"You and I will never agree on the morality of this!" Says Westover councillor as Rickards robustly defends Tesco Fee Payment

Following the revelations last December that Sedgemoor's chief Executive Kerry Rickards had authorised the payment of £20,200 worth of fees towards Tesco's planned development on Bridgwater's Brewery Field in a deal arranged with Somerset County Council, the man in the hotseat finally faced his critics at his own councils Corporate Scrutiny Committee this Monday (4th February 2013).

Committee Chairman Cllr Brian Smedley (Labour,Bridgwater Westover) allowed members of the Public and Councillors to directly question the Chief Executive and then opened up the meeting to members of the Scrutiny Committee.

'the Council simply rolled over'

Cllr Julian Taylor (Labour, Bridgwater Eastover) asked 'What went so wrong with the negotiations with Tesco that things had to be resolved in this way? This is the first time that Sedgemoor has paid or reduced a planning fee and it looks like this was either a considered decision over a long period of time or that the Council has simply rolled over and given in to a major multinational."

'you and I will never agree on the morality of this'

"You chose to subsidise a company that is making
£39billion of pre tax profits!" Cllr Pearce

Cllr Kathy Pearce (Labour, Bridgwater Westover) said "Why wasn't Council fully informed of the facts of the matter when members first asked these questions at Full Council on 24th October and why did it have to take over a month for us to unearth these facts through subsequent  investigations? The moral issue here is that Somerset County Council are making big cuts  - some 45million pounds worth , and yet you chose to subsidise a company that is making 39billion pounds pre tax profits. It seems that you and I will never agree on the morality of this."

'Tesco....promise loads then forget about it'

Cllr Ian Tucker (Labour, Bridgwater Dunwear) said "This idea to pay the fees was clearly instigated by Kerry Rickards and you were under no obligation to. It seems you are so afraid of losing the Tesco deal yet the reality is that their record shows they promise loads and then forget about it once the deal is done."

'Only carrying out council policy'

Kerry Rickards defended his position saying that he was "Only carrying out Council policy." He explained that "The previous decision of Council was to dispose of the Northgate site to Tesco Stores ltd" and that "The planning application had been received on 26 September 2012, but in october an impasse was reached regarding the calculation of the planning fee concerning the definition of the undercroft parking area, and in order to resolve this stalemate"  and in pursuance of council policy he  had intervened  to solve this and "had the authority to make this decision". He said this decision had been ".. taken in 3 seconds during a 5 minute conversation with Kevin Nacey at Somerset County".

"Are Sedgemoor actively pursuing Tesco for recovery?"

Cllr Mick Lerry (Labour, Bridgwater Victoria) pointed to a letter between Labour County Councillor Dave Loveridge (Bridgwater North & Central) which had been circulated and which asked Somerset County directly if the deal "..required Tesco to reimburse them at some point."  To which SCC had replied "SCC fully expects to have its contribution returned if SDC is succesful in obtaining further fees from Tesco." Cllr Lerry asked "So is there an agreement to reimburse Somerset and are Sedgemoor actively pursuing Tesco for recovery of the full ammount?"

'Never say never'

Mr Rickards replied "In the unlikely event that this is offered, Somerset will be reimbursed, but we are not actively pursuing this . However, never say never."

'like pulling teeth'

"Tesco have avoided paying a £20,200 planning fee"
Chairman Brian Smedley

The Committee 'noted' the report. After the meeting the chairman Cllr Smedley said "There doesn't seem to be an issue that Mr Rickards has not acted within his rights in this matter. The question remains about the morality of that action. Whether at this time SDC or SCC should be seen to be caving in to a powerful multinational and effectively subsidising its planning bid when this isn't the norm for other local developers. The other issue for us is clearly the tooth-pulling nature of trying to get these facts out of them. The fact remains at the end of the day that as a result of this decision , Tesco have avoided paying a £20,200 planning application fee and had their application registered with the help of public funds."

