John Martin, who has been told by Norfolk County Council not to copy in all 84 councillors to his correspondence and requests for information

Council claims Norfolk man’s questions cause ‘unreasonable burden’

By Shaun Lowthorpe, Public affairs correspondent Monday, May 23, 2011
8:29 PM

A Norfolk man has been told to stop writing to all of Norfolk’s 84 county councillors and warned that his repeated questions and requests for information to County Hall was costing thousands of pounds and placing an “unreasonable burden” on officers.

Lawyers for Norfolk County Council have written to retired solicitor John Martin, (pictured), stating that because of the volume of requests he has sent in, the authority will only respond where it has a legal obligation to do so.

A letter from the councils solicitor, Mike Garwood, noted that the authority had dealt with at least 49 freedom of information (FOI) requests, 19 letters raising matters you wish to complain about and at least 169 other requests for information and opinions on matters of council policy of interest to you.

As well as asking the 60-year-old not to copy correspondence to all elected members, the letter said that there was a concern these cause an unreasonable burden on the time and resources of the council and its officers arising from the volume of your communications and that you frequently copy them to all 84 elected members.

And it said that because of the adverse impact of copying in all councillors the council would need to consider what further action to take.

The full cost of this to the public purse is difficult to quantify. However, by way of estimate, the councils cost in 2009/10 of dealing with FOI requests was estimated at 98 per request. This would suggest an estimated cost of dealing with your FOI requests alone of 4,000 to 5,000. It should be noted that the above statistics do not include questions to cabinet and other committees during public question time. But the retired solicitor, from Great Witchingham, near Norwich, insisted last night that he would not be gagged. Previous requests have centred on issues ranging from the Kings Lynn incinerator to losses incurred by the council in the wake of the Icelandic banks collapse.

Mr Martin said the common thread of his questions related to council expenditure, transparency, and whether the council was complying properly with its procedural requirements.

Every Norfolk resident is entitled to ask for information about any matter that affects them as a Norfolk resident, Mr Martin said. I would argue that whatever I have cost taxpayers over three years, I have saved more than that for the public in terms of what I have uncovered.

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94 comments

SWAFFHAM’S county councillor Ann Steward helped to launch a booklet featuring 12 circular walks in and around the town last week. What will this cost? Ann Steward was on Television promoting the incinerator at Kings Lynn. Little does she realise with the prevailing wind the dioxins will land in Swaffham. Will the walkers receive subsidised breathing apparatus while on their leisurely stroll?

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CleanAirPlease

Thursday, May 26, 2011
SWAFFHAM’S county councillor Ann Steward helped to launch a booklet featuring 12 circular walks in and around the town last week. What will this cost? Ann Steward was on Television promoting the incinerator at Kings Lynn. Little does she realise with the prevailing wind the dioxins will land in Swaffham. Will the walkers receive subsidised breathing apparatus while on their leisurely stroll? http:www.lynnnews.co.uknewshealthswaffham_walking_for_health_1_2712834

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CleanAirPlease

Thursday, May 26, 2011
Cllr Derrick Murphy is bragging around County Hall he has spoken to Eric Pickles and no matter what health issues with the proposed incinerator at Kings Lynn he will push it through. Murphy is just a County Councillor and will be voted out of his Freebridge consistency and his days are numbered. His legacy is he has taken the County Council in to disrepute and ruined the lives of people of West Norfolk. When he was voted in at Freebridge ward he was supposed to work for his constituents. 93% rejected the incinerator. He has broken County councillor’s code of conduct because he should have stood down as their councillor; he is no longer in a position to work for them. Or he should have stood down as leader of the County because a conflict of interest.

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dereham

Thursday, May 26, 2011
Christoph - I find it amazing that people who will not be directly effected by the harmful dioxins released from the proposed Saddlebow Incinerator care so little for the health of their fellow man. A poor reflection of today's society. And before you restate NCC's PR driven 'dioxins are not harmful to human health' statements, I would recommend reading some peer reviewed scientific reports into the matter.

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ForDemocracy

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Christoph - I find it amazing that people who will not be directly effected by the harmful dioxins released from the proposed Saddlebow Incinerator care so little for the health of their fellow man. A poor reflection of today's society. And before you restate NCC's PR driven 'dioxins are not harmful to human health' statements, I would recommend reading some peer reviewed scientific reports into the matter.

