Stockport Council News

Dear Councillor Smith

The local MP is Andrew Stunell, ’nuff said, chocolate teapot.  Mr. Parnell waited all day in the Greater Manchester Police Headquarters to see the Chief Constable (but it might have been the dead one) without success.  He has written too, as far as I am aware.

It may not be a satisfactory state of affairs that organisations funded by the LA don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them, but it would appear to be the case.

I don’t think Mike button-holes people – he may do to councillors or council officials but they are paid to serve. I don’t think he does it to members of the public anyway.  He just wanted some support with regards to counselling for his troubled daughters.  Because of a foul-up on behalf of SMBC they are not registered anywhere.  I know how troubled teenagers can be a handful and how a small amount of intervention can help – and his daughters suffered a lot at the hands of their birth parents and the authorities.  It wasn’t much to ask for over a decade ago, was it?  Especially as in taking two troubled children, he must have saved SMBC a fortune as they would have otherwise been in care.

Did you read the letter from the parent of the disabled child in the Express – yet another one. They Council doesn’t listen.

Next time I see Mike I will ask him to write to you and to keep it simple.  Many thanks for your offer of an ear, at least.

With regards to my financial question I have been asking for a year, which Tiddles promised me an answer to at the Dec 4th full council meeting and again on 5th Feb.  I have just got yet another slapped legs letter from Barry Khan refusing to answer.  Oh well, off I go again to the Information Commission.  I usually win, but the IC are so busy it will probably take another year before they are forced to own up to the dodgy goings on regarding several millions of pounds.

Kind regards

Sheila

—– Original Message —–

From: Cllr Ann Smith

To: Sheila Oliver

Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:26 PM

Subject: RE: Mr Parnell

Dear Sheila

I have to say that I am more than a little surprised that the Ombudsman has not responded with a judgement. I assume Mr Parnell has pursued this with the Ombudsman. If he is not satisfied with the service then he really needs to approach his MP.

The local CAB would be astonished to hear that because a proportion of their funding may come from the Local Authority, this would prevent them from giving clear, unbiased and objective advice and the same goes for the police. I don’t know how we would manage to have a local police force or a thriving voluntary sector if there was no public funding. Where on earth is funding supposed to come from? If Mr Parnell wants to speak to a police officer then he should try making an appointment rather than buttonholing them on the way out of a meeting. Mr Parnell does that a lot and while it doesn’t necessarily bother me, it may bother others. Much better to write to individuals if there is a problem.

I have asked a few questions about the problems of Mr Parnell and have not gleaned much information. I was told that there was a problem with him claiming some benefits because he was a foster parent and thus, was above the income threshold for whatever benefit it was. If this is so then this is another problem for an MP. The local council don’t make the rules about welfare benefits, just try to administer some of them and if someone is refused benefit there is an appeal process. Welfare Rights presumably have advised Mr Parnell of his rights.

If he wants to write to me telling me simply and briefly what his problem is then I may have a clue as to where I may be able to refer him. I cannot however make any promises. I know that people have tried to provide assistance and have failed.

On the whole, I have always found the Council to be very anxious to listen to people’s complaints and to be supportive and conciliatory. I am surprised that this matter continues to go on and on whatever it may be.

Ann Smith

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From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Sun 08/02/2009 15:13
To: Cllr Ann Smith
Subject: Re: Mr Parnell

Dear Councillor  Smith

I don’t know if you know, I didn’t, that Local Ombudsmen are usually former senior council officials with an interest in not rocking the boat.  I used to work for the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council and the Lord Mayor – I was just a temp but stayed for years as an afternoon job.  I know Anne Seex, our Ombudslady, was there when I was there – maybe 1996ish.  I don’t think she was an outstanding employee and there were some amazing people there at the time – Euro 96, the Manchester bomb, preparing for the Commonwealth Games etc.  Yes, Mr. Parnell’s case has been with the Ombudsman for many years, as has our school on the toxic waste site one, without any progress being made.

