It looks like Bristol City Council have discovered a whole new means of stopping ordinary people from finding out what they’re really up to by, er … simply breaking the law!
The Blogger reported last week that Heather Tomlinson’s retarded Children’s Services department has decided to avoid the risk of any embarrassing revelations being uncovered about them through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests by farcically claiming they’re not allowed to provide documents to the public.
Now it seems that planning boss, David Bishop, is at it. Having already been discovered – thanks to FoI – selling protected park land over the telephone to Merchant Venturer George Ferguson in contravention of his own council’s policy and most norms of acceptable conduct for a public official, this senior officer’s department now appears to have decided not to release documents under FoI any more.
Instead, their latest response to an FoI request about Bishop’s dubious sale of Railway Path land at Greenbank features selected and heavily censored “highlights” of documents about the dodgy deal.
This is illegal. Bristol City Council either needs to release the information in full as the law says they should or they need to clearly explain why the documents are exempt from release.
So far they have managed neither.
It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when a government organisation has to break the laws they’re supposed to be upholding and promoting to save themselves from humiliating embarrassment isn’t it?
They’re quick enough to come down on us if we break the the law aren’t they?
But it’s not just their moral authority they’re surrending here – remember this shower of bastards will dish out ASBOs to 12 year olds while happily disregarding the law to protect their six-figure salaries – they may also be storing up some considerable and costly legal problems for themselves in the future.
And guess who ends up paying?
Who is going to prosecute them? Is there even a system set up to do this? Somehow I doubt it. They’re all fucking Masons or Merchant Venturers or whatever – so the cops are out for starters.
Maybe someone should submit a complaint just for the lulz.
As I understand the law, if the Council wish to withold information, they need to explain exactly why they are doing this; national security, health and safety of specific persons, etc.
You then have the right to demand an internal review. If this doesn’t bring joy, then you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner who has to power to investigate, and, if he believes that the Council are out of order, to force them to release the info.
For those delicate souls who absolutely must have a shiny happy good news story …
It shows they’re on the run from the public. Do you think they might have a guilty conscience?
To be fair, local authorities – not even the clueless shites at BCC do not “dish out ASBOs” to anyone regardless of age.
Oh yeh, Steve? Perhaps you haven’t read the latest shit in the Cancer. http://tinyurl.com/5wcawk
It seems that people like me who try to survive as a cyclist on Bristol’s car dominated streets by taking a few liberties with traffic regulations are to be given ASBOs!
Thanks a lot BCC for finally recognising all the years of unpaid work I’ve put in to try to make Bristol’s streets safe for cycling and walking with an appropriate award.
I’ll mention this fact along with many others in my complaint (still being compiled) to the local govt ombudsman on this issue BB.
Methinks you should send the Ombudsman a warning note first, advising him to have his desk reinforced for the arrival of the main course Glenn.
Chris Hutt. ASBOs are given by the Courts, not the Council.
Yes, it seems I’m guilty of overstating that one. The report says “Their (cyclists) details will be recorded on the police anti-social behaviour database”, which is not the same as getting an ASBO, but alarmingly it seems that the police seem to be able to do this without any due process of law.
I wonder how many motorists they’ve put onto the anti-social behaviour database for pavement parking and obstructing the highway? No I don’t really, it’s zilch. They wouldn’t dare treat motorists in the same way as cyclists.
Of course they shouldn’t. Motorists make a fortune for the Treasury. Cyclists contribute bugger all.
Do I see a red rag?
Steve is quite right. Motorists have the might so they must be right. At least that seems to be how the police and the council view it.