I hope everyone watched Week In Week Out, if you missed it there's a link to BBC iPlayer at the end of this post..
It was an excellent, truthful and very accurate account of the catastrophic failure of Carmarthenshire council over a ten year period. Criticism was also levelled at Dyfed Powys Police, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM has asked them to re-open the case.
The Assembly Member has also called for a Public Inquiry into the whole planning process in Carmarthenshire, he rightly recognises that there are many people in this county who would like some answers from this authority in an open, public arena.
The evidence from the retired Planning Inspector and the statements from the Ombudsman were particularly telling. The Planning Inspector had not seen a case as bad as this in 25 years in the job and neither it seemed, had the Ombudsman. The Council, it was said, repeatedly 'turned a blind eye' to developments.
The couple were entirely vindicated by the Ombudsman's report but the council's attempt at an apology has been rejected by the Ombudsman, it's not good enough.
I hope Carmarthenshire County Council are deeply ashamed by the revelations in this programme. The question is, do they care? Once again, like the Delyth Jenkins case, instead of appearing on the programme, holding their hands up and saying 'sorry, we got it wrong' they prefer to go on the attack. They deny any wrongdoing and I hear they have now turned their venom on the Ombudsman.
It will be interesting to see how this is reported in the Carmarthen Journal, if at all.....
BBCiPlayer; The Good Life Gone Bad (available until 23rd October)
Here's an article from BBC Online, 16th October;
Carmarthenshire Council failed harassed couple, Ombudsman says
It was an excellent, truthful and very accurate account of the catastrophic failure of Carmarthenshire council over a ten year period. Criticism was also levelled at Dyfed Powys Police, Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM has asked them to re-open the case.
The Assembly Member has also called for a Public Inquiry into the whole planning process in Carmarthenshire, he rightly recognises that there are many people in this county who would like some answers from this authority in an open, public arena.
The evidence from the retired Planning Inspector and the statements from the Ombudsman were particularly telling. The Planning Inspector had not seen a case as bad as this in 25 years in the job and neither it seemed, had the Ombudsman. The Council, it was said, repeatedly 'turned a blind eye' to developments.
The couple were entirely vindicated by the Ombudsman's report but the council's attempt at an apology has been rejected by the Ombudsman, it's not good enough.
I hope Carmarthenshire County Council are deeply ashamed by the revelations in this programme. The question is, do they care? Once again, like the Delyth Jenkins case, instead of appearing on the programme, holding their hands up and saying 'sorry, we got it wrong' they prefer to go on the attack. They deny any wrongdoing and I hear they have now turned their venom on the Ombudsman.
It will be interesting to see how this is reported in the Carmarthen Journal, if at all.....
BBCiPlayer; The Good Life Gone Bad (available until 23rd October)
Here's an article from BBC Online, 16th October;
Carmarthenshire Council failed harassed couple, Ombudsman says
11 comments:
"The truth is out" Not yet Jacqui but it's a good start!
Yes, a good start. Now it's time for the Public Inquiry, or maybe time for the Welsh government to step in. Three years ago the previous Welsh Minister in charge of Planning, Jane Davidson promised to step in where the public had lost faith in the planning system, maybe her successor, John Griffiths actually will.
Another slating from the Ombudsman.
How long can this go on? It seems to me that the victims are treated like perpetrators by both the Council and Dyfed Powys Police.
What I would really like to know is where the County Councillors are in all of this.- They should be ashamed of themselves!
i AM WATCHING THE PROGRAMME AS I TYPE THIS AND I MUST SAY AS A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER I AM ASHAMED AND EMBARRASED ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE POLICE IN THIS MATTER.
THERE IS CLEARLY EVIDENCE OF HARRASMENT AGAINST THE COUPLE.
SHOCKING !!!!
Shocking, but the three questions from Tim Rogers at the end need answers
No body has mentioned Business Rates..How much should have been paid by 'the local just earning a crust'?
@Anon 15.53
I believe the Wales Audit Office did look at the matter at one point to see whether the council's failure to recognise the property as a haulage business meant a loss to the public purse of business rates. They took the word of the council that it was a farm and there was no haulage business.
complaints through carmarthen procedure is a joke.there needs to be an independent body to root out their unjust treatment of people who need to trust the people they're dealing with.
very difficult to get them to be honest and open i have been trying for 2 years they will close ranks and protect their own?get these people to explain themselves in a fair and open inquiry what have they got to lose? their jobs perhaps.
don't let this rot continue within the council a petition from the public will answer mark james response that it will be a waste of time and money to hold a public enquiry.he and his supporters should welcome such an enquiry,to clear the way for people of carmarthenshire to start to begin to trust those that serve them.let the people of carmarthenshire decide not the accused.
They Council have too much to lose. I have said for a long time that there is an undercurrent here. They all close ranks to protect their own jobs but once the cracks start to appear they will start sacrificing each other. I think that time is very near now.
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