Tesco at Little Lever - Public Meeting - Intimidation?

 

 

Public meeting: Who was intimidated and by whom?

Thursday 28th June 2012

 

Might I compliment your reporter Charlotte Dobson on her article last week covering matters discussed at the Little Lever and Darcy Lever Area Forum. Incisive and to the point and yet, with the addition of Mr Magee’s statement, balanced.

There was one episode during this meeting, as yet unreported, which gave me cause for serious concern.

Following my statement to the forum that I had been reliably informed that the public meeting had not taken place in the form requested because Tesco had refused to attend, the chairman stated that this was incorrect.

She further stated that the meeting had not taken place because “some people felt intimidated”.

When asked to clarify who had felt intimidated and by whom, she refused to elaborate.

This is a serious allegation which cannot be allowed to pass.

Relations and communications between electors and elected in whatever place, must be conducted in a civilised and temperate manner. Equally, councillors must be free to conduct their business on our behalf without any hint of undue pressure or intimidation from whatever source.

This does not preclude legitimate challenges to or the holding to account of councillors by their electors, provided it is done in an appropriate and acceptable way.

Since I am 100 per cent confident that all of the people who wanted the public meeting have conducted themselves properly, I am at a loss to think who could have been doing the intimidating.

I am therefore proposing to write to the new Monitoring Officer of the council to ask for an investigation to get to the bottom of this allegation.

No doubt, in due course, she will report her findings either directly or through the area forum.

Paul Richardson Ripon Close Little Lever