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ForDemocracy

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
John Cooper has a point .The EDP and Mercury swallowed the harbour scheme hook line and sinker and trotted out the PR the bodies concerned chose to feed us. Only when readers like John Cooper started to make a fuss did the tone of EDP articles change. The wind turbine projects are another case-claims about employment figures should be reported as estimates or possibilites,not facts. The lack of investigative reporting on the handling of the Northern distributor road proposals is also disappointing. Our only regional newspaper should be expected to take an unbiased and even critical look at the news feeds they receive and try to inform their readership, not play puppy to councils and developers.

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Daisy Roots

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Not much has changed over the years- John Martin and others must keep challenging this dictatorial, power-crazy leader who seems to have swallowed much of the propaganda from the characters he has written about.

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maryjane

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Well, I fear that NCC is putting its threats into practice. To test the system, a few days ago I e-mailed the chief executive asking for details of all conduct complaints against members, together with a note of the action to be taken, to be published on the NCC website automatically. I have now been told that my e-mail "will be dealt with in accordance with the letter to you dated 6th May 2011". I assume that NCC is now trying to conjure up an argument that it is not legally obliged to answer my email substantively. Would some of you who have shown me sympathy care to submit a similar request to David White?

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John Martin

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
oH NO THEY ARE NOT ! Sorry its a bit early for pantomime, but that is the service we get from our duplicious councils. They are over staffed, over managed, over paid, and have far too high an opinion of their own capabilities. Cut the lot from the top to the bottom by 50\%, we might then get value for mkoney.

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countywize

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Maggie, you are very sympathetic. Of course, as you and I know, any number of people are quite properly raising FOI requests for information about the Saddlebow incinerator - about which we are not supposed to know too much.

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John Martin

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It is unfair of Norfolk County Council to target John Martin in this way. He is asking the questions that most of the people in Norfolk want answerered. It is discrimination to blame one man for asking questions. Thousands of us have sent emails and sent information to councillors.

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Maggie

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What has happened to my reply to NthNchMan? It was pretty much free of blasphemy and profanity, and I don't even think that it mentioned Dear Leader.

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John Martin

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I wonder how many people would think the 15p per copy price tag is good value if it was for sale in a papershop rather than dumped on our doorstep. Keep asking the questions John Martin.... Just copy in one extra councellor each time (especially those who don't like each other...works a treat!! ) 14:11 240511

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wurley

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Why dont you show my blog is it because your boss was in on the gifting of our port to IPH???

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John L Cooper

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
well done mr martin . Maybe you could find out the total cost to the county of norfolk of thirteen years of housing refugees and asylum seekers under labour. And how they are funding it now we are bankrupt

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running bear

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Let me issue a challenge to all of you good people who have shown an interest of one kind or another in this issue. NCC employs a large in-house PR facility. On occasion, it is used in advance to smooth the way. For instance, it was deployed in an attempt early on to persuade the editor of the independently owned Lynn News to support the King’s Lynn incinerator project. (That was a total failure!) At other times, its role is to recover ground when someone has made a gaffe such as Cllr Derrick Murphy’s suggestion on the Politics Show recently that a parish council in west Norfolk was trying to frustrate the aims of NCC. Here is the challenge. Using your own initiative, extract from NCC answers to the following: - (a) what was the cost in 2010-2011 of that PR facility and (b) what is the justification for its existence.

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John Martin

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Perhaps Mr Martin could do some digging and find out what C0mm0n Purp0se is up to in Norfolk.

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Disgusted of Norwich South

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Blimey John, still argueing the toss. Whatever do you do in your spare time. There must be some useful employment for you elsewhere to better utilise your energies.

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MIKEJ

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Mr Martin is within his rights to ask questions. Good luck to him. PS What happened to my previous posts?

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Disgusted of Norwich South

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hello EDP what is wrong why are you NOT displaying my blog???

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John L Cooper

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Everyone wants to belive that NCC is some big corp full of nasty bigwigs intent on their own greed. The fact is that is not true, the VAST majority of employees there are honest everyday people like you (maybe) and I. Oh and by the way, I do want the waste incinerator. If you don't want it - it's probably because you live in Kings Lynn.

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christoph

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I think that we should all write on every subject to all councillors, they are so in the gravy trough and in awe of their so-called servants, that the whole lot of them, none of whom could be described as understanding what we really want,deserve a kick in the correspondents.

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countywize

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Unfortunately in Cabinet run councils the majority of councillors seem to have been disenfranchised. Independents can make little impact unless they are in sufficient numbers, and it does take money to print election leaflets or hire rooms for meetings to express views to would be electors. Questioning seems the best way to embarrass the status quo merchants at County Hall.

