PC Clerk says "Don't Read Henley NEWS Online"

At the Council Meeting on 1st February 2010, the Clerk, Jenny Walsh pictured right, made some most forthright comments as the 'Responsible Officer' about the Henley websites.

It should also be remembered that the clerk has no executive authority to make policy decisions and is a servant of the Parish Council, principally responsible for administration and minute taking. It was totally inappropriate, judging by the derision shown from the floor to her very personal public attack on a Parish Councillor, who is also the Editor of HNOL.

Unfortunately there is no body, not even the JPC, to which residents can complain about her conduct. Public servants, at both national and local government level, are not supposed to make political comments and are expected at all times to remain impartial.

The Clerk's functions are:

Clerks provide the information and help needed to enable Parish Councillors to make decisions. They may manage projects, carry out research etc on behalf of the PC but only at the specific, minuted, request of the PC. Clerks often manage the finances of the PC but they have no power to spend unless authorised by the Councillors and that authorisation is minuted. The Clerk has a duty to advise Councillors if they are about to do anything illegal.

Clearly, the Clerk was acting illegally in that there was no specific, minuted request from the JPC for her research into the Henley websites and her making recommendations to the residents at a public meeting.

The Chairman, Cllr Les Goodman, should have stopped the clerk from making such a statement and by his omission to do this he was probably in violation of the Parish Councillors' Code of Conduct - "Bringing your authority or office into disrepute" (Para 5 of the code). The Stratford District Council Standards and Ethics Committee will be asked to rule on this matter.

Henley NEWS Online has been provided with the notes she used for her forthright statement.

The black marks are from the highlighter used by the clerk.

Response by the Editor of HNOL

In my opinion, the parish clerk's statement to the residents at the JPC meeting contained a number of serious and misleading inaccuracies.

1. Henley NEWS Online is not aware of any errors in any of its editions or on the Town website.
2. The JPC website cannot be regarded as an trusted source as it is so often out of date. It also omits important information such as the complaints procedure relating to its Councillors.
3. The links about Code of Conduct in the last edition of HNOL went directly to the Stratford District Council website, which is the responsible authority and is therefore accurate.
4. The polls in recent editions were requested by a respected member of our community to gauge public opinion. The results speak for themselves.
5. Henley NEWS Online has been advised of two separate complaints to the Monitoring Officer in respect of the conduct of one of the members of the JPC.
6. The Council Tax payers of Henley, who have paid for the video to which she refers, expect Henley's most popular websites to be first with local news. No request for an embargo was received from the JPC.
7. The Henley Tour video resides on YouTube. According to the YouTube licence no permission needs to be sought.

Following a Freedom of Information Act request last year, the clerk had to admit that she was unable to provide any information about the number of visitors to the JPC website.

At the time of writing the Agenda and Minutes Archives are not up to date. The last added docs are for 15th September 2008 and 1st June 2009 respectively.   The Forthcoming Events page only lists one event, which was on the 25th of last month.

The JPC's new Trademarked logo, adopted last year, does not appear on the website.

www.parishcouncil.net is a specialist provider of websites for parish councils. It only charges £150 for development and £100 for annual hosting. The JPC's website budget is circa £800 pa. The Chairman was recommended to investigate this site last year but it appears this substantial cost saving has not been implemented.

In February 2006 there was a poll on whether HNOL or the JPC should run the town website. The result was 88 to 1 in favour of HNOL. At that time the following letter from a resident was published:

I would like the JPC to know that I and many others support an independent Henley web presence not dominated by the JPC. The JPC does a good job in many other ways representing Henley's interests, but when it comes to a community website they need to humbly reflect on their reasons for wishing to be so controlling.

The people of Henley love the town, are passionate about its activities and people and are proud of the way that they are currently afforded access to free speech. We don't all agree with what each other says but we defend each other's right to say it! There will be no confidence in a JPC controlled website, although the JPC have of course a part to play (along with other town clubs and groups) in contributing to an Independent Henley web presence. There is a great fear that opinions which don't toe the party line will not be included, and that a JPC gloss will be applied to all controversial issues. Whether or not this is true, justice should always appear to be being done. A JPC dominated website is already an unpopular choice, a lost cause with precious little support.

The website is already fine! - don't fix what isn't broken. The JPC alternative is viewed as controlling, which won't earn you love or respect. To acquiesce to the feelings of the townspeople you represent, would not be seen as weakness but true strength... that is, you have the power to forge ahead with your original plan, have the courage not to use that power!

Thank you for listening.

A Resident of Henley-in-Arden

This letter could have been written today after the outburst by the clerk, but it was written 4 years ago in February 2006. Does nothing change!

Let's hope the JPC will admit before May 2012, the date of the next election, that it's time to accept the will of the residents. Also, let's hope the clerk does not continue with her unauthorised speeches.