Hospitality Provided By Crest Nicolson To Elected Members Of Swindon Borough Council
Geoff Reid made this Freedom of Information request to Swindon Borough Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
Dear Swindon Borough Council,
The leader of Swindon Borough Council has recorded in his register of interests that, on the 6th of February 2012, he attended a dinner at the House of Commons which was hosted by Crest Nicholson, a well known property development company.
The leader of Swindon Borough Council also recorded in his register of interests that other Councillors, MP's and Peers were present at the same dinner.
The leader of the council recorded in his register of interests that the purpose of the dinner was to discuss 'Housing Policy'.
I therefore request that Swindon Borough Council supply the following information:
1. The names of all Swindon Borough Councillors who attended the dinner function mentioned above.
2. The name or rank and job title of any other individual paid by, or otherwise in the employ of or contracted to Swindon Borough Council who attended the dinner function mentioned above.
3. Details of any expense claims submitted to Swindon Borough Council by Swindon Borough Councillors attending the same event.
4. Details of any expense claims submitted to Swindon Borough Council by any individual paid by, or otherwise in the employ of or contracted to Swindon Borough Council who attended the dinner function mentioned above.
Yours faithfully,
Geoff Reid
Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to the Freedom of Information Service for response.
Kind regards
Customer Services
Swindon Borough Council
Wat Tyler House
Swindon SN1 2JG
Phone: 01793 445500
E-mail: [Swindon Borough Council request email]
Website: www.swindon.gov.uk
Dear Mr Reid,
Ref:FOI101000349781 Freedom of Information Request
Thank you for your request below. The Council has a duty to respond
‘promptly’ to requests or no later than 20 working days which in this case
is 9 August 2012.
Please find the Council’s responses to the following questions:
Q 1. The names of all Swindon Borough Councillors who attended the dinner
function mentioned above.
Response:
Councillor Bluh was the only person form Swindon who attended a dinner
with MPs, councillors and advisers to discuss the Government’s housing
agenda.
Q2. The name or rank and job title of any other individual paid by, or
otherwise in the employ of or contracted to Swindon Borough Council who
attended the dinner function mentioned above.
Response:
None
Q3. Details of any expense claims submitted to Swindon Borough Council by
Swindon Borough Councillors attending the same event.
Response :
Councillor Bluh submitted no expenses claim.
Q4. Details of any expense claims submitted to Swindon Borough Council by
any individual paid by, or otherwise in the employ of or contracted to
Swindon Borough Council who attended the dinner function mentioned above.
Response:
None
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If you require any further information concerning this matter, please
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Yours sincerely,
Sharon Druett
Sharon Druett ([email address])
Freedom of Information Officer
Law and Democratic Services
Swindon Borough Council
Tel: 01793 463377
Fax: 01793 463405
Web: www.swindon.gov.uk
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Dear Sharon,
Thank you for responding promptly to my request for information. Could you please clarify the following point:
In question 1 I asked for:
Q 1. The names of all Swindon Borough Councillors who attended the dinner function mentioned above.
To which you responded:
"Councillor Bluh was the only person form Swindon who attended a dinner with MPs, councillors and advisers to discuss the Government’s housing agenda".
As my question did not refer to persons or people can you please confirm the names of every Swindon Borough Councillor who attended the specified function, listing them in numbered order, e.g, 1. Cllr Roderick Bluh.
Yours sincerely,
Geoff Reid
Dear Mr Reid,
Ref:FOI101000349781 Freedom of Information Request
The information that you have requested has already been provided.
Yours sincerely,
Sharon Druett
Sharon Druett ([email address])
Freedom of Information Officer
Law and Democratic Services
Swindon Borough Council
Tel: 01793 463377
Fax: 01793 463405
Web: www.swindon.gov.uk
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
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Geoff Reid left an annotation ()
It is a matter of public record that several local election candidates in Swindon made statements in their 2012 local election material concerning Crest Nicolson's intention to develop a site in Swindon known as 'Tadpole Farm'.
The candidates stated that Crest Nicolsons proposal for Tadpole Farm was 'Inappropriate Development' and pledged themselves to fighting it.
Their exact words were:
"Fighting Inappropriate Development - We'll fight the developers whose plans threaten to increase traffic levels, overburden local services and concrete our countryside. We will continue to oppose the current Tadpole Farm application"
These candidates were subsequently elected to public office and one of them appointed to the Planning Committee of Swindon Borough Council where, (despite having no previous experience of the role), his first act was to U-turn on his pre-election campaign promises and propose that the Tadpole Farm application be approved.
The application was approved on the 12th of June 2012.
Residents of areas adjacent to Tadpole Farm, and members of the Talkswindon.org forum are trying to verify that the planning process has been conducted appropriately and legally and it is regrettable that submitting FOI requests seems to be the only way to achieve this.
Why?, because some members of Swindon Borough Council seem determined to obstruct the fair, transparent and reasonable transfer and publication of information which is routinely published in other local authority areas.
See also: http://www.talkswindon.org/index.php/top...