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bedoomed

Monday, May 23, 2011
NchNthMan, I don't think that Roughton Parish Council invested £32.5 million in the failed Icelandic banks, spends £10 million a year on external consultants, wasted £9 million on trying to establish a waste facility in Costessey, has blown £10 million on an NDR that possibly will never be built, hopes to build a huge polluting incinerator in King's Lynn or pays its chief executive £263,700 a year. Does that answer your concerns? If not, I can try harder. Obviously, if you feel that I also am an idiot then there is little that I can do to change your view.

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John Martin

Monday, May 23, 2011
The council has a 'legal obligation' to answer all FOI requests. They cannot stop Mr Martin asking questions, although they may declare an individual FOI request to be 'vexatious'. Perhaps Mr Martin could do some digging to find out what Common Purpose is up to in Norfolk.

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Disgusted of Norwich South

Monday, May 23, 2011
By all means question NCC on issues but bear in mind that idiot who managed to put up the local council tax in Roughton because of his never ending questioning of the council as it caused more administration.

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NchNthMan

Monday, May 23, 2011
I am trying so hard to reply to sensible questions that are being asked.

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John Martin

Monday, May 23, 2011
Robotsthatcare. Yours is a very proper question. The answer is that I do. But either there is no response at all, or an officer is instructed to reply. The e-mails that I copy to all 84 members are simply to inform them, and frequently I receive a reply from one or another expressing surprise that he or she had previously been unaware of what I had uncovered. The sad fact is that with a cabinet form of local government, backbench members are as starved of information as members of the public. After a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission, the EDP has finally agreed to publish a letter from me seeking to redress the imbalance in Shaun Lowthorpe's article. I am also hopeful that an interview that I was asked to give Anglia News will appear tomorrow night at 6.00 pm.

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John Martin

Monday, May 23, 2011
Mr Martin, if you are interested in righting the wrongs of Norfolk County Council, when you have a particular issue to raise, why do you not address your correspondence to the councillor with cabinet responsibility for that issue? By copying letters to all 80+ councillors aren't you just wasting your own time and money?

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robotsthatcare

Monday, May 23, 2011
Thanks for making me smile alecto. I can agree with scrapping the Norfolk journal, as well as with all food subsedies in council canteens, district or County. I make my own sandwiches, we do not need to turn council offices into taxpayer susidised tea rooms. How about setting up a website with all the information people garner via FoI requests, open for taxpaying voters to peruse, with a special encryption facillity, providing some safety for whistleblowers who want to let us know, but can't be open and fear for their jobs. Money could come from the journal's budget, and NCC should not have any control over content. NCC's two faced dismembering of local democracy has to stop somewhere. I urge officers to come forward and tell us if they are not happy with what is being done currently, they do not have to fear for their jobs.

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ingo wagenknecht

Monday, May 23, 2011
Anita Dump wishes to know how I am going to find out what services the NCC provides. I've read one leaflet, more than a sufficiency, I can tell you. I also have the internet available, the telephone book and the telephonic instrument in the corner of my kitchen by which I can dial through to the NCC and ask them whether it is they or the District Council that deals with certain matters. I repeat yet again that we do not need some ridiculous leaflet dropped through our doors several times a year reiterating the information that we all have, interspersed with photos that no-one wants to see, save the sitter. The NCC is required to provide certain services and it was ever thus so the only way that my mental booklet of NCC services would need amending would be if NCC decide to get rid of certain essential responsibilities to the public of Norfolk. Then it would be earnestly hoped that the EDP would print this information and we could all cross that particular service off our list, whether written or in our memories. Day care centres for example! Peter J. What an excellent idea to make John Martin, hero of Norfolk, into our local monarch. Can I be third Fury in Waiting? He could melt down all the silly jewellery that all the expensive mayors dotted around Norfolk wear with such pride and have them made into regalia. Or, knowing him, something more useful.

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alecto

Monday, May 23, 2011
Mr Martin has every right to ask questions but should stop copying them to all the councillors. Also, each time he makes a request under the FOI act, or a query or makes a complaint then he should consider the financial effect and the burden on the council tax payer.

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acenditcantu

Monday, May 23, 2011
Peter J, thank you. If the Chairman's budget were suddenly to be reduced and the decision announced to drop one issue of "Your Norfolk", it would be hubristic of me to claim the sole credit. I am sure that others have argued similarly. However, it would not have been the result of a planned cost cutting exercise. The budget for 2011-2012 - intended to produce £60 million of savings - was set a few months ago following the so-called "Big Conversation". By the way, one of the oposition group members in County Hall described that as a "conversation with the deaf"!