Mr. Parnell does not claim any benefits and therefore I believe is not entitled to any Legal Aid. Indeed, he is having to represent himself in the court case (as you know, after the 50 now arrests he is charged with assaulting  a council employee with a sneeze with intent to inflict him with a cold – what a waste of taxpayers’ money!)   The council has told him they will not allow him to speak to any council officer without a legal representative present.  How could he afford one?  He has lost his job due to what has happened to him over the last 10 years.  The CAB is funded by the Council, as are the local police.  He tried to speak to the Chief Constable as he left this week’s full council meeting but a council heavy prevented him from doing so.  Maybe the Law Centre in Longsight (presumably not funded by SMBC might be an idea) – thanks for that I will tell Mr. Parnell.

I read the comments of Ms Shoesmith and also felt some sympathy for her.  My feeling is we should not all retract into our shells when things go wrong but learn from the mistakes, try not to attach blame and try to make things better next time 

The knitted Cllr Goddard, or Listening Dave as we should more correctly call him, would be very cuddly.

I too am not a very good knitter.  I stay with scarves basically.  I am a bit better at crochet, but am still capable of producing items which cause me great embarrassment.

Yes, I think it would be wiser not to knit in council meetings but to gaze up with rapt attention at Tiddles, Cllr Weldon, Cllr Derbyshire et al and bask in their loving benevolence as they steer the Stockport ship of state ever upwards and onwards to even higher levels of greatness.

Lots of love

Sheila

 —–

From: Cllr Ann Smith

To: Sheila Oliver

Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 12:37 PM

Subject: RE: Mr Parnell

I hank it was only the Children and Young People’s Division at Haringey that was judged as being OK and I do take your point about Baby P. That point has been raised in various meetings that I have attended. I listened to part of the interview with the ex Director at Haringey yesterday I think her name is Ms Shoesmith, and was interested to hear an alternative point of view from her. In my experience, these matters are never as cut and dried as the media/politicians would like to make out. I think most people who have any responsibility in whatever way for Children’s services experience great worry and concern that something may go wrong with their service. I know I do.

Can I ask whether Mr Parnell has been to the Ombudsman or elsewhere with his complaints? And has he ever asked for legal advice regarding his situation. I realise that legal advice is expensive but there is CAB and the Law Centre in Longsight where they don’t charge.

To me this would seem like the obvious route to take but maybe he already has.

I am trying to imagine a knitted David Goddard. What a scream. I challenge you to do it. I’m sure you could find sufficient stuffing it you tried.

I used to knit a lot although was never very good at it. I have been considering taking it up again recently but it does take up a fair bit of time and I think these days would be expensive. Haven’t completely given up on the idea but I think I wouldn’t be doing it at Council meetings. I think that would go down like a lead balloon both with Members of the Council and with Members of the Public. I can just imagine the story in the local rag.

Ann Smith

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From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Fri 06/02/2009 17:45
To: Cllr Ann Smith
Subject: Re: Mr Parnell

Dear Councillor Smith

Do start council meeting knitting; that would be brilliantI know Cllr Weldon sends his emails during the meeting, so why not (he has emailed me during a full council meeting). The reporter, Peter Devine, told me last night there is a knit-in happening at Chadkirk Chapel so I might go along.  I think I will knit a Councillor Goddard, if I can get enough stuffing.

Wonderful if you make your own enquiries about Mike Parnell – that is just what we  need.

The Council won’t get a bad report if it never acknowledges official complaints, will it? Scullion still hasn’t acknowledged receipt of mine since July over several million pounds. Also maybe you should speak to the parents of the autistic children regarding what has  happened to them. I can give you their email addresses if you want.  Don’t forget Haringey got a glowing report too before Baby P died.  I would love the Council to get things right because people would  have a better quality of life, the council tax wouldn’t be wasted and I could go back to reading and tackling the damn Himalayan Balsam everywhere.

Lots of love

Sheila

—– Original Message —–

From: Cllr Ann Smith

To: Sheila Oliver

Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 1:07 PM

Subject: RE: Mr Parnell

Thank you for your reply.

I heard your comments at Council last night but was more intrigued by the knitting. Brilliant idea particularly when things get a touch tedious.

Will have to make my own enquiries re your comments and draw my own conclusions.

Incidentally, in the light of your campaign against the Lib Dem Group, the news of Stockport Council’s latest performance assessment – 4* and improving –  wouldn’t have gladdened your heart presumably. However, we must be getting something right.

Ann Smith

---

From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Wed 04/02/2009 18:17
To: Cllr Ann Smith
Subject: Re: Mr Parnell

Dear Councillor Smith

Thanks for your response.

