Spooner Row Message Board

Date: May 16, 2023

S.Row Community Council - Casual Vacancies for Councillors

Date: May 24, 2023

This is posted at the request of the SRCC due to the resignation of Martyn Lemon (posted via Webstation):

Casual Vacancy - ML-page-001 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: Jun 10, 2023

‘Spooner Row Community Council has one Casual Vacancy and invites any parish resident to contact the clerk if they are interested in filling this post. Training will be given and it is a way to give back to the community and make a difference.

Contact: Dawn Clarke clerk@spoonerrow.cc or 01953 304 401’

Note from the Clerk:

A casual vacancy is caused by one of the notices of vacancy expiring,

It comes after the waiting period in the notice from the district council expires, confirming that no request for a bye-election was made and that we can now co-opt.

It’s the second phase of Julian Hall's resignation. It means we can co-opt any candidate that asks and qualifies.

The one for Martyn Lemon will arrive in another 2 weeks.

Date: Jun 17, 2023

Casual Vacancy update from the Clerk:

The Casual Vacancy that was the result of the resignation of Julian Halls has now been filled by Karl Chapman.

The Casual Vacancy that was the result of the resignation of Martyn Lemon is now available for co-option. Any interested parties are invited to contact the clerk 01953 304 401 clerk@spoonerrow.cc for more information.

Date: Jul 18, 2023

This is posted at the request of the SRCC due to the resignation of Mal Andrews:

SRCC Mal Andrews-page-001 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: Jul 18, 2023

Yet another resignation!!!!!

This Community Council is a joke and an embarrassment....how can one person (with the lowest number of votes) cause such problems.

Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a vote of no confidence option in the council that constituents can invoke?

I for one would like to see the whole thing disbanded and revert to the previous system.

Date: Jul 18, 2023

I agree with most of Richard's comments except I would not want to revert back to Wymondham as the precept charge would be far too high for this rural community and we would not benefit from making our own local decisions.

There are seven elected councillors, why can't this one person just be ignored? Ask the District Council what type of policy can be made to address this as too many good people feel they have no choice but to resign.

Date: Jul 19, 2023

To try to address your points; As far as I understand there is no 'vote of no confidence' or similar thing possible within the Community Council.
The only way to address the current situation is for the Councillor in question to resign OR for that Councillor to be convicted of a criminal offence. Those are the only two ways.
So a Councillor could work directly against the Community or the Council itself or be abusive towards other council members or the Clerk or through their actions bring the Council into disrepute and none of that would be cause to have the Councillor removed.
He (the Councillor) was investigated for reading other Councillor's private email messages but the Police decided that no further action would be taken on the matter.
Complaints sent via letter to the District Council about the Councillor's conduct would result in a warning 'slap on the wrist' letter being sent to the Councillor and (I believe) such a letter would be made known to the other Councillors. There have already been such letters and warnings. Nothing has changed.

From what I hear, it is not possible to ignore the particular Councillor because his attitude during the meetings makes it impossible to do so.
Either that or his attitude in the meetings makes being a Councillor extremely uncomfortable to the point of being unbearable. Hence the resignations.

It is my opinion that this is really coming to a head now, with the potential for more (if not all) of the current Council resigning, including the Clerk. As stated, this is my OPINION of what I hear from the Councillors I speak to. I may be wrong.
Note though that this would not be enough grounds for our Council itself to be dissolved and my understanding is that all other Councillors necessary for the functioning of the Council would be co-opted and a new Clerk found.
I am not certain at which point (if any) the Community Council would be deemed 'unworkable', be disbanded and we would resort back to Wymondham South control but continual resignations would not be a factor.

Date: Aug 3, 2023

Message from The Clerk:

Spooner Row Community Council has one vacancy following the resignation of Mal Andrews, and invites any parish resident to contact The Clerk if they are interested in filling this post by co-option. Training will be given and it is a way to give back to the community and make a difference.

Dawn Clarke spoonerrow.cc@gmail.com or 01953 304 401’

Date: Aug 3, 2023

As the community council seems disfunction-able for obvious reasons it would take a brave person to apply !!

Date: Aug 3, 2023

Need someone who won't take any nonsense.

Date: Aug 4, 2023

Anonymous wrote:
Need someone who won't take any nonsense.

Or get rid of the nonsense and let the collective actually do their jobs!!!

Date: Aug 13, 2023

Another councillor resigns , wonder why !!

Date: Aug 17, 2023

This is posted at the request of the SRCC due to the resignation of Karl Chapman:

SpoonerRow_2023_053-page-001 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: Aug 17, 2023

Surely enough is enough.....this can't go on.