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John Martin

Monday, May 23, 2011
Steve 33, thank you. It is heartening to know that there are many others who feel that we have the most autocratic admininstration ever in County Hall that is so out of touch with the people that it is supposed to represent. (In that context I would mention 65,500 residents of West Norfolk who do not want a health threatening waste incinerator thrust upon them, when there are other effective means of dealing with the landfill problem.)

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John Martin

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Norfolk County Council*

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Steve33

Sunday, May 22, 2011
It is good that we still have people like John Martin prepared to ask questions like this, we dont live in a dictatorship just yet - although im sure Norwich County Council wish that we did sometimes.

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Steve33

Sunday, May 22, 2011
They are sent to try us, thank you. I can't really give you an answer; only an instance. Some time ago, I argued that the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee should inquire into the decision by NCC to invest £32.5 million in the three Icelandic banks that failed in October 2008. (Even now almost £30 million is still owed to NCC.) I had it particularly in mind that only one in four local authorities had money invested with them, and out of the 120 or so that did, NCC was fourth in the league table with most at stake. I wanted to know who had taken the actual decision, and on what advice. I also wanted to know why heads had not rolled, as they would have done in the private sector. I can only describe what actually resulted as a puffball operation, but then there is, of course, a large Tory majority on the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee.

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John Martin

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Well Done Mr Martin. NCC & Others need people like you asking them questions. Keep it going..... I would like to know how much time and money is spent on defending decisions that NCC have previously made in error? The Unresonable Burden is on us the PUBLIC

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They are sent to try us!!

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Well Done Mr Martin. NCC & Others need people like you asking them questions. Keep it going..... I would like to know how much time and money is spent on defending decisions that NCC have previously made in error? The Unresonable Burden is on us the PUBLIC

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They are sent to try us!!

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Fair comment John Martin. If I may qualify my later comment, I was in part trying to establish exactly what the EDP website would tolerate from a comment as it took it the best part of 24 hours to put up my earlier, and may I say, more mature and reasonable comment, whereas the latter one, using all the cynicism I could muster, was put up instantly. I do wonder exactly how it is they decide what is and isn't acceptable because clearly others are having the same trouble. I think I might just be a tad confused about how you see yourself in all of this - hypothetically speaking, if NCC tomorrow announced the Chairman's budget was reduced and Your Norfolk was reduced by an issue (or even two... or three) then would you see it as a result solely of your intervention or would you see it as a result of the type of cost-cutting exercises that all government authorities are currently undertaking? Now, let's see if this comment is published straight away...

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Peter J

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Peter J, let me respond to your longer and earlier entry. The correct paraphrase would be that I choose not to stand because I prefer to be practical. Were party politics not involved, I most certainly would stand. But even if, from the outside, I can persuade the NCC Cabinet to publish one less issue of "Your Norfolk" a year, then I shall have saved the public £55k. If I can persuade the NCC Chairman to waive her budget for "civic and ceremonial duties" - she hasn't replied to me yet - then I shall have saved the public a further £68k. Those sums would probably keep a day centre open for a year. Where a ruling administration has an overall majority of thirty-six seats, and there is no effective scrutiny of its actions, then it is down to members of the public to take up the scrutiny role. Participation in local government is not just limited to voting every four years. As for your shorter and later entry, I should like to make a positive response to that too but I fear that I cannot without appearing completely undignified.

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John Martin

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wow, my post from Friday 20th early morning, has miraculously appeared 2 days after it was submitted. Thank you.

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Joy, King's Lynn

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wow, my post from Friday 20th early morning, has miraculously appeared 2 days after it was submitted. Thank you.

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Joy, King's Lynn

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Is it possible to simply do away with centuries-worth of British democratic tradition and make John Martin king of Norfolk? Using this method, he would not have to go through the ignominy of potentially losing in a democratic election and could simply stop all County Hall publications at the click of a finger. It's what the people want right?

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Peter J

Sunday, May 22, 2011
Fenscape, thank you but I don't even think that it has struck them - in their pomposity - how easily their ban can be evaded. They must think that I am a lone voice in the wilderness. How foolish is that? Nevertheless, a serious point of democratic principle is at stake.

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John Martin

Saturday, May 21, 2011
PS - Well done John Martin - if you want someone else to write on your behalf then let me know.... NCC should have a 'legal obligation' to reply to each and every letter it receives from those people who fund it rather than bully the taxpayers who have a right to transparency in everything that is done in the name of democratic society.

