LETTER: Response fails to address issues

Referring to the letter on page 47 of last week’s WSCT. The writer unfortunately fails to address the key issues of concern, which are as follows -
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My FoI requests exposed that a consultant was appointed, apparently at the cost of £16,500-plus but that the clerk was unable to provide written Terms of Reference, or a Scope of Work.

Consequently it was not possible to establish whether the consultant was given a blank cheque for unspecified work and whether value for money was obtained.

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We also know that an undisclosed amount has been expended on training, but that was not apparently committed against a training needs analysis. This was obtained from FoIs.

So, one might have expected the Parish Council (PC) to have learned something from these omissions, with an acknowledgement that procedures need to be improved upon.

This lack of transparency and lack of interest in value for money is most unsatisfactory and will do nothing for the reputation of the PC, in the eyes of local residents. Many of whom see the PC as dysfunctional.

Accordingly, I now intend to bring the matter to the attention of the office that awards the Quality Council Certificate, so that they can consider whether the Quality Council award should be withdrawn.

M.D. SMITH

High Street, Billingshurst

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