500 signatures reached
To: Rushcliffe Borough Council
Bingham Deserves Better
We call on Rushcliffe Borough Council to undertake a Community Governance Review of Bingham Town Council under the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (using the 2010 guidance).
Why is this important?
Background:
"Bingham deserves better" was the response of the Chair of Rushcliffe Borough Council's Standards Committee (Sep 2020) to numerous complaints made against Councillors at Bingham Town Council over the last year. So what has been going on?
What we know:
* The Town Clerk was unfairly dismissed and subsequently reinstated, but 'Staff Issues' still repeatedly appear on the Agendas.
* Excessive use of 'Private & Confidential' makes it impossible to follow key issues resulting in a lack of 'Openness and Accountability'.
* Staffing review commissioned two years ago, at a cost of £4550, highlighted several concerning issues within the council. Recommendations of the report have not been implemented.
* Correspondence between Human Resource consultants and two Councillors has been withheld from other Councillors by 'bloc' vote from the controlling group.
* Human Resource Consultant expenses of £9000 in this financial year (based on Council's own estimate). The Consultants have declined to quote for a new contract.
* Town Clerk's advice as 'Proper Officer' is regularly ignored by the controlling group.
* Events have resulted in the use of no less than seven 'Extraordinary’ meetings in 2020.
In Summary:
Considerable time and money has been spent on Staff issues to the detriment of infrastructure projects. We also believe that progress on issues highlighted in the 2016 ‘Community Led Plan’ and the ‘Brilliant Bingham’ initiative for the future of Bingham have been stifled by these distractions and regrettably neither fully embraced. This has led to ineffective performance, a weakened non-inclusive community and Council, where civic values, responsibility, and pride have been undermined, resulting in a lack of efficiency and community cohesion where standard Governance rules have been broken.
What we would like:
* Dissolve the Council and take over the operation until new elections can be held.
* Reset the culture and strengthen the procedures at the Council so that the above mentioned concerns cannot continue.
This petition is open to everyone on the Bingham electoral roll (see map below).
(Covid restrictions have resulted in this being launched as an e-petition in the knowledge that RBC have the legal powers under this legislation to proactively undertake this review if they are so minded.)
"Bingham deserves better" was the response of the Chair of Rushcliffe Borough Council's Standards Committee (Sep 2020) to numerous complaints made against Councillors at Bingham Town Council over the last year. So what has been going on?
What we know:
* The Town Clerk was unfairly dismissed and subsequently reinstated, but 'Staff Issues' still repeatedly appear on the Agendas.
* Excessive use of 'Private & Confidential' makes it impossible to follow key issues resulting in a lack of 'Openness and Accountability'.
* Staffing review commissioned two years ago, at a cost of £4550, highlighted several concerning issues within the council. Recommendations of the report have not been implemented.
* Correspondence between Human Resource consultants and two Councillors has been withheld from other Councillors by 'bloc' vote from the controlling group.
* Human Resource Consultant expenses of £9000 in this financial year (based on Council's own estimate). The Consultants have declined to quote for a new contract.
* Town Clerk's advice as 'Proper Officer' is regularly ignored by the controlling group.
* Events have resulted in the use of no less than seven 'Extraordinary’ meetings in 2020.
In Summary:
Considerable time and money has been spent on Staff issues to the detriment of infrastructure projects. We also believe that progress on issues highlighted in the 2016 ‘Community Led Plan’ and the ‘Brilliant Bingham’ initiative for the future of Bingham have been stifled by these distractions and regrettably neither fully embraced. This has led to ineffective performance, a weakened non-inclusive community and Council, where civic values, responsibility, and pride have been undermined, resulting in a lack of efficiency and community cohesion where standard Governance rules have been broken.
What we would like:
* Dissolve the Council and take over the operation until new elections can be held.
* Reset the culture and strengthen the procedures at the Council so that the above mentioned concerns cannot continue.
This petition is open to everyone on the Bingham electoral roll (see map below).
(Covid restrictions have resulted in this being launched as an e-petition in the knowledge that RBC have the legal powers under this legislation to proactively undertake this review if they are so minded.)