I think when I saw people had elected another LibDem I just blotted the details from my mind.  I haven’t heard you make any contribution in full council meetings, but maybe I missed it if you did.

Mr. Parnell is the pressing issue at the moment.  The most significant thing that has happened to him has has happened since you have been a councillor.  For background, he adopted two troubled daughters, which was an out of area adoption. Due to a foul-up on behalf of SMBC these girls were never officially registered with Stockport.  As these poor young ladies hit problems because of their past life, Mr. Parnell merely asked for some counselling help for them. I think that was a decade ago.   If they had remained in care they would have cost SMBC a fortune.   After getting nowhere for years he started his protest, maybe one and a half years ago. He is, I am sure you will realise, a decent and gentle chap.  SMBC has had him arrested 44 times and he is currently awaiting trial on charges of assault on a council employee with a sneeze with intent to infect him with a cold.  Mr. Parnell has been taken to court before by the Council and had the proceedings dropped on the day of the hearing.  This time it will have to go through to the bitter end.  The Council is trying to criminalise and break this very simple, gentle man.  You could look into what has happened, it is all a matter of record, and speak out against what is happening to him.  The LibDem Executive Councillors have repeatedly refused to do so.

I am trying to find out if the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge with her 9 year old autistic son had similar problems with the Council to Mr. Parnell.

There are other problems. The houses in Bredbury are already slipping into the coalmines below. I merely asked the LibDem Bredbury Councillors to read the A6 Bypass geological survey, which pointed to the further problems local residents would have if the road goes ahead.  They couldn’t be bothered.

The local residents around Aquinas were telling me the other night how the local LibDem councillors were all over them like a rash before the election. Now they are having major problems, there is no sign of Cllrs Derbyshire or Humphreys.

If you look around Offerton (entirely LIbDem councillors), especially the Precinct, I would be astonished if you could point to any improvement the councillors have made. I managed to get £80,000 for children’s play equipment by putting the squeeze on a council officer. Cllr Meikle claimed she had got the money.  She had done diddly squat.

At a past budget meeting where there was a £10 million shortfall, Cllr Derbyshire hadn’t read the documents with regard to her own transport portfolio at the Executive Meeting a few days before and she hadn’t read them for the Full Council meeting later in the week.  This was over an issue she thought was £425 million and it was actually , I think but can check, £665 million.  “Where does Mrs. Oliver get these ridiculous figures?” she asked.  From the documents in front of her that she should have read (twice).

At that same budget meeting, two severely mentally handicapped people addressed the full council meeting (which must have taken guts).  The Council was going to close a special centre where they could look after their baby.  (Obviously, it wouldn’t be safe to leave the baby with them unsupervised). They begged the Council not to close the centre.  At that same meeting, despite the £10 million deficit, councillors voted themselves an increase, which I believe none of the Tory councillors accepted for themselves. 

Add to that the fact that we are paying millions and millions of pounds over the odds to put children’s lives in danger regarding the Harcourt Street school, and that I have been asking for a year now for an explanation of these financial anomalies, it is impossible for me to have any respect for the ruling LibDem councillors.  In trying to expose these funny goings on I have been banned, threatened with exposure in the press, and had an illegal FOI ban put on me and everyone else in the town – just to stop me getting at any documents.  If you are going to be a breath of fresh air, then I am delighted.

At a full council meeting I saw Cllr Candler gesture rudely to the local people in the gallery (people who pay his £35,000 pa) over his shoulder and accuse them of planting asbestos on the site.

If you want to see documentary evidence of what I am saying, particularly about the danger to children, let me know and I will show you anytime.

I don’t see any desire to serve the community from the LibDems and I have seen the money-grabbing.

Jolly good news re your Tesco commitment. Thanks very much.   I always stand up to bullies, always have, always will.

Kind regards

Sheila

—– Original Message —–

From: Cllr Ann Smith

To: Sheila Oliver

Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:24 PM

Subject: RE: Mr Parnell

Thank you for this.

It may be that you have experienced difficulties in your dealings with Stockport Council. If so, I do not know what they are any more than I know what Mr Parnell’s problems are.

Whatever has taken place did so when I was not a member of the Council.

Sorry if my existence was not known to you and indeed, why should it, except that your vehement dislike of all things Liberal Democrat/Stockport Council makes it a little strange that you do not inform yourself as to who it is that is being targeted in your vitriolic comments.

