RE: Your Code of Conduct Complaint against Councillor Hutton, Chairman of West Wittering Parish Council

Dear Mr Hopson

You have 30 days to submit an appeal from the issue of the formal decision notice.This will be with you shortly when we will advise you of the appeal procedure.

yours sincerely

 

M Sully
Principal Solicitor
Chichester District Council
msully@chichester.gov.uk
01243 534662

 

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From: David Hopson [mailto:nunnington@gmail.com]
Sent: 31 July 2009 14:00
To: Pat Overton
Cc: Mike Sully
Subject: Re: Your Code of Conduct Complaint against Councillor Hutton, Chairman of West Wittering Parish Council

Would you please advise me of the appeals procedure.

2009/7/31 Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE REPLY DIRECT TO MIKE SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

I have to advise you that the District Council’s Sub-Committee met on the 22nd July to consider this complaint.  The Sub-Committee determined that in their view it was not appropriate for the complaint to be referred to the District Solicitor to be formally investigated or for any further action to be taken.  It appeared to the Assessment Sub-Committee that the complaint related to the administration of the Parish Council by the establishment of working parties, and did not engage the Code of Conduct.  There was no evidence that there was any coersion, bullying or intimidation in the establishment of such working parties or that the working parties had been undertaking executive functions.

The formal decision notice will be issued shortly.

Yours sincerely,

District Solicitor

PLEASE REPLY DIRECT TO MIKE SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. However, any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Chichester District Council.

If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Chichester District Council administrator.

E-mail or phone 44 (0) 1243 785166
Mail-Admin@chichester.gov.uk

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. However, any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Chichester District Council.

If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Chichester District Council administrator.

E-mail or phone 44 (0) 1243 785166
Mail-Admin@chichester.gov.uk

Re: Code of Conduct Complaint

I would like to add the following papers which show the way in which the Chairman has condoned the failure to create minutes as a contemporaneous record of meetings. 

Cooked Minutes Stuff:

• Comparison document
• List of Changes
• Document properties analysis

Alas I am laid out with swine flu and unable to assemble more thoughts than this.

David Hopson

In the interests of open, transparent and accountable democratic government, this email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

2009/7/16 Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

I am pleased to confirm we have now arranged for Assessment Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee to meet to assess your complaint on 22nd July 2009.  If there is anything you wish to add to the papers please let me have this at your early convenience.

I can also advise you that the District Council representative is not a member of the Conservative Group.

I believe this answers your queries of 10th July.

Yours sincerely,

M. Sully
Principal Solicitor
Chichester District Council
Tel:  (01243) 534662
Email:  msully@chichester.gov.uk

RE: Code of Conduct Complaint

Dear Mr Hopson

The membersip of the sub committee is Mr C Evans.Cllr A Moss and Parish Cllr Mr D Ribbens.

The previous e mail was sent by a WP operative as I could not get my PC to work.

Yours sincerely

 

M Sully
Principal Solicitor
Chichester District Council
msully@chichester.gov.uk
01243 534662

 

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From: David Hopson [mailto:nunnington@gmail.com]
Sent: 17 July 2009 09:50
To: Pat Overton
Cc: Mike Sully; Mike Kelley
Subject: Re: Code of Conduct Complaint

Dear Mike/Pat

I'm baffled:

You said - "I can also advise you that the District Council representative is not a member of the Conservative Group. I believe this answers your queries of 10th July."

It's as if neither you nor Mike Kelley actually read my earlier emails - see http://bit.ly/qV1Vw.

Could you please let me have a list of the names of members of the Assessment Sub-Committee, and I will see if I can get hold of Taff Davies and work out the answer I need that way. Due to the extraordinary amount of disinformation and propaganda that was in circulation at that time, I consider it would be entirely impossible for anyone who had been exposed to it in a CDC context to be neutral in respect of any matter concerning me!

I am, by the way, confused about receiving email via a third party. As a tax payer I would be grateful to have an explanation of a process that seems intrinsically sub-optimal in respect of cost effectiveness.

wbw

David Hopson.

In the interests of open, transparent and accountable democratic government, this email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

2009/7/16 Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

I am pleased to confirm we have now arranged for Assessment Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee to meet to assess your complaint on 22nd July 2009.  If there is anything you wish to add to the papers please let me have this at your early convenience.

I can also advise you that the District Council representative is not a member of the Conservative Group.

I believe this answers your queries of 10th July.

Yours sincerely,

M. Sully
Principal Solicitor
Chichester District Council
Tel:  (01243) 534662
Email:  msully@chichester.gov.uk

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. However, any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Chichester District Council.

If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Chichester District Council administrator.