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Fenscape

Saturday, May 21, 2011
2 things, Anita Dump - firstly, why is the unsolicited 'Your Norfolk' still being dumped through every letterbox in the county when the vast majority of us have the capacity to look at the NCC website for free and secondly, I think you'll find the cost is much higher than 15p per household - not only do I have to pay for the blasted thing to be designed, printed and delivered but I also have to pay for it to be taken away and recycled too. I realise that NCC is trying to get recycling rates up across Norfolk but I didn't realise that they were going to do this by generating some of that rubbish in the first place.... (I mean, it's hardly in the same league as 'Take a Break' or 'Hello' is it?!?)

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Fenscape

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Anita Dump, all that it takes is one leaflet a year - possibly distributed by the refuse men - setting out contact numbers and the services available. Details can also be found in the telephone book. £220k could have kept the Connexions service running for a long while or funded an elderly day centre. Are you aware that NCC has pledged to make £155m cuts ovwer three years? This kind of expenditure is a selfish luxury.

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John Martin

Saturday, May 21, 2011
So Alecto, how do you propose that NCC communicates with you, to tell you about what services are available to you as a Norfolk resident? It may cost £55,000 per issue, but if my research is correct, there are 371,000 homes in Norfolk, meaning the cost of each copy is less than 15p. Pretty good value if you ask me.

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Anita Dump

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Anita Dump. Let me try again. As I said in my post, I read the Norfolk County Council rag assiduously from cover to cover the first time it was dropped through my door. That was enough. Even if it were slightly less boring that watching paint dry I don't think it is worth the vast sums of money it costs. The funds should be used for daycare centres and other necessary expenditure that would actually benefit the people of Norfolk. Thank you Mr Martin for uncovering this particular example of blatant County Council waste.

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alecto

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Bravo running bear! Even in a story about expenses from the county council which is run by the Conservatives you manage to bring the Labour party in to it. I'm impressed.

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anglia_squared

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Christine, you may be correct. I posted an entry about the difficulties that I have been facing in trying to obtain information about the conduct complaints made against Cllr Murphy by two of his Tory colleagues, each alleging bullying. It has vanished into thin air.

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John Martin

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Loki, let me try once more. I am not John Norton and I have certainly not claimed that elections are rigged.

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John Martin

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Same as happens to all my post's EDP do not put up anything of substance that they think may show NCC in a negative way!

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Joy, King's Lynn

Saturday, May 21, 2011
This might be a record breaker for the EDP - 32 comments in less than 24 hours. Clearly you are well liked Mr. Martin. I do find it odd, though, that you are not enamoured by the idea of standing for election. The high-mindedness apparent in some of your posts suggests to me that you are exactly the sort of person who should stand for election. But your justification for not doing so is bemusing to say the least! To paraphrase, you don't want to stand because you don't think you can win? Is that about the nub of it? This says a lot about your views on the time-honoured traditions of British democracy. That someone of your expertise and insight is prepared simply to snipe from the sidelines rather than enter the fray represents in a microcosm the problems inherent in our system of politics... problems that you yourself are so eager to point out. I really think that you should give serious consideration to putting yourself forward.

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Peter J

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Loki, I am not John Norton and I have never claimed that elections are rigged. Please withdraw your comments and apologise.

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John Martin

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Loki, you are confusing me with John Norton. I have never claimed that elections are rigged and I never would. I simply would not believe it. Perhaps you will take that back. I get enough unjustified flak as it is for trying to achieve something for the public.

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
At least you got some sort of response John. My FoI request (the only one I have ever sent to them) was due for response by 17th May. I have not even had the courtesy of any communication as to why they they cannotwill not provide the information I have requested. I have put in a formal complaint which, surprise surprise, I have had no response to! The sheer arrogance is shocking!

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Catty

Friday, May 20, 2011
Why are the EDP telling us that our messages are accepted and then not printing them? Has Murphy got control here too?

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Christine

Friday, May 20, 2011
Why are the EDP telling us that our messages are accepted and then not printing them? Has Murphy got control here too?

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Christine

Friday, May 20, 2011
Why are the EDP telling us that our messages are accepted and then not printing them? Has Murphy got control here too?

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Christine

Friday, May 20, 2011
John - whats happened to my question to you about rigging elections? Please tell us how its done!

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Loki

Friday, May 20, 2011
What happened to my entry about bullying?

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
Well done Mr Martin, keep questioning them. Someone needs to make them accountable

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Jacob Burns

Friday, May 20, 2011
Glee, given the importance of this issue, I am trying to respond constructively to everyone. A local authority that accepts the principle of transparency would not expect everyone to rely upon the FOIA, but would respond to informal requests for information. As you probably know, the FOIA allows hugely generous time limits for providing the information, and also gives an ability to the authority to refuse it. You are then into the appeal system.