Incidentally, I don’t believe that you intended the term ‘simple’ to be interpreted in the way that you say you meant. You have never struck me as striving for simpliciity if your comments and campaigns are anything to go by.

I was impressed by your very successful campaign against Tesco and have never shopped at Tesco or used any Tesco product since that time. I just wish that someone having your level of energy and commitment would stand for the Council/Parliament/Europe instead of the rather silly sniping from the sidelines which you seem to get so much pleasure from.

I have a real problem with the stererotyping that your comments betray. Politicians, whether local or national are very used to the line that all politicians are motivated by less than honourable intentions and that we are all on the make. But to have this line peddled by an obviously intelligent person such as you is very sad.

I have been involved in local politics for many years and have not found that politicians are that much different from the rest of the community. In other words, most are there because they genuinely care about the people they represent. Inevitably, there will be exceptions but in my experience (more than 25 years) they are very rare indeed. Indeed, with the level of accountability required from local councillors, it would take more guile and energy than most of could muster to abuse the system.

If you are really serious about the issues you publicise then maybe you should be a little more aware of the impression you create with your comments which the press delight in reporting.Of course they do. But it all comes across as somewhat vicious and hysterical and therefore not to be taken seriously.

I assume that whatever your issues with Stockport Council, you have approached the Ombudsman/Standards Board and that you have had a response. I assume also that if the response was not to your liking, that you have approached local members of parliament, both Lib Dem and Labour for their assistance notwithstanding the fact that we are all, at the end of the day, a waste of space.

Cllr Ann Smith

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From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Mon 02/02/2009 20:05
To: Cllr Ann Smith
Subject: Mr Parnell

Dear Councillor Smith

Mr Parnell told me you were upset by my comments in the Guardian and the Express.  I didn’t mean you – to be honest I didn’t know you existed.

I have extensive experience of how awful the LibDems are at representing the people of Stockport, how they are willing to put children’s lives at risk and how they condone the appalling treatment of Mr. Parnell.

I can give you masses of documentary evidence should you be interested.  I would be delighted if there was one LibDem willing to work for local people.  I voted LibDem for 25 years; how daft am I?

If you are interested I look forward to hearing from you.

By the way, to be simple is a good thing.  I aim for simplicity in my life.

Kind regards

Sheila

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Dear Executive Councillors

I have twice in the past drawn your attention to what is happening regarding Mr. Parnell. All of you refused to express any concern whatsoever.

Please see the attached. I would appear there is a legal right to peaceful protest.  I think the damages the Council will have to pay Mr. Parnell will be huge for the 64 times the police were called and his repeated stay in police cells.  I assume your insurers won’t cover this illegal activity, as they have financial problems of their own, and that this compensation will have to come from council taxpayers’ money.

What a shame none of you acted to stop this abuse within reasonable timescales.

I hope neither Mr Parnell nor his daughters commit suicide, which is a possibility; in that tragic eventuality the Council will have to pay out tens of millions of pounds.

Yours in disgust at what you allow to continue in this rotten borough.

Sheila

Dear Chief Constable

I have now had a stalling reply from Stockport’s police commander.  If an effort is being made to make out that Mr Parnell is mad – and I can assure you he isn’t – then I must point out the case of the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge with her 9-year-old autistic son.  Stockport Council issued an-after-the-event report pointing out that she was mad.  I doubt it, somehow, but driven to suicide by Stockport Council is a definite possibility.  I am trying to establish the facts in that case and the issue is with the Information Commission currently.  I have to point out that any inference on behalf of the police that Mr. Parnell is in any way mentally unstable will be vehemently disputed.

What an utter waste of police time this has all been – especially the incident of calling the police when he made one comment from the public gallery at a full council meeting and not one council officer would remain to explain to the police why they had been called. That would seem to me to be a criminal offence of wasting police time.

We will get to the bottom of all this however long it takes.

May I respectfully suggest that the Council are told to sort out this gentleman’s problems with regards to his human rights and his adopted daughters’ human rights and stop wasting police and court time.

I shall cc this to the local press and the Editor of the Guardian for their information.

Kind regards

Sheila

Dear Mrs Oliver

I refer to your email copied to the Chair of the Police Authority on 7 June.