E-mail or phone 44 (0) 1243 785166
Mail-Admin@chichester.gov.uk

RE: Code of Conduct Complaint

Dear Mr Hopson

Thank you for your e mail and I note what you say.I hope to finalise membership of the assesment subcommittee on 14 July and will advise you thereafter.

Yours sincerely

 

M Sully
Principal Solicitor
Chichester District Council
msully@chichester.gov.uk
01243 534662

 

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From: David Hopson [mailto:nunnington@gmail.com]
Sent: 09 July 2009 14:28
To: Mike Sully
Cc: Pat Overton
Subject: Re: Code of Conduct Complaint

Dear Mike (or Pat)

Thanks for getting in contact - I was wondering what was happening.

You say:

In making the arrangements and selecting the membership of this Sub-Committee I am endeavouring to bear in mind the concerns you expressed in your email of the 22nd June 2009 and I hope to be able to confirm shortly that Conservative Party Members on the District Council when the ‘Taff Davies’ events occurred will not be participants.

That's not quite what I said, and I have been at some pains to correct the impression that seems to have been created that my concerns are party specific.

I said to Mike Kelly on 22nd June

 Assessment sub-committee make-up

I said to you, "Following your remarks, it seems to me (and to those I've discussed this with) that if any member of the Assessment Sub-Committee was party to the Taff Davies' business, or was a member of the Conservative party whilst that was going on, it would be quite inappropriate for them to participate in considering anything involving me, given the political brouhaha and embarrassment that it caused."

 You said to me " In view of your concerns about District Councillors being members of the Conservative party, I will ask that this is taken into account if the Assessment Sub-Committee is convened."

 I've emphasised in green the bit that I don't think is addressed by your remark. My concern about Conservative party members is about any Conservatives who might not have been on or involved with the Council when the Taff Davies witch hunt was going on, but would have known what was happening.

That, as I am sure you can see, is a quite different expression of concern.

All correspondence is available online at http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com - to which is automatically saved by my scraper.

The witch-hunt against Taff Davies was of such virulence that I believe my concerns are fully justified.

wbw

David Hopson

Elected Member West Wittering Parish Council

This email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

2009/7/9 Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO THIS EMAIL TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

Mr. Kelley, the District Solicitor, has recently asked me to organise and provide legal advice to an Assessment Sub-

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________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. However, any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Chichester District Council.

If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Communications on or through Chichester District Councils computer systems may be monitored or recorded to secure effective system operation and for other lawful purposes.

If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the Chichester District Council administrator.

E-mail or phone 44 (0) 1243 785166
Mail-Admin@chichester.gov.uk

Re: Code of Conduct Complaint

Dear Mike (or Pat)

Thanks for getting in contact - I was wondering what was happening.

You say:

In making the arrangements and selecting the membership of this Sub-Committee I am endeavouring to bear in mind the concerns you expressed in your email of the 22nd June 2009 and I hope to be able to confirm shortly that Conservative Party Members on the District Council when the 'Taff Davies' events occurred will not be participants.

That's not quite what I said, and I have been at some pains to correct the impression that seems to have been created that my concerns are party specific.

I said to Mike Kelly on 22nd June

 Assessment sub-committee make-up

I said to you, "Following your remarks, it seems to me (and to those I've discussed this with) that if any member of the Assessment Sub-Committee was party to the Taff Davies' business, or was a member of the Conservative party whilst that was going on, it would be quite inappropriate for them to participate in considering anything involving me, given the political brouhaha and embarrassment that it caused."

 You said to me " In view of your concerns about District Councillors being members of the Conservative party, I will ask that this is taken into account if the Assessment Sub-Committee is convened."

 I've emphasised in green the bit that I don't think is addressed by your remark. My concern about Conservative party members is about any Conservatives who might not have been on or involved with the Council when the Taff Davies witch hunt was going on, but would have known what was happening.

That, as I am sure you can see, is a quite different expression of concern.

All correspondence is available online at http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com - to which is automatically saved by my scraper.

The witch-hunt against Taff Davies was of such virulence that I believe my concerns are fully justified.

wbw

David Hopson

Elected Member West Wittering Parish Council

This email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

2009/7/9 Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO THIS EMAIL TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

Mr. Kelley, the District Solicitor, has recently asked me to organise and provide legal advice to an Assessment Sub-

truncated ... 