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
MIKEJ and Andy New, may I just refer you to my response to Anita Dump?

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
'the authority will only respond where it has a “legal obligation” to do so.' So they're still going to respond to your FOI requests then? If so, I can't see a problem- you're more likely to get an answer that way and the rest is a waste of everyone's time

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Glee

Friday, May 20, 2011
May I crave the EDP's indulgence a little further, and refer to a non-financial issue? That is compliance with the NCC members' code of conduct. It is a matter of public record that since last October, Cllr Derrick Murphy, the NCC leader, has been the subject of two formal complaints to the NCC standards committee alleging bullying. These separate complaints were made by his own colleagues, Cllrs Joe Mooney and Brian Long. Both survived the intial filter process, which shows that they were not without substance. The first was ultimately dimsissed, after a lengthy investigation. The second has yet to be determined. Cllr Murphy occupies the most important role in County Hall. The public has a direct interest in his behaviour as leader. This is not a private matter.I appplied under the FOIA for a copy of the outside investigatior's report, and my request was refused. My appeal against that refusal was turned down by the chief executive, David White. I have now applied to the Information Commissioner, and I intend to follow the same route when the second complaint is determined, whatever its outcome.

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
Anita Dump - john norton claims in another thread that there's "nothing more rigged than elections" so difficult to see him standing in one!

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Loki

Friday, May 20, 2011
John Martin is trying to stop Norfolk County Council from becoming a dictatorship. Ask MP Richard Bacon 2006 over comments in the EDP about being kept in the dark over a planning issue in his constituency. Cllr George Nobbs is just about sick to the back teeth with them. May the 19th a reshuffle. Cllr Brian long for speaking out about the proposed incinerator at Kings Lynn, he lost two cabinet posts. Cllr Dobson who lost his seat on the Corporate Resources and Scrutiny panel because he was also against the incinerator, he was also bullied by Cllr Murphy for attempting to stand against him as leader. Cllr jean Mickleburg has been promoted because she was in favour of the incinerator! Just Stinks! The Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk are taking our County Council to the High Court. There is one man that has taken Norfolk County council into disrepute and that is Cllr Derrick Murphy Leader. He is fuming because his wife Janet was humiliated at the Borough Council Meeting Kings Lynn early this year. The Borough Council had decided to listen to the public that voted in a referendum to reject the incinerator at Kings Lynn in favour of recycling waste. Janet Murphy had said she disagreed with the wording of the referendum, she said the incinerator should have been called energy from waste. Even though the waste is burnt and 30% of it is toxic ash and most goes to landfill or quarries. The incinerator contract was awarded to Cory Wheelabrator and has just been fined $7.5 million last week through dumping toxic ash. Their parent company were fined $450 million for fraud. What on earth was our County Council awarding contract to crooks? It is time the Murphy family moved out of Norfolk. John Martin is like the Good Guy in the Westerns.

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dereham

Friday, May 20, 2011
Im sick off seeing Johns letters in the EDP..If he had so much to say, why did he not become a politician

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MIKEJ

Friday, May 20, 2011
More power to Mr Martin. Make them all let us know what is going on, from parish to county, they spend our money and are meant to be accountable.

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Daisy Roots

Friday, May 20, 2011
Estimated £98 to answer each FOI enquirie ??? Who have they got answering them--The Prime Minister ? Seems like a "can of worms" --- keep up the good work Mr Martin !

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Orson Carter

Friday, May 20, 2011
Would it not be a valid use of J Martin's time to become part of the council? Rather than question every movement AFTER it has happened surely a better use of his time would be to STOP these things happening in the first place?

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Andy New

Friday, May 20, 2011
Anita Dump. My response to Ziggy has at long last appeared.(I was grateful for the opportunity to set out some figures.) You will see that biscuits have been my last concern. On the old "why don't you stand for election yourself" taunt, let me explain why I do not. I believe that there is no place for party politics in local government. I have no political allegiances, and my conscience would dictate in any event that I stood as an independent. How many of NCC's eighty-four members are independents? When did an independent last sit on NCC? What happened in the Lothingland by-election on 5th May when John Cooper, a man almost viewed as a local hero in that part of the world, stood for election to NCC as an independent? He came third behind the Tory and Labour candidates. It is virtually impossible for any independent to compete aginst the resources that the local party organisations can throw into fighting elections. I believe that I can do more for the public from the outside, hoping that in time I might just influence the views of the ruling administration in County Hall.

