Folkestone & Hythe District Council the gift which keeps on giving

Data they say, is the new oil.

Each month Folkestone & Hythe District Council produce their monthly payment to suppliers data which continues to be a rich seam to drill into for the Shepway Vox Team.

In Oct 2019 and July 2020, Folkestone & Hythe District Council paid W.D.Milne Ltd the gross amount of £14,000 for “Standards Committee Investigations“

W.D.Milne Ltd according to Companies House undertake “Justice and judicial activities“. It was they who undertook the investigation into former Peter Simmons expenses scandal.

Who has been investigated? Why have they been investigated? And where are the investigation reports? After all it is public money which has paid for them and releasing the reports would be in the public interest.

Oportunitas Ltd – a company wholly owned by FHDC – has been on our blog pages of late, as the Counciil forgot to inform the planning committee they had agreed to purchase properties on the Royal Victoria Hospital site, from Leo Griggs.

Now it turns out the other wholly owned FHDC company, Otterpool Park LLP, has purchased £50,000 pounds worth of share capital in Oportunitas Ltd.

So the questions are have the five new non-executive directors who will sit on the Otterpool Park Limited Liability Company been informed:

• Cllr Jennifer (nine homes) Hollingsbee (Con)

• Cllr Rebecca Tamsin Shoob (Shepway Green Party)

• Dinah Roake

• Luke Quilter

• SallyAnne Logan

And have the four directors of Oportunitas Ltd been informed:

• Cllr Patricia Rolfe (Con)

• Cllr Connor McConville

• Cllr Peter Gane (Con)

• Cllr Terence Mullard (UKIP)

What is the purpose and what is the motive for buying £50,000 pounds worth of share capital in Oportunitas Ltd by Otterpool Park LLP?

Back in August we informed you FHDC had paid Idom Merebrook Ltd £3,408 for “Dog Kennelling Fees”. In July 2020, FHDC paid Idom Merebrook Ltd a further £3,156, bringing the total paid to them to £6,564

Idom Merebrook is a leading national Engineering and Environmental focus practice, whose technical insight and expertise span many sectors such as:

• Construction

• Housing

• Rail

• Aviation

• Nuclear

• Sports

• Mines and Quarries

• Industry and Energy

• Highways

So it’s clear the Idom Merebrook have nothing to do with dogs. And why are the council Kennelling their dogs when they ought to be paying for any such service themselves.

We hope our Cllrs on Oportunitas and the non-executive directors on Otterpool Park will ask FHDC about the share capital of £50,000.

We also hope all Cllrs will ask about the investigations, as they, and we the residents of the district, have a right to know. It is certainly in the public interest to publish the reports as FHDC  have spent £14,000 on investigations.

The Chief Executive of FHDC, Dr Susan Priest, has stated she understands “the importance of transparency and scrutiny” now is the time to demonstrate whether she is prepared to stand by her words.

So this Folkestone & Hythe District Council data, this new oil, could be better described as a gift which keeps on giving.

The Shepway Vox Team

Dissent is Essential in Any Democracy