The Chairman of the Gipsy and Traveller Working Group is Ronnie Hoare. He is not a councillor nor a member of staff at South Norfolk Council yet he is the Spokesman for this group and plays an important role. Many have tried to find his contact details but to no avail. So who is he accountable to? He was once a councillor so is he now a planning expert and paid consultant or just a member of the public? Surely, if they wanted a member of the public on the Working Group why wasn't someone from this community asked as it affects us directly?
I think it is important that we do contact Mr Hoare directly and explain our objections as the Council will claim that everything has been done fairly and we have been listened to. To send him a letter contact South Norfolk Council and ask what is the best way to contact him. Any other suggestions anyone???
It does seem strange that the council did not put out an offer for members of the public to sit on the Working Group for a Public Consultation such as this. This is the usual practice in other areas of the country - its called democracy. I expect many of us would have volunteered. They didn't even select a member of the parish council to represent us and be involved in their Working Group (who by the way, scored and selected the sites). Representation was asked for and we were told this would be addressed, but surprise surprise nothing has changed.
Not only are we not represented on the Working Group we are not allowed the contact details of its Chairman/Spokesman. And they said this consultation would be fair and open!!!
Have just Google'd R J B Hoare and it comes up with South Norfolk info back to 2003/4 so I think we've found him! Funny how none of the proposed sites are on his doorstep.
Good detective work! Can I suggest that anyone writing to Mr Hoare does so in a polite way and comment on how the procedures followed by the current council are unfair, unsound and undemocratic. Alternatively, just address comments to him c/o South Norfolk Council.
This is a copy of an email sent to Tony Cooke this morning
Some weeks ago I emailed you to ask for contact details for Mr Hoare. Although the working party has now disbanded, some of us feel that they should be available to answer any queries regarding their selection criteria and explain how they determined the scores for each site. As I have had no reply, I will contact Mr Hoare direct at his home address. This reluctance on the council's part to withhold these contact details is doing very little to assist the local residents in making informed objections. Most people find it unsatisfactory to have to contact Mr Hoare through the council. If he was willing to be appointed chairman to this working party, then he should have also been willing to be answerable to the residents and members of the travelling community.
Does he have planning expertise and does he have any qualifications in this field? I think we all know where Mr Hoare hides don't we?
This just gets worse! I wonder if Mr Hoare will pay us the courtesy of attending the Public Meeting tonight and we can all hear what he has to say. After all, he has a lot to say in the local papers as Chairman of the G&T Working Group.
I will give Mr Hoare his due, he did turn up to the Public Meeting on Wednesday and stay the duration unlike John Fuller (Leader of the Council) who rushed off 25 minutes before the end.