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
Keep up the good work John. You are obviously rattling Mr Murphys cage. I imagine he is alarmed that you may unearth those skeletons which we all know are lurking in the closets of County Hall.

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ForDemocracy

Friday, May 20, 2011
Alecto - if you don't read it, how on earth do you know it's ridiculous and no use to anyone? Personally, I find it quite interesting and informative. As for Mr Martin, I regularly read the minutes of council meetings and have been surprised to see his name against so many questions over such a range of topics. If you're that interested Mr Martin, do you intend to put yourself forward as a prospective candidate in future elections? Personally I think the freedom of information act is far too open to abuses and takes people away from doing the jobs they should be doing to answer ridiculous queries about how much was spent on biscuits for the last 6 years, which brand is the chairman's favourite and how many biscuits were left over and wasted following each meeting. I agree fully that councils, councillors and staff should be open, transparent and accountable. However, councillors are elected in a democratic process to make decisions on our behalf. If you don't like the decisions that are made, it's simple, vote for someone that you do agree with or stand for election yourself if you think you can do better.

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Anita Dump

Friday, May 20, 2011
Alecto - if you don't read it, how on earth do you know it's ridiculous and no use to anyone? Personally, I find it quite interesting and informative. As for Mr Martin, I regularly read the minutes of council meetings and have been surprised to see his name against so many questions over such a range of topics. If you're that interested Mr Martin, do you intend to put yourself forward as a prospective candidate in future elections? Personally I think the freedom of information act is far too open to abuses and takes people away from doing the jobs they should be doing to answer ridiculous queries about how much was spent on biscuits for the last 6 years, which brand is the chairman's favourite and how many biscuits were left over and wasted following each meeting. I agree fully that councils, councillors and staff should be open, transparent and accountable. However, councillors are elected in a democratic process to make decisions on our behalf. If you don't like the decisions that are made, it's simple, vote for someone that you do agree with or stand for election yourself if you think you can do better.

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Anita Dump

Friday, May 20, 2011
The cost of Mr Martin's frequent requests & questions appear to be good value for money to me -the sad thing being his endeavours' results are not more widely publicised. I have learnt much with futher reseach following his entries in this column, specifly regarding the proposed Incinerator & financial expenditure by NCC. If the council's gossy, expensive 'comic' were more factual & truthfull -perhaps Mr Matin would have no further questions-keep up the good work John, somebody has to keep Mr Murphy in check!

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dillan

Friday, May 20, 2011
Dear Alecto, The most recent annual figure that I obtained for the four issues of the self-congatulatory "Your Norfolk" was £220k. Questions some time ago about its future produced conflicting answers. There are more details in my 350 word response to Ziggy - if it ever appears. It sounds like the Cuckoo Marans had a lucky escape. John Martin

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
If you get a moment Mr Martin do you think you can lobby the County Council to stop them sending out their ridiculous magazine several times a year. It must cost a fortune and is no use to anyone. I took the trouble to read through the first one that was expensively dropped through our letterbox and have chucked the subsequent editions into the recycling. It's not even the right size to line my chicken coop so it is really no use to anyone not even the Cuckoo Marans.

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alecto

Friday, May 20, 2011
after thirteen years of labour and the lies brown and blair told while in office its not supprising that people want to know the truth on all subjects. Well done john martin for using your democratic right to find the truth

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running bear

Friday, May 20, 2011
Well done John Martin, looks like you have uncovered the truth. Keep up the good work.

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Maggie

Friday, May 20, 2011
When will NCC learn that if they are open and honest with the public they would save loads and loads of money and may regain some credibility!!! They have lost the trust of the people and those who have a strong sense of community are responding to that. It is not only John Martin I am aware of countless people who are so frustrated at the manouverings within county hall they have no choice but to force information through official proceedures.