SEDGEMOOR APPROVES COUNCIL TAX SCHEME "Regressive Tax on Working Age Residents" say Labour

Mick Lerry rises to put the Labour position

Sedgemoor  has become the final District Council within Somerset to  agree how they will deal with the  Coalition Governments new  Localisation of Council Tax plan.  Under the Legislation, Councils are faced with National support cutbacks of 10% whilst  being compelled to  put the burden onto benefit claimants.

Labour Leader Cllr Mick Lerry (Lab,Victoria)  branded the Legislation "a regressive tax on working age residents on low incomes" and moved a Labour ammendment to this effect. Sadly this was only supported by Labour members and the 2 Highbridge independents.

"There could be some issues with collection"

Sedgemoors Finance officer Alison Turner said Sedgemoor had consulted widely on the changes  and in particular had listened to it's Community Scrutiny Committee chaired by Labour's Cllr Julian Taylor (Lab,Eastover) which had argued for the maximum possible support to offset the potentially devastating effect of the changes. Mrs Turner admitted "there could be some issues with collection".

Sedgemoor voted to set the support at 85% - in line with South Somerset & West Somerset -where Labour councillors had recently fought to lift the Tory proposal from 70%- and a better deal than in Taunton Deane and Mendip where the figure was set at 80%.

"Regressive tax on working people"

Cllr Lerry said  "This is yet another tax  on people and it's sad that we find ourselves in this situation. We will support the 15% position in the circumstances because it's fair, cost neutral and won't put additional pressures on other precepting authorities - particularly Bridgwater Town Council which would suffer unduly from a poorer settlement. We have fought to put in place a  hardship policy and we accept there will be a higher proportion of uncollected tax . We have also taken special measures to protect  child maintenance. But this scheme is a regressive tax on working people on low incomes and it will not help put people back into work."

Cllr Baker- ex Liberal , now Tory, but will his guilt now take
him elsewhere? Cllr Williams 'has a chat'.

"Guilty intervention"

Cllr David Baker (Con,Wyndham) made a sudden break with his bewildered colleagues outlining exactly why the tax was unfair and how it would hit people on low incomes and proposed a further ammendment to take funds from reserves to reduce the payment to 8.5%. He was seconded by independent Chris Williams (Ind,Highbridge) but found no further support.

Cllr Mick Lerry said "Cllr Baker doesn't see that this will still  have to be dealt with in a years time . It's no good just stamping your feet and saying 'No'. This has a knock on effect to the other precepting authorities. If people don't like this then they need to vote out the Government at the next election."

Cllr  Mark Healey (Con, Puriton) leapt to his feet saying "The SDC position is more than fair and when I hear Cllr Baker I wonder if I might as well just give up working and get a divorce and I'd be better off! And to listen to Cllr Lerry anyone would think there was an election coming up!".

Cllr Healy is a Candidate for  the County Council elections in May.

The Lib Dem benches. 100% empty.

"Appallingly poorly attended meeting"

Cllr Brian Smedley (Lab. Westover)  commented afterwards "The meeting was appallingly poorly attended and I wonder if a lot of this was due to the Monitoring officers well publicised advice that members in receipt of benefit weren't able to take part or vote in the meeting. This was a depressing affair and Labour supported the fairest option available which also protected Bridgwater towns position . It was odd to see Cllr Baker suddenly get a social conscience, but I suspect his position was more one of guilt at what his party was doing and knowing full well he wouldn't get his  ammendment passed. It was also not a surprise to see the Lib Dem benches totally empty again, despite them winning the Highbridge by-election last week as I thought they might have something to say and make an impact with their new councillor. But that was probably just wishful thinking."

HIGHBRIDGE BY-ELECTION-LIB DEM VOTE DROPS BUT THEY STILL CLING ON

Lib Dems -Munt, Groves & Co await the result

The hard fought Sedgemoor District Council By-Election for the Highbridge & Burnham Marine ward has ended with the Lib Dems clinging onto their seat after a massive effort including visits from top brass party leaders , their sitting MP Tessa Munt and party members from across the county on the day. 