Fwd: Code of Conduct Complaint

From: Pat Overton <Poverton@chichester.gov.uk>
Date: 2009/7/9
Subject: Code of Conduct Complaint
To: nunnington@gmail.com
Cc: Mike Sully <Msully@chichester.gov.uk>

PLEASE DIRECT ANY REPLY TO THIS EMAIL TO M. SULLY (msully@chichester.gov.uk)

Dear Mr. Hopson,

Mr. Kelley, the District Solicitor, has recently asked me to organise and provide legal advice to an Assessment Sub-Committee to deal with the Code of Conduct complaint you have made.  I am pleased to confirm that I am arranging for an Assessment Sub-Committee to meet later this month.  In making the arrangements and selecting the membership of this Sub-Committee I am endeavouring to bear in mind the concerns you expressed in your email of the 22nd June 2009 and I hope to be able to confirm shortly that Conservative Party Members on the District Council when the 'Taff Davies' events occurred will not be participants.

Yours sincerely,

M.J. Sully
Principal Solicitor
Deputy Monitoring Officer

FOI request

Dear David,

 

As you are already aware, I have consulted with the ICO to ensure that the Parish Council meets its requirements for disclosing information.

 

As I have stated to you, and based on advice from the ICO, the Parish Council is not compelled to reply to any request for information via a web site, more importantly though it is required to make sure that it replies to the person requesting the information, which is what I have done.

 

I have had to check and collate all the information you have requested which has taken a considerable amount of time. I have spoken to the ICO today, and they have confirmed that the copies of all e mails that I gave you on CD are deemed acceptable copies. I have already apologised for the quality of the photocopy of my minute book. I have photocopied this item again and will hand deliver it to your home address tomorrow, Weds 8^th July.

 

I also attach as requested copies of the missing 2 attachments.

 

Regards

 

Joanne

 

 

 

 

Re: Fw: Web site

In the six months since this URL has been online there is no evidence of the slightest confusion on the part of our users - nor was there any before, when the site was located elsewhere.

At the moment we only provide direct linking to site content and there is no online index for those who find our front page. If and when we do provide an online index, you may be certain that there will be no possibility of the site being confused with WWPC's .gov.uk site.

This email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

2009/7/6 JOANNE BROWN <wwpc@redhouse100.freeserve.co.uk>

Dear David,

I refer to the following web site http://westwitteringparishcouncil.info/

It appears that electors of West Wittering could be confused between this site and the official web site as this site is headed "West Wittering Parish Council"

The Parish Council believes that you have set this web site up and control the domain name.

The Council has asked that you reconsider using this domain name.

Regards

Joanne

Web site

Dear David,

 

I refer to the following web site http://westwitteringparishcouncil.info/

 

It appears that electors of West Wittering could be confused between this site and the official web site as this site is headed “West Wittering Parish Council”

 

The Parish Council believes that you have set this web site up and control the domain name.

 

The Council has asked that you reconsider using this domain name.

 

Regards

 

Joanne

 

 

RE: Resignation advice.

Dear David,

 

For the record, page 3 of the email from NALC is simply a “footer” advertising the NALC Larger Council’s Conference on 2^nd December 2009, if it is of relevance I am sure you could find out more information about this conference on the NALC web site.

 

I note your comment regarding my deficiency in local government law.

 

Joanne

 

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From: David Hopson [mailto:nunnington@gmail.com]
Sent: 06 July 2009 10:59
To: billbuckland; BillBuckland; bobhutton; dermotwright; jimrobertson; keithmartin; richardshrubb; stevecolwell; TrevorTupper; JOYCEGRIFFITH; martindaws-chew; PieterMontyn; PeterJones; WarrenTayler; steve@rookwoodproducts.talktalk.net; SteveColwell
Subject: Resignation advice.

 

Attached is a pdf containing the scan read text of the legal advice received from NALC about the question of David Hopson's resignation from the Council. An image of the original is available here http://bit.ly/1NZis. Note that only 2 of the 3 pages in this email printout were provided.

 

This advice shows quite clearly that neither the Chairman nor the Clerk has a grip on the law relating to local government, a deficiency that has been at the heart of my criticisms about how the Council is run.

 

This email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/

FOI request

Dear David,

 

I have checked the information that you requested with particular reference to e mail attachments. There are two attachments which you will not already have had access to or already been sent, these are those attached to Keith Martin’s e mail of 24^th April 2009 which refers to the resolutions tabled by the Chairman and also a draft agenda referred to in the e mail dated 6^th April 2009.

 

I am sorry that the photocopy quality of my minute notes is not up to standard, I will re copy the book and send you the copies along with the copies of the attachments.

 

Regards

 

Joanne

Resignation advice.

Attached is a pdf containing the scan read text of the legal advice received from NALC about the question of David Hopson's resignation from the Council. An image of the original is available here http://bit.ly/1NZis. Note that only 2 of the 3 pages in this email printout were provided.

This advice shows quite clearly that neither the Chairman nor the Clerk has a grip on the law relating to local government, a deficiency that has been at the heart of my criticisms about how the Council is run.

This email has been posted to http://wwpcmailstore.blogspot.com/