The meeting is a public meeting open to all and it certainly will not be the intention of Greater Manchester Police Authority to attempt to restrict attendance by any particular members of the public.

Yours sincerely

Nigel J Battersby

Solicitor

Greater Manchester Police Authority

Salford Civic Centre

Chorley Road

Swinton

Salford

M27 5DA

Tel: 0161 793 3040

Fax: 0161 793 3085

email: nigel.battersby@gmpa.gov.uk

Visit the new GMPA Website: www.gmpa.gov.uk/

    —– Original Message —–

    From: “Sheila Oliver” [sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]

    Sent: 07/06/2011 18:04 CET

    To: “Leader” <leader@stockport.gov.uk>; “barry khan”

<barry.khan@stockport.gov.uk>; <eamonn.boylan@stockport.gov.uk>

    Cc: “Michael Parnell” <micksara@btinternet.com>; Councillor Paul Murphy; “Peter Devine” <peter.devine@menmedia.co.uk>; “Ged Lucas”

<ged.lucas@stockport.gov.uk>

    Subject: Police Authority Meeting, Stockport town hall

Dear Councillor Goddard, Barry Khan, Mr  Boylan

I note the Police Authority are coming to Stockport  Town Hall – a jolly good idea!

Will you be allowing Mr Parnell to attend and will  you be allowing him to put a question should he so desire, or will you try  to have him arrested on a restraining order on a crime of which he was acquitted  after council employees were found to have lied to the Court and Ged Lucas,  Assistant Chief Executive, couldn’t be bothered to respond to nine attempts by  the police to contact him to ask him to appear before the court, and following which he was severely criticised by the judge?  Just  wondering.

You remain my humble servants

Sheila

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Dear sheila                  Just a line to say a heart welcoming thank you for your emails when i see my words coming back from others then this would be our finest tool in our challenge against the council when all they are doing is to silence us and bury us deep and tied up under their pile of wrongdoings and unlawfulness, if they could not get things right in the past and are not getting things right now, then how can we trust them with our future, and the futures of the young that are yet to come, who do not yet know what this council is capable of doing to them, we must protect the future because the past has gone and we cant get it back so we must not forget all we have had, and hold on to that and learn to do better as not to waste that which we have learned, when people work together we feel better for helping others and its nice when someone help us even when things are going wrong you could feel safe when there are people who care, if only we could all be the same rewards are feeling good about what you have done for others,we are alone when we have no one to give our thoughts and hopes too, things will only get better, the wrongs have no place in our trueful hearts, the attachment i have sent is the arrest to prevent breach of the peace, the police dont understand what they are doing and they dont listen.    thank you for listening and sharing your thoughts                                                 all my love mike

Mrs Oliver,

I was merely trying to be helpful and reminding you that the vexatious ruling was specifically on requests from you on that particular subject and not a blanket ban. You were misleading others in saying that this was  a blanket ban. I did not want this factual error to be propagated by yourself, even if it was done inadvertently and without malice, as the councillor code of conduct obliges me to assume is the case in the conduct of my official duties.

The exchange did finally prove to me that as you were unable to name the precise documents you wanted, and the enquiries were indeed meant to disrupt the business of the council and so those requests were indeed vexatious. Indeed the correspondence started with a cryptic email from yourself consisting of just the words “either way I win”, as if this was just a game you were playing. I do not play games. I have a serious responsibility to provide sustainable educational facilities in North Reddish.

As an email from yourself yesterday declared I was a “complete idiot” I am not in a position to advise you of the appeal procedures. I think it would be sensible to get more expert opinion, especially as you declare (most probably correctly) you know more about FoI than I do. I am not surprised at this as you have in recent years submitted thousands of such requests.

Your constant threats to complain to the standards board are becoming repetitive. I always treat you with respect despite abusive and misleading and possibly libellous emails from yourself and I have always taken your points seriously, and have gone out of my way to be open and honest.

In the eight days of August 2009 you have emailed me 19 times , in July 2009, you emailed me 22 times, in June you emailed me 10 times. With regards to future emails; as from next week I am routing all emails from yourself to the FoI officer and they will only go to me if there is a relevant point the officer needs to verify with me. This is to avoid the constant barrage of offensive, and mocking and irrelevant emails you direct at me.