Date: Aug 17, 2023

He lasted 2 meetings ! What is the answer ?

Date: Aug 18, 2023

We all know what the answer is.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

All councillors were elected or co-opted, that is democracy.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

See BBC news , Geldeston PC have just done it !

Date: Aug 18, 2023

Anonymous wrote:
See BBC news , Geldeston PC have just done it !

If councilors resigned en masse in protest, I think the remaining one would be thrilled to run the council and villages on his own.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

The village hall committee control the council. Every leader has been a village hall person. The current chair is in her 3rd year and she is also village hall committee. She was the village halls chair before Andy. Its obvious what is going on.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
See BBC news , Geldeston PC have just done it !
If councilors resigned en masse in protest, I think the remaining one would be thrilled to run the council and villages on his own.

Yes, I think that is what it is going to take. It's pretty much what he wanted in the election leaflets he put posted out (although it stated him and John Foster running the entire show, not him alone).
With this said, though this will not end the council.
It will be the 'Councillor Robert Foster' show . . . plus other people that were not voted for by residents of Spooner Row but can bear to be in the same room as him.
But hey 'That's democracy!'

Date: Aug 18, 2023

Who would support him !! Time for this individual to do the decent thing and resign so that the CC can do what they are supposed to do and support the community. Has he the guts though?

Date: Aug 18, 2023

Anonymous wrote:
The village hall committee control the council. Every leader has been a village hall person. The current chair is in her 3rd year and she is also village hall committee. She was the village halls chair before Andy. Its obvious what is going on.

There is nothing going on. There is no law to say that you can't sit on the village hall committee and sit on the local council at the same time. In fact, it would be usual for community-minded people to sit on both. There have only been two leaders of the council and these would have been elected by the council itself by majority vote! I thought representatives of local groups were invited to sit on the local council in order to represent their group and that is perfectly normal. I think you need to show more appreciation for who serves this community, especially in a voluntary capacity.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

Anonymous wrote:
The village hall committee control the council. Every leader has been a village hall person. The current chair is in her 3rd year and she is also village hall committee. She was the village halls chair before Andy. Its obvious what is going on.

Exactly what paranoid misconception are you under?

The village hall committee has been around for decades, doing their very best to maintain a community resource and provide a valuable and well used social space which is used by a great many.

The community council was created a little over 4yrs ago. It's hardly a surprise that those amongst us who a sufficiently community minded as to provide their time and effort FOC for the village hall would be prepared to do the same on the SRCC.

Not wishing to belittle the current and previous chairs of SRCC, but a 'hat stand' would have a better chance of being elected the chair of SRCC, than would councilor RF.

Date: Aug 18, 2023

The cause of the resignations is caused by the village halls comitee and chair. He is good man and has done nothing wrong. Its very obvious what is happening. These are are the people that need to get off the comitee not hiium,

Date: Aug 18, 2023

The village hall committee do not control the CC . We keep ourselves to ourselves and get on with or job !

Date: Aug 19, 2023

Well said Andy, and the village hall creates projects with positive outcomes. Perhaps someone is an incy bit jealous?

Considering all the recent council resignations and the comments on this website and elsewhere such as Nextdoor, it is clear that the council continues to be divided. Perhaps more residents should attend the monthly council meetings and maybe that would tone things down a bit? The councillor that people are at odds with is unlikely to ever resign. It is such a shame that such promising local people leave so quickly.

Date: Aug 30, 2023

Absolute ridiculous statement ,I sit on the village hall committee and the community council. Myself and the chair are very passionate about our local and wider community and want to do great things but it is unfortunate that our hands are constantly tied . Co-opted members have left but not through fault of our chair

Date: Aug 31, 2023

Perhaps if co opted councillors are leaving then maybe the process of selection needs looking at ?????

Date: Sep 7, 2023

This is posted at the request of the SRCC due to the resignation of Nicola Skey

SRCC Nicola SKey-page-001 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: Sep 7, 2023

I am furious at what is going on with our council. It is a bloody joke. All these resignations as a result of one person's behaviour.....unbelievable!

Date: Sep 7, 2023

Unfortunately nothing will change until this person is removed. 3 1/2 more years of nothing positive coming from community council! Time to wind it up and have re election. A lot of good proactive people have resigned and votes have been totally wasted. Wonder what EDP would make of it ?

Date: Sep 19, 2023

This is posted at the request of the SRCC due to the resignation of John Morton

SpoonerRow_2023_060John Morton-page-001 by spoonerrow, on Flickr

Date: Sep 19, 2023

Only two councillors left who were voted in at the May election; Cllrs Hewitson (Chair) and Foster.