or a relation of the chief exec. you have no chance of obtaining one of these plots, it seems to be sacred ground, can anybody explain why??????
am i not right in saying stornoway trust own this land.
I can feel litigation in my bones on this one! Injunction ... or super-injunction? Lawyers only know of one way to respond, and it's not via FOI! I'm waiting for an up-date. Should be interesting ... who said what to whom? Immoral, silly, illegal?
It never ceases to amaze me that people in "Public Life" fail to observe clearly laid down principles and guidelines - relating to declaration of interest.
It is not enough simply to keep your nose out of the trough the acid question is "What woulod (the reasonable) man in the street think? PERCEPTION is even more important than reality. Given what you have written my perception is that this lot stinks.
I believe they have been sold on now!
This is astonishing, absolutely astonishing if true. It runs counter to every value that Nolan wrote into the Standards of Public Life.
But tell me, who investigates allegations into the conduct of the Chief Executive? And why hasn't he been suspended - just like any other member of staff would be?
2.22
"An FOI request to the Council will be a waste of time."
We submitted a FOISA rerquest sometime last year...eventually got a reply 60 days later containing several excuses why they would not be processing it. So we resubmitted with a second request before Christmas..... still waiting for that reply.
6.57 There are strict rules as to response times for FOI's. If they are not being adhered to the refer it to the Information Commissioner.
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