Sincerely

Mark Weldon

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From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Sat 08/08/2009 17:43
To: Cllr Mark Weldon
Cc: cleggn@parliament.uk
Subject: Re: Cost of trial of Mr Parnell, Stockport Magistrates’ Court

Dear Councillor Weldon

You are paid a lot of money to do the work you do.  If I want to contact you I will.

Please could you clarify the appeal process regarding my being banned from asking public questions regarding Harcourt Street.  You were of the eroneous opinion that I was given access to documents under the FOIA on this subject.  The Information Commission has told the Council to reconsider under the EIR 2004.  I asked in the first place under the EIR 2004, so it would appear the Council hasn’t got a leg to stand on.

I know a lot more about the FOIA than you do – when they reply I will be able to work out the cost of one night in such a prison and the cost of the abandoned trial in January, the one in July, the proposed one in September and the High Court Appeal.   I am currently getting the cost of the police being called over 80 times, the 11 arrests and the nights spent in a police cell.   I will take those figures when I have the final amount to the Taxpayers’ Alliance and with their help get a news story with a link to the actual CCTV footage of the non-incident involving Mr Parnell via the Internet.  I am sure the cost will come to hundreds of thousands of pounds,  if not more.

I want to know whether you checked the situation regarding my position and the FOI inquiries before you sent that email the other night. Either you checked and were lied to or you didn’t bother to check that I hadn’t had access to a large number of documetns.  I shall be putting in a complaint to the Standards Board when, if ever, I receive a sensible response from you. There is already a complaint in about Goddard calling me a liar publicly which he hasn’t provided proof of and his gloating email about Mr. Parnell being in prison and  him sending me confidential documents about Mr. Parnell.  Someone is going to start asking questions about what on earth is going on in this town under the Liberal Democraps.

Sheila

—– Original Message —–

From: Cllr Mark Weldon

To: Sheila Oliver

Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 4:45 PM

Subject: RE: Cost of trial of Mr Parnell, Stockport Magistrates’ Court

Dear Mrs Oliver,

Please remove me from your email cc list. I have no desire or need to know of your enquiries. One piece of advice. The FoI allows you to ask and receive copies of existing documents. It does not give you the ability to ask public bodies to generate information for you. If such a document does not exist they do not have to produce one for you. – Just trying to help.

Regards,

Mark Weldon

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From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Sat 08/08/2009 16:43
To: FOIUnit@cps.gsi.gov.uk
Cc: Cllr Sue Derbyshire; Cllr Mark Weldon; Cllr David White; Cllr Dave Goddard; MICHAEL PARNELL; Barry Khan; Chief.Constable@gmp.police.uk; John Schultz; alan.rusbridger@guardian.co.uk; STUNELL, Andrew
Subject: Cost of trial of Mr Parnell, Stockport Magistrates’ Court

Dear FoI Officer

Following the newspaper reports of the £20,000 cost of a trial of a man found innocent of stealing one banana, please could you let me know – as accurately as possible, although a reasonable assessment would be acceptable – of the cost to the taxpayers of Mr. Parnell’s trial last January, which was dropped on the day of the hearing and the further trial which took place last month at Stockport Magistrates’ Court.  At this trial he was given a CRASBO (criminal ASBO) pre swine flu for assault with a sneeze with intent to inflict a council employee with a cold.  I believe CCTV footage of the incident was not allowed to be shown in court for some inexplicable reason.

I look forward to hearing from you.  If you need further details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards

Sheila

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Dear Ms Oliver,

I write to confirm that your email below (and your email of 22^nd March) have been brought to my attention. I note that you have requested that Mr Houston investigates your complaint further at Stage 2. I should inform you that this would be inappropriate given that I am specifically tasked with investigating complaints at Stage 2 of the corporate complaints procedure. Mr Houston has already investigated and responded to your complaint at Stage 1.

If you still wish to proceed with your complaint I would be grateful if you would let me know why you remain unhappy following the Stage 1 response? I look forward to receiving your comments within the next 10 days. I will then investigate your complaint and aim to provide you with an outcome within 20 working days.