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Joy, King's Lynn

Friday, May 20, 2011
Well, Ziggy, where do we start? Let us take some figures for 2009-2010, though thankfully the Government has in recent times made it compulsory for some of this information to be published by local authorities. NCC spent £10.49 million on forty or more separate firms of external consultants, despite employing a huge team of officers in-house. (The six most senior of those officers were paid a total of £1.05 million that same year. The chief executive himself came ninth in the England and Wales league table.) Uneconomic agency staff cost £1.37 million. NCC's "Customer Services and Communications" team - PR people to you and me - cost £3.5 million. (In that figure you have to include £220k for four issues of the largely self-congratulatory "Your Norfolk" that most recipients immediately bin.) To get down to petty cash levels, while there is an in-house legal team of seventy plus, NCC still spent £294k on outside firms of solicitors. The NCC chairman was given a budget of £68k to spend on "civic and ceremonial duties" whatever they are. A similar sum was laid out on two "political assistants. £10k plus was spent on Blackberry phones for members - and line rental. I do not just ask questions, Ziggy. As a follow up, I try to lobby NCC. Even if it drops just one issue of "Your Norfolk" a year - as I hope it will - then I shall have helped to save £55k annually. Doesn't that alone provide good value, especially as you get all of my time and expertise for free? More to the point, NCC has since dispensed with one expensive senior officer, and it has agreed to spend less on consultants. What I cannot do anything about is the £29 million still owning almost three years on from the failed Icelandic banks, the £9 million wasted on plans for a waste facility in Costessey and the £10 million already laid out on an NDR that may never be built. And don't get me started on the £670 million contract for the largely unwanted King's Lynn incinerator. Do you feel corrected?

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John Martin

Friday, May 20, 2011
You must understand that the county council needs to make cut-backs. Otherwise how will they be able to pay their friends at Cory Wheelabrator £20 million. Good luck Mr Martin. Keep up the good work.

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Lynn Boy 2

Friday, May 20, 2011
So, 'lawyers have written to Mr. Martin', ensuring that NCC is also prepared to spend our money at this spat. I for one thanks Mr. Martin for the watch he keeps on NCC's expediency and probety. Should Mr. Martin make his requests openly available, then those who'd like to scrutinise their elected representatives in an openly accountable way by comparing figures, shwould not feel the urge to bother the council with duplicate requests. This would leave some more time to respond to Mr. Martins legitamite questions in full. Curtailing his requests for information will only increase the number of requests on issues, far better to be open frank and to the point in the first place, rather than threaten him with costly lawyers at our expense. Public representatives should be aware that they are servants, not overlords.

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ingo wagenknecht

Friday, May 20, 2011
So Mr Martin, up to your usual tricks, trying to get the County Council to tell the truth and be open and transparent. I think it is about time that all Councils printed everything relevant on their websites then you wouldn't need to go to the effort of extracting information from the clearly secretive and reluctant bunch of individuals that form the County Council. It is quite clear from this that you are rattling their cage and some amateur spin doctor has suggested taking this tack to blacken your name. Well Mr Martin, keep up the good work, you are better than all of them and there are a lot of us out here who support you to the hilt and there will be even more once the public twig what is going on.

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alecto

Friday, May 20, 2011
£98 per request. Perhaps Garwood would like to justify how he came to this figure ?. When people are at work (difficult for NCC), they get a fixed wage, for doing "work", so how come it costs for these requests ?.____Garwood might also like to remember that NCC works for the people, not the people work for NCC._____IF THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.

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Karl Hunter

Friday, May 20, 2011
I fully agree with Canary Boy - how dare the Mr Martin question the judgement of a fine, upstanding body like NCC, just because they do things like entering into dubious contracts for an Incinerator which nobody wants or needs and totally ignores the democratic wishes of the People they are meant to serve!

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Norfolk and Good

Friday, May 20, 2011
So Mr Martin, what have you uncovered then? It would be interesting to see so that we can judge for ourselves whether the expense he has created HAS been worth it....I suspect he has discovered nothing but I'm happy to be corrected....

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Ziggy

Friday, May 20, 2011
Mr Martin has the right to ask whatever questions he wants. In the private sector if you receive a letter that is not relevant to your department then it is passed to the correct recipient. Why would all 84 councillors feel that they needed to reply? Norfolk County Council could adopt Broadland DC's tactic of only replying verbally to awkward issues so that they can deny what they said later.

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Homes4locals

Friday, May 20, 2011
It is such a shame that we have to bother our County Council with annoying things like questions they do not want to answer and therefore put the tax payer to the expense of FOI requests. Personally I just wish the council was open with those they are there to serve! It seems that those who sit in County Hall have forgotten that key issue, they are employed by us, for us. They are not there to work for the best interests of big business behind the back of the taxpayers who fund not only the projects but the wages of officers and allowances of members. Keep up the good work Mr Martin, you are a hero to many of us!

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Canary Boy

Friday, May 20, 2011
If the officials we employ via our taxes were more willing to be open and transparent in their dealings, people like Mr Martin would not need to keep writing, he probably feels the need to copy in the Councillors so that he wil get a response. I applaude him.

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Spider

Friday, May 20, 2011