INDEPENDENT Cllr. Neil Johnson has issued Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council with a formal Freedom of Information request over their recent decision to hire a private security firm to marshal and police their monthly meeting.
Earlier this month, residents who arrived at Glazebury Methodist Church were greeted by two security guards. He says claims on Facebook by members of the Parish Council and their relatives have suggested that security was hired to “protect the Parish Council”.
Cllr Johnson earlier branded the decision to hire the security guards – which he was unaware of prior to arriving at the meeting – “ridiculous”.
Now, his Freedom of Information request seeks to compel the Parish Council to reveal the cost of hiring the guards and any arrangements that may have been made ahead of future meetings.
Cllr Johnson said: “I have written to the Parish Council Chairman and the Administrative Assistant to ascertain how much the decision to hire private security to police a Parish Council meeting has cost the public of Culcheth and Glazebury. Despite more than ten days having passed, I have received no reply.
“I have therefore submitted a formal Freedom of Information request to compel the Parish Council to reveal this information. This is spending by a tax-collecting authority which comes from public funds, so there is no exemption on this information being revealed under the Act. The Parish Council has twenty working days to comply, after such time I will refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office, who has the power to level a fine if they opt not to comply. My view is that any such fine should be met by Parish Councillors personally, and must not come from the public purse.
“My FOI request seeks the following information:
1) All documentation held by the Parish Council relating to the hiring of two security guards to marshal and police the Parish Council meeting held at Glazebury Methodist Church on Tuesday 14 October. This should include copies of any emails exchanged between Councillors and/or with the private security firm. It should also include any hard copy documents, such as invoices, receipts, terms of contract and scope of engagement. It should also include the minutes of any meetings at which the decision to hire private security was agreed and discussed.
2) The name of the Parish Councillor who engaged with the private security firm, and the basis on which they did so (the minutes of the relevant meeting or motion agreed upon by the Parish Council).
3) The amount paid to the security firm (including VAT) for their services on Tuesday 14 October and confirmation of the budget from which this has been taken.
Cllr Johnson,who believes Labour and Tory Clrs have teamed up
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against him, added:”The Labour/Conservative anti-democracy coalition are spending money in unwise ways. This is money which should be put towards worthwhile causes and improvements in our villages, not private security so that Parish Councillors doing third-rate impressions of Hollywood celebrities.
“Claims on Facebook that security needed to be hired because the Parish Council now has independent councillors, or comparing local residents to the “mob”, are disrespectful and insulting.
“They must come clean on how much this cost, so that the public can cast their verdict on this wasteful spending exercise at the next elections.”
Culcheth & Glazebury Parish Council were given the opportunity to respond to the above statement, but declined to do so at this stage.