The result was as follows


HELEN GROVES     (Liberal Democrat)  379 (30.4%)
BILL HANCOCK       (Conservative)          288 (23.10%) 
SALLY WILLIAMS    (Independent)           253 (20.35%)
RICKY HOLCOMBE (Labour)                    249 (20.03%)
PURPLE WATKINS  (Independent)             68 (5.47%)


The election was fought on a bright but chilly January day becoming increasingly colder as the evening wore on. The turnout was 22% and it got dark and cold quite early on. And icy.

Lib Dems drop 7%

Labour-Tremendous presence from across Somerset

The Lib Dems - extremely well organised - had even managed to book a room in the building  next door to the main Polling station, in fact within feet, where they set up computers, printers and operated their main committee room running off the same wifi as the Council election officers.

 A massive multi leaflet  campaign scaring voters into voting LibDem to 'stop the Tories getting in' -which is essentially the 'Ashdown factor in action' proved as hard a nut to crack as it had elsewhere in Somerset where this rot has set in.

Desperate to distance themselves from the poisonous Lib Dems nationally, the Groves campaign tried to position itself as 'local' and painfully 'non political'-despite the incredible hypocrisy inherent in that blandishment. In the end they polled 30% - a drop of some 7% from the result last time round of their resigned former leader Joe Leach, who wasn't very much in evidence at the Polling stations. But then he's gone into banking.

'Labour-Independent' anti Clegg vote combined could have swung it

Labour, who had the best physical presence on the day with members from all over the county dropping in to help, was nevertheless unable to crack this malaise. However, a key feature of the election was the presence of the 'independent' local (ex libdem) candidate-whose supporters had been fighting their former chums since the last District election in 2011. Both Labour and the Independent-anti-libdem polled 20% each, a devastating split-vote blow when added together that 40% worth of anti-Clegg votes could have kicked out the Lib Dems and created a sensation in Highbridge.

Labour candidate, former coal miner Ricky Holcombe (left) , praised his supporters saying "The best result ever is our solidarity and determination to win for Labour in 2013.  County Council election here we come!"

Hard core Tories -a solid rock of complacent smugness

The scariest result was the Tory vote. The Highbridge demographics have changed since it was a safe Labour seat back in the early 80's and since then a residual Tory core vote has managed to score relatively high without doing much work. With no presence at all on the day the Tories came in second with 23% of the vote, although down on the district election, still a  kick in the teeth that there's still a hard core of self centredly complacent voters happy to back Cameron and spit on the hardships of the working class.

Purple has a nice car

Purple

There was a 5th candidate. Purple Watkins (right & purple)  picked up 68 votes, 5% of the total, which is good for a composite colour. He had nice blond and purple hair and quite a cool pink car. not to mention the bondage style trousers and new romanticesque cowboy boots. One Lib Dem said "He shouldn't be allowed to stand if he don't take this seriously."   And he should know.....



Purple's (pink) car

Sedgemoor Labour Group secretary Cllr Brian Smedley said "It's a shame we couldn't take advantage of the Lib Dems divisions in Highbridge but at the end of the day that division worked in their favour. To win places like Highbridge the Labour vote has to regain confidence in itself and it's ability to win. Good organisation and Unity from the Labour camp all over the County is a positive sign for the future and this trial run puts us in a good position for the County elections in May."

NO WELCOME IN HIGHBRIDGE AS CLEGG DROPS IN 'TO OFFER SUPPORT'

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg today 'drops in' to try to save his beleagured parties chances in the Highbridge by-election caused by the sudden resignation of Sedgemoor Lib Dem leader Joe Leach.  Clegg and Wells MP Tessa Munt (who covers Highbridge as part of her constituency) both voted with the Tories this week to get through the Welfare Benefits Bill . Some of their party voted against and some abstained -but not these 2! So committed are they to supporting their disastrous and unpopular coalition with the Conservatives.

WHAT WILL CLEGG FIND IN HIGHBRIDGE?

Labour candidate in the by-election, Ricky Holcombe says "For many years Highbridge was a safe, solid and stable Labour seat on Sedgemoor and crucial to the party which otherwise was largely Bridgwater based. Since the Lib Dem/SDP  came on the scene and confused people with their ultimately broken promises the seat has become the most marginal in the District swinging backwards and forward between all the parties. The Lib Dems took it last time but immediatly split into  2 as no sooner had they put the Tories into Government with their coalition causing massive loss of support, that got worse when Clegg and his MPs broke their pre-election promise not to raise Tuition fees. Now they're even attacking peoples benefits while leaving Millionaires alone! That's what voting Lib Dem has meant to the people of Highbridge."

LIB DEMS FIGHTING EACH OTHER





Highbridge is Sedgemoor's key Marginal-anyone could win.

Clegg and Munt will drop into the neglected ward only to find the 'official'  Lib Dem candidate attempting to claim she "Isn't political", the Independent liberal claiming she "isn't political", the Tory candidate (who recently left the Lib Dems ) claiming he "isn't political". Ricky says, "The problem is that the solutions are political and on Sedgemoor the Tories run the show, like they do on the County and in Government-and with Lib Dem political support. Today they'll be bringing Munt, Laws,Heath and Browne to Highbridge -all of the 4 Somerset LibDem MPs. ALL of these voted with the Tories last week- they didn't have the guts to vote against or even the decency to abstain. "

VOTE LABOUR THIS TIME 

 

Labour's Ricky Holcombe (right) , who has had upwards of 30 people out on the doorsteps helping him so far on the campaign, adds "In Westminster and in Sedgemoor Labour are the opposition. On Sedgemoor there's 13 Labour councillors already and with the Lib Dem leaders resignation they're now down to just 1. They made no impact anyway and their attendance record has been poor. On the other hand Labour is making all the running on Sedgemoor. We're united, we're winning by-elections and Highbridge needs to send a message to these Lib Dems -of whatever label - that enough is enough!"

Campaign hotline 07717467720
email somersetlabour@gmail.com
web www.somersetlabour.co.uk

Labour Candidates attack County 'Sells offs'



Ricky Holcombe "What will we see disappear next?"

SOMERSET County Council ,  who recently admitted using public money to contribute towards the supermarket giant Tesco's planning fees in Bridgwater,  has announced that it has raised £9million by selling off some of its assets since April. Both moves widely condemned by Labour councillors.

The Council says that "Money raised by the sales will be used to refurbish schools and build new roads. Among sites sold off were the former Records Office in Taunton, for £395,000, and Nynehead School, for £126,000."

"Those on the least income suffer"

Labour candidate for the County Council ward of Highbridge, Ricky Holcombe, who is also standing in the District Council By-Election in January, criticised the announcement saying "It isn't a shock to see this happening under a Tory / Lib dem government .They famously sold gas electricity and water utilities off to anyone with no protection to the consumer As a result of this we are now seeing the highest ever fuel poverty figures nationally and  rises  in fuel bills across all of the main companies with no help other than weak promises from the Tories . Once more those on the least income suffer while the rich are given cuts in corporation tax. What will happen next year when they spend the money?  What will we see disappear next?"

Labour candidate for Bridgwater East & Bawdrip, Barbara O Connor, added "They are selling the future assets of our children. Where is the long term view of their needs?"

SEDGEMOOR LIB DEMS ON THE RUN AS LEADER RESIGNS

Joe Leach -'a career change'

LIB DEM LEADER RESIGNS -
BY-ELECTION CALL IN HIGHBRIDGE

The Liberal Democrats in Sedgemoor have been in retreat for years. Wiped out in Bridgwater they fought a battle with their own rebels at the last District elections in Highbridge which saw 2 independents take seats and the Lib Dems on Sedgemoor council further reduced down to 2. Now their dynamic young leader Joe Leach has announced he too is throwing in the towel.

Leach's resignation will mean a New Year By-election in the marginal ward of Highbridge which has swung between all the parties over the last decade and is the tighest election ground in the district. With the Lib Dems on the run nationally due to their broken promises and their  decision to put the Tories back into power they are heading for oblivion if recent by-election results are anything to go by.

Cllr Leach said his reasons for quitting were 'a career change'. The Lib Dems came 8th in the recent Rotherham By-election.

