General Discussion

Anyone know who the new councillor is? The town council meeting held on Weds (11th) was going to decide.

Greg Fenne. Good bloke.

I gather Mr Fenne was co-opted because of support from the Tories, and aided by a split within VfD.  That doesn't bode well for the town, we've only just got rid of one Conservative Councillor.

Would this be the same Greg Fenne that stood as a Conservative candidate for election to Dawlish Town Council in last year's elections?  

If that is the case then I am astonished that some members of VfD have shot themselves in the foot by supporting his co-option.

I thought most of us were of the opinion that party politics shouldn't effect local govt? 

I couldn't care if he's blue, red, yellow or green so long as he has the best interests of the town at heart.

That is why I was so pleased when the Independents swept the board at the last election, another Conservative on the Council is one too many.

Oh yeah! Those Independents from VFD (or VDs as I like to call them) who were in fact Labour Party candidates who knew they had no chance of getting in on that ticket!

And have turned out to be a bunch of incompetent gits but still blame the previous administration? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Huw, can you give some examples of what you see as the present town council's incompetency given as you've made that accusation. Just curious to know what you have in mind that's all.

How juvenile, labelling Councilors as if they are a sexually transmitted disease, GROW UP!

And, like Lynne, I await your evidence on these "incompetent gits".

Look at the time of his post - say no more!

Burneside - I didn't; you just did! I merely stated that I refer to them as VDs as that is what I used in previous posts and the abbreviation VFD was used here by a previous poster. You have a strange mind!

Nelson - You are right. I was up late doing reports for a charity - not quaffing ale which is I suspect you were insinuating. You really are a chump sometimes.

How many investigations have there been or are on-going? Why was the Park Road property sold at a loss? Why is the wall (little or no maintenance) along The Strand being replaced with railings (regular maintenance)? The Council Tax rebate fiasco, staff debacle, their own councillors crossing the floor amid allegations of improper conduct....need I really go on?

As I for one don't know how many investigations there have been or are on-going perhaps you could let me and the rest of us know all about them. Like, who has accused whom of what, who has investigated/is investigating these allegations and the outcome(s) of the investigations. 

Park Road building sold at a loss eh. Well, at least it's off the present council's hands now. What a waste of money that whole saga was (still is?). Why was that property bought in the first place and who was it that bought it? 

I am not as familiar with the inside workings of the town council as you seem to be but I do recall being told some 18 months/2 years or so ago that there were issues with most certainly at least one member of the staff.  Perhaps the election of a new lot of councillors brought things to a head? New brooms and all that. 

Out of interest, is there anything that this new council has done/is doing that you do approve of? 

@ Burnside. do you ever do that, or just whinge on sites like this?

Do you? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.

As for the proposed railings down the Strand, any fool knows that metal rusts and has to be repainted at regular intervals. Ever heard of the Forth Rail Bridge or seen the state of the footbridge at the railway station? That is the result of salt water/air on metal. Simple science that you should have learnt at school.

@Carer

I'm not the one constantly criticising the Council. If I do have a complaint about something I certainly make my thoughts known to the appropriate authority, but then you wouldn't know that would you?

Burneside  - Pejorative? Really? 

RoSPA, RSPCA, RSPCC, RSPB, CND etc, etc. Not an 'F' amongst them.

You tried to lower the level of this debate to the most peurile and having failed to convince you are now trying to cover your tracks!

You should be ashamed of yourself.

What are you wittering on about? 

Like I said - PEURILE!!!! If that's all you have to offer then let the adults get on with this debate and keep your remarks to yourself eh?

I still haven't clue what you are on about.  Oh, and the word is PUERILE.  You really do show yourself up sometimes, I'd stop digging if I was you.

Oh God.......................................

You really want to do this? Okay... I apologise for my spelling error. 

Now do you want to address the real issue under discussion or have you run out of intellect?

Remind me, what is the issue under discussion now?  Your constant whinging about the Council?  The new Councillor being a Tory?

No mate,

You raised the issue of party politics and began the whinge about the council.

My post was that he was a 'good bloke'.

Keep up.

In that case I will reserve judgment on this "good bloke" until we have seen what does on the Council.  Although he is a Tory, so that's not a good omen.

So was Churchill.

I mistakenly thought Gregory Fenne was standing for the Town Council this time round so I googled him - it came up with the above from 2012.  

That's very amusing.  I wonder what the verdict is now.

Actually Gregory Fenne is standing, as is Angela Fenne of the same address.    All these double acts, do Town Council meetings coincide with date night or something? 

and the thing with these double acts ( just hang on a mo whilst I get on my hobby horse) is that if one gets 'caught' with having to declare a pecuniary interest then so does the other. 

Just saying........

I can confirm that Gregory and Angela Fenne are husband and wife.

Both are stalwarts of the Legion who brought you Party In The Park, The Christmas Concert, Armed Forces Day, Armed Forces Day Bowling Comp day (etc, etc) and, above all, Remembrance Day (not forgetting the 2 weeks of the Poppy Appeal that goes with it). Both are also Standard Bearers who represent the Dawlish Branch throughout Devon (and further afield including possibly the Royal Albert Hall).

Provided they both have the best interests of the town at heart that shouldn't be an issue - although I too don't particularly like how many couples are on the council.

I'd say though, that if you have a real issue with this, then stand yourself.

I don't; so I'm not.

I like being able to speak my mind Huw which is why,amongst other reasons, I'll never stand for election to any council.

Be elected and then find myself gagged by pecuniary interests and/or predetermination of planning applications and goodness knows what other rules and regulations?

No Thanks.