Alternatively, if you do not wish for me to investigate your complaint you can escalate your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO); however it is unlikely that they will investigate as your complaint has not been exhausted locally. The contact details for the LGO are as follows:

Local Government Ombudsman

PO Box 4771

Coventry

CV4 0EH

Telephone:    0845 602 1983

Text:                0762 4804323

Email:             advice@lgo.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Anwar Majothi

Corporate Complaints Manager

Stopford House

Stockport Council

SK1 3XE

Tel: 0161 474 3182

Fax: 0161 474 4006

http://www.stockport.gov.uk

From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 26 March 2012 20:27
To: Steve Houston
Cc: Anwar Majothi; MICHAEL PARNELL; Eamonn Boylan; Leader
Subject: Mr Parnell

Dear Mr Houston

Regarding the letter sent by you on 8th March 2012, I can’t request Mr Majothi carries out the stage 2 complaint process because he is up to his neck in this case.  He should have realised the Council had a statutory duty to help Mr Parnell and got off his bottom and done something.  He didn’t – year after year after year.  He is a massive part of the problem.  You will have to deal with the Stage 2 complaint.

I have heard nothing back from Mr Parnell, so the letter of authority stands until you send me written confirmation that he doesn’t want me to act for him or I hear further from him.  I am happy not to act on his behalf as I have a lot on my plate, but I wonder if the two council officers you mention are the same ones who threatened to kill him, kick his f*cking head in and ram his phone so far up his backside he would be sh*tting phone parts for a week, or, indeed, the ones who attacked him.  Or, I wonder if they are officers who knew all this was happening (I sent you the video evidence) and did nothing about it.  I hope you don’t mind if I don’t take the word of anyone at Stockport Council. Documentary evidence is needed before I stand down.

I am taking the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, who have recently been very critical of the CPS. I didn’t know they existed.  Mr Parnell’s case should never have been taken by them to court as they failed to prove the five  statutory tests they need to establish before taking a case forward, and they took  a huge number of cases forward against him.

So, no whitewashes please.  Just do your job and do it properly and every step of the way I shall keep interested parties informed of your responses. 

Just some points from your letter which need raising:-

1) “this letter has addressed the issues raised under Stage 1 of the Council’s corporate complaints procedure.”  No, it hasn’t!

2) “I have decided not to uphold your complaint”.  This is not surprising but nevertheless disappointing.  You were, of course, always likely to support Mr Khan.

3) “It would be inappropriate for the Council to investigate the complaints you have raised on behalf of Mr. Parnell…..he subsequently spoke to two Council Officers to retract the consent.”

This comment is unacceptable.  It is vital to know who these supposed council officers are?  Please detail their  names and  the circumstances of this alleged encounter.

4) “As you no longer have authority to act on behalf of Mr Parnell, the Council is not obliged to investigate the issues you have raised on his behalf.”  I do have authority unless you prove otherwise.

I have experience of the Council’s complaints system which is innavigable.  I raised with Mr. Majothi the fact that the school which I correctly stated had a £5 million black hole in its funding, was to be put on unremediated toxic waste.  I got nowhere with Mr. Majothi and I think you will realise that I am no quitter.  He is impossible to deal with.  There are entire websites devoted to the sheer incompetence of our Local Ombudsman and as they employ former senior council officers, their impartiality is in doubt.

5)  I have repeatedly raised this matter with the former Chief Executive, the Leader, the Current Chief Executive, Khan, Webb and all the Executive Councillors.  I have the email evidence.  To say I have not raised this matter before is an untrue statement and I wonder why you should claim that despite a large amount of documentary evidence to the contrary.   I have been branded vexatious for contacting the Council repeatedly.  If the  Council stopped sending innocent council taxpayers to prison and failing to investigate their valid complaints, there would need to be less contact.

6) “Mr Parnell should have complained about these issues sooner”.  Mr Parnell tried and tried and tried, as can be confirmed by the local reporter.  He was repeatedly arrested for trying to enter council buildings.  I have had to plead with the police not to arrest him for trying to leave a council meeting early.  You forget there is masses of documentary police and court evidence.  Please do not insult my intelligence by making such ludicrous statements which are ill-befitting to a senior and highly paid Council officer.

Your letter is full of shoulds and mays and inappropriates and when you say it is difficult to investigate Mr Khan you mean you really don’t want to.

Please proceed with this complaint and do so in an honest and professional matter, bearing in mind the close scrutiny to which your replies and indeed the whole complaint process at Stockport Council will be put.

Yours

Sheila

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