#walrustrial: COUNCIL’S BENT ASBO SHOCKER!

All facts as heard in open court …

Can anyone explain why Lib Dem councillor for Knowle, Gary “FUCKBUCKET” Hopkins, and the Lib Dem’s chief whip and councillor for Windmill Hill, MARK BAILEY, were invited to attend a confidential ASB (anti-social behaviour) case meeting on 12 November 2013?

A confidential meeting chaired by the boss of the Safer Bristol Partnership, GILLIAN DOUGLAS, and a meeting that another Knowle councillor, CHRIS DAVIES, was invited to but sent his apologies for after being supplied detailed minutes. Avon & Somerset POLICE OFFICERS also attended the meeting along with COUNCIL MANAGERS from Pollution Control, Licensing and Planning as well as a city council lawyer.

Can anyone then explain why a case conference convened to discuss events at 20 Knowle Road in the Windmill Hill Ward was allowed by Ms Douglas and a city council lawyer to discuss various HEARSAY ALLEGATIONS raised by these Lib Dem councillors about an entirely different property – The Gothic Mansion on Redcatch Road in Knowle?

And can anyone further explain why issues to do with the property in Knowle Road that had been agreed as ‘NFA’ (no further action required) at an ASB meeting without councillors, lawyers or Ms Douglas present on 28 May 2013 were inexplicably reopened at this case meeting on 12 November when councillors attended and Ms Douglas appeared in the chair?

Then perhaps someone can explain why SENSITIVE and CONFIDENTIAL information obtained by Bristol City Council’s licensing team using COVERT SURVEILLANCE methods was shared with these councillors? And why sensitive FINANCIAL INFORMATION obtained by city council officers relating to the owners of Knowle Road and Redcatch Road was shared with councillors? And why sensitive POLICE INTELLIGENCE was also shared with these councillors?

Can anybody imagine councillors being invited to attend housing case meetings? Adult care case meetings? Or social services case meetings?  Does anyone believe they’d be invited to sit in on criminal investigations by the police?

What on earth has been going on here? The council’s own guidelines contained in the council’s constitution under the ‘Protocol forMember/Officer Relations’ explains what should happen in very plain and simple language:

 6. COUNCILLOR INVOLVEMENT IN CASEWORK

 CONVENTION

6.1: Officers must implement council policy within agreed procedures. An individual councillor cannot require an officer to vary this and cannot take a decision or instruct an officer to take action. The councillor’s role in relation to case work is:

– to be briefed or consulted where there is a need to know;

– to pursue the interests of individuals by seeking information, testing action taken and asking for the appropriateness of decisions to be reconsidered.

A councillor’s entitlement to be involved is based on the “need to know” and determined in accordance with conventions 2 and 3.

Access to files may need to be denied or restricted if one of the exceptional circumstances in convention 2.1 and 2.2 applied. Any access then allowed may need to be “managed access” (as described in convention 2).

COUNCILLORS

Councillors should avoid becoming unduly involved in individual cases and operational detail, except within clear procedures. Involvement in legal proceedings and audit investigations carries special dangers of prejudicing the case, and of personal embarrassment.

OFFICERS:

Officers should take the lead in pointing out where the boundaries lie in particular areas, recognising that:

– councillors legitimately adopt different approaches;

– councillors may legitimately pursue non-ward issues (for example, a city-wide community of interest);

– the special local knowledge of particular councillors may be useful to a particular case.

Officers should point out to the councillor when a restriction on the need to know may apply, explore entitlement with the councillor and, in cases of doubt, consult the monitoring officer.

Chief officers should ensure that their staff know how to obtain appropriate senior management support (particularly out of hours) when the extent of a councillor’s involvement is an issue that needs to be clarified.

And to avoid any doubt, here’s the relevant sections of Convention 2.1 and 2.2 mentioned above:

 CONVENTION

2.1 Every councillor has the right to information, explanation and advice reasonably required to enable them to perform their duties as a member of council (the “need to know”) but not where:

– there is an over-riding individual right of confidentiality (for example, in a children’s or employment matter)

CONVENTION

2.2 Councillors are normally entitled to be given information on a confidential basis, the exceptions being:

– an over-riding council interest (for example, protecting its legal and financial position); and

– natural justice (for example, giving an individual the chance to respond to allegations).

Isn’t it becoming increasingly obvious that Bristol City Council managers are operating a private ASBO service for the benefit of serving councillors?

6 thoughts on “#walrustrial: COUNCIL’S BENT ASBO SHOCKER!

  1. thebristolblogger Post author

    Doubt it. He’s probably convening a social services case meeting right now to get the people responsible for this’s children taken away from them.

    Who’s going to stop Hopkins? Bent lawyer monitoring officer Sanjay Prashar? That twat of a mayor? The pathetic shower of useless councillors?

    Corruption is endemic at Bristol City Council and none of them care.

    Reply
  2. Stephen Norman

    It just keeps getting better and better where is the main stream press BBC, Evening Post Etc ?
    This shows there is not a single citizen safe in Bristol from covert snooping or becoming the subject of a Vendetta because they pissed in the wrong direction. I always thought the press was about reporting NEWS is this not NEWS or could it be there so far up the ass hole of Ferguson. Well George I think you might be in for few shocks your very self yet no one is clean in this me thinks.
    Vote Lib Dem May 2015 the only party that has its very own Secret Police in Bristol
    What about the silence of the Labour, Tory & Green Party are they carrying out similar covert operations ???? Sanjay you can never stop freedom of expression or speech

    Reply
  3. Peter ellis

    I am disgusted by the behaviour of a council that has no regard on following proceedures. This attitude is beyond belief. How a councillor with a clear hidden or in fact blatten vendetta against a successful business women being allowed at these secret asbo meetings is criminal. The depths of investigation and waste on tax payers money is disgraceful. It is about time bristol City council was exposed for its corrupt behaviour. I am ashamed to live in a city controlled by such a corrupt council.

    Reply
  4. Dennis W Buckley

    Council tenants do not realize what criminal activities the council can use against the tenant. Your MP will not help against the council and going to Citizens Advice will not help except in a very small way giving you a list of solicitors.
    I am 81yo my wife 68yo and we live in Ashfield District Council OAP bungalow. As I refused to sign their contract for work because if they damage anything of mine in the house they want me to sign they will not be liable for the damage.
    I am now being taken to court so the council can get an ASBO against me for not taking Burglar bars which have been installed for 19 years. They say it prevents us getting out of the house if there is a fire even though they saw a video of us removing the bars and getting out in 22 seconds. Yes 22 seconds.
    Also a Fire safety officer said the bars are not a risk after a one hour safety assessment.
    The next time someone says UK law is the best in the world Think about this.

    Reply

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