LABOUR GROUP TAKE TESCO FEES ISSUE TO SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

SDC Corporate Director Bob Brown (pictured above attempting to
get protestors to vacate the doomed Splash pool) today admitted Tesco's
planning fees were paid by the County Council

A day which had started with Sedgemoor Corporate Director Bob Brown admitting after weeks of pressure from the Sedgemoor Labour group that part of the Tesco planning fee for Northgate had been paid out of public funds - in fact by the County Council - ended with Battle lines drawn at the Corporate Scrutiny committee meeting as Tory Councillors voted down an urgent motion to investigate the matter at a Special meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Cllr Julian Taylor (Labour Eastover)  outlined the facts of the case saying that it was "Morally indefensible that council tax payers money should be spent subsidising a multi billion pound corporation" and that it was now "right and proper that the Council called a special meeting of the Scrutiny committee to investigate how this happened with all the correspondence involved along with the Chief Executive who made the decision." 

Cllr Ian Tucker (Labour Dunwear) said "The council has got to be seen to be acting fairly."

"a smokescreen"

Labour leader Cllr Mick Lerry "This is NOT
a minor matter- any refusal to scrutinise would
be seen as a smokescreen"

Cllr Mick Lerry (Labour Victoria) moved the motion to call a special meeting saying "We need this meeting now to clear this up. This is not a minor matter it relates to the Governance of this Council and public money has been used to clear an impasse where both Councils are landowners who seek to benefit from the sale. We want to know what discussions have been had between SDC & SCC and any refusal to scrutinise this would be clearly seen as a smokescreen. "

Bob Brown, standing in for Kerry Rickards, said "This issue is a planning matter and the only decision to be made now  will be by the Development Control Committee in deciding the planning application on planning grounds. The neccessary  fee has been paid in full - not by Tesco but by one of the landowners, Somerset, but this is not unusual. This matter does not prejudice Sedgemoor District Council in it's role as Planning Authority and the application must proceed untainted."

"Not Sedgemoors problem"

Cllr Jane Moreton (Conservative,Huntspill) said she "wasn't opposed to scrutinising the way planning fees are  dealt with" but felt "this is not Sedgemoors problem as it is Somerset who paid the bill."

Cllr Nobby Turner (Conservative Kingsisle) added "Sedgemoor have not paid a damn thing so it;s up to County if they want to scrutinise this. If this is just another attempt to kick Tesco's into a hole then I'm having nothing to do with it."

Cllr Bob Filmer (Conservative Brent) Chair of Development Ctte said "SDC has not paid SCC has, I really don't think it's up to us to look into this." 

The meeting voted 6.4 to reject a special meeting with the 6 Tories voting to reject and the 3 labour and 1 Highbridge Independent voting for further scrutiny.

"seen to be transparent"

Chairman Cllr Brian Smedley (Labour Westover) said "The purpose of this committee is to scrutinise Sedgemoors proceedures  and to be seen to be transparent in doing so. All we're asking for is a level playing field-before someone builds a supermarket on the one we have."

"Labour County Council Group leader Cllr Andy Govier
has agreed to refer the matter to County Scrutiny"

Cllr Lerry ammended his motion to remove the words 'urgent' and 'special meeting' and this time the vote resulted in  Tory councillors Moreton and Turner swinging in favour whilst 4 Tories still held out for refusal. Now with a 6.4 vote to proceed the item was scheduled for the normal Scrutiny meeting of February 4th when Planning matters generally were also on the agenda.

Cllr Dave Loveridge (Labour County Councillor for Bridgwater North) said after the meeting "I have asked the Labour chair of Scrutiny on County, Andy Govier, to put this matter on the agenda of the next County Scrutiny committee. County are asking people to accept 150 million pounds of cutbacks to services and at the same time it turns out they're paying the planning fees of  a company that made 35 billion pounds profit!"

Cllr Brian Smedley said "In a round about way the Scrutiny process worked. We investigated a very controversial issue , got it into the public domain and members recognised the need for further scrutiny. It will be interesting to see what response County give now that Sedgemoor have basically said 'it wasn't us it was them!'."