Dear Hannah,
JIM’S PAGODA
As you were copied into the email to Cllr Ruth Smith dated 10th March, you will know that the Committee invited her to meet with Dave and myself as Club representatives.
It is a sad fact that no one, I repeat no one, from Exeter City Council, Councillor or Officer, has ever sat down with us and tried to understand the overall situation, or even talk through the Club’s point of view. The only people who have ever listened to us with an open mind are you, Ben and one or two Devon County Council Officers. One DCC Councillor has made a valiant attempt on one occasion, but with a mindset which limited the possibility of understanding. With no one willing to do their homework, it is no wonder that this whole sorry saga occurred, and continues to drag on.
As you know, we produced a detailed plan for expansion published in May 1999. Much work went into it, and no one from either Council has ever had the courtesy to discuss it with us. Instead, the Councils have done their own thing without consultation, and have never made a detailed assessment of the Club. The City Council’s solution for the area does not appear to have been thought through. ECC’s mishandling of this whole affair, with all its questionable tactics, makes me wonder whether this limb of the City Council is fit for purpose. I would be very surprised if the canker has infected every department and Councillor, but it has certainly affected the Leader of the Council – a very bad sign.
We were hoping Ruth would make the effort to grasp the overall picture, but there is clearly no chance. Had she done so, perhaps voters might have had an alternative to the closed minds of the Labour Councillors who have set themselves so firmly against the children. Sadly, we received a typical ‘Council’ reply, which would indicate you might well have the same problem with Conservative Councillors as Ben has with his Labour ones. The reply also reveals serious misconceptions. In essence, Ruth’s reply says, “Not your way, MY way”. Personally, I can’t imagine much could be gained by an uninformed Councillor meeting the Committee. The Committee may well feel the same, and would probably not welcome yet another adversarial approach.
I have a suspicion that the City Council believes Summerway is essentially a one man show. It is no such thing. Certainly, I am taking a leading role in some respects, being both a member of the Committee for over 25 years, and having my own campaign website. I am also responsible for communications within the Club. As Ruth correctly guessed, I word some of the Committee’s emails, which are subjected to approval before being sent, but it is quite wrong and discourteous to address me instead of the Committee. As I have previously observed, most ordinary citizens are afraid of the Council, and keep their heads down for fear of vindictiveness. That allows the Council too much rope for disregarding democracy, and I wish more would stand up and be counted. Nevertheless, being pragmatic, I founded the Summerway Watchers group as strictly confidential. This is extremely large and growing, and the Council has no idea of how many people are following the details of its lamentable bullying.
Has the Exeter City Council ever considered the message it is sending out in cases like ours? I’ll print the message we are hearing in red, to further emphasise it.
We are the Council.
We have the power.
We can do whatever we like.
We say anything, truth is immaterial.
Fortunately, no one can call us to account.
Our schemes are the only ones that matter.
We don’t do our homework.
Even so, we are always right.
Question us, and we refuse to deal with you.
The community exists to serve our purposes.
Disagree, and you’ll get bulldozed.
You can't change the system.
It is there to suit us, not you.
It saves us having to think or use discretion.
If anything goes wrong, others are responsible.
First we make our decisions, then we 'consult'.
Everything we do is fantastic.
All glory is ours, and we bask in it.
We spend your money on our schemes.
We ignore or dismiss your ideas and plans.
Also any inconvenient emails.
Council Tax isn’t enough for us.
Hence, we fine you in every way we can.
We even have the right to milk the children.
We pander to the rich at the poor’s expense.
We don’t understand community.
Of course, we have to say we do.
We love living in our Ivory Tower.
I won’t Labour the point, but no doubt you get the gist. On reflection, I must post this on our websites, as the man in the street will readily identify with this description of local government. I didn’t include the tiers of management, nor the faceless nature of the Council. As I am just an ordinary citizen, and not a person of influence in their eyes, Alan Caig, Hazel Ball, Cllrs Pete Edwards, Dilys Baldwin, Ian Martin and Ruth have never met me, nor I them. Some might wonder at that, given the circumstances and the views they have expressed, but so it is.
By ignoring us and trying to wipe out every trace of Summerway Tennis, ECC has issued the Club with a challenge. These matters are far too important to overlook, so we are obliged to accept. I don’t know how or when these vital subjects will receive the attention they deserve, but I, for one, am brimming over with ideas as to how it might be achieved. The outcome isn’t in my hands, or even the Club’s hands. Patience and perseverance are clearly the order of the day. I’m sorry Exeter City Council has forced us into a position of such high profile, but we have been given no choice. Ultimately, I am confident it will reap the consequences of the injustice it has sown.
It is a provoking thought that the Summerway community could have had both the Club and the Park. I hope, besides informing you, the content of this email might enrich your own study of Local Government. I wish you well in all your endeavours to benefit our great City.
Yours sincerely,
Jim.
Exeter City Council’s Message
The email below was sent by Jim to Hannah Foster on the 20th March 2008, and copied to the Summerway Committee.
With the City Council clearly trying to erase every trace of the Club, and the route chosen for the footpath/cycle track across the field showing malice towards the Club’s plans, Council intentions towards the community’s children are manifest.
While now purely of academic interest, the Club still hasn’t received a reply to the email, sent on behalf of the Committee a fