SATURDAY NIGHT SNIPPETS

 

Almost missed this KCC Standards Public Notice on Page 31 in this week's IOTG. My eye had been caught by a liquidation notice for the company trading as Indian Princess which was not good to read. However, the KCC notice informs us that the 'spat' over a single yellow line outside a Nursing Home in Thanet is now over. Readers might remember that Cllr Chris Wells had been reported to KCC Standards in early 2009 for not declaring an interest when he opposed a yellow line outside a nursing home. After an interminable amount of time and presumably at great cost to the tax-payer, Cllr Wells has finally been found to not have breached The Code of Conduct. So Mr Bourlet and others went to a lot of trouble over a single yellow line when the matter could have been cleared up quickly. KCC's long drawn out process compares very oddly with the speed of the rejected complaint dealt with by TDC concerning the Bradgate Caravan Park where a planning decision in committee against the advice of officers, had huge financial implications for the applicant. It's a strange world.!

.We now have a TDC mole digging around again on behalf of Strife. Snippets this week include the old news that the much trumpeted 0% pay rise for our Chief Executive last year was not quite what it seemed. ( Amended 24 Mar 2009) 'Mole' has mumbled that no one wants to publicise these figures. Another interesting snippet from 'Mole' was that on Wednesday last, a Services Manager and a contract monitoring officer went off to Brighton for a 'jollie' and dinner as guests of a large TDC contract holder. One hopes that this 'freebie' or entertainment for services rendered on behalf of the community was recorded and authorised by the appropriate Director at TDC. I have asked for more information as I find this sort of thing worrying.
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Whilst some of you may have noticed a gang of youngsters braving the elements on Manston Road on Saturday mornings to plant hedges and trees, Strife has heard that on land close to Cllr Savage's house, The Old Farmhouse adjacent to Mockett's Wood, contractors have been clearing and cutting trees down, which has attracted the attention of a Thanet Tree Warden who intends to look into the matter. Initial reports indicate that felling of diseased trees and thinning of  sycamores has been carried out and that hopefully, TDC's Tree Conservation Officer has been involved. 

As the only Cllr for the ward, living in his ward and being involved in Mockett's Wood and its conservation, I am sure that Cllr Savage is looking after trees that might have Tree Protection Orders, but should not more trees in Thanet have TPO's?  It raises the question as to who is keeping an eye on Thanet's Tree stock?  My understanding is that we no longer have a dedicated Arboriculture Officer and that the last one was put in a position of redundancy in 2006.  When he went on his way, he sent a rather angry e-mail complaining that effectively TDC was not really interested in its tree stock and the environment and compliance with the Town and Country Planning Act and that our tree stock would receive less and less protection. His words written in 2006 are perhaps too true.  (Click on e-mail below to enlarge and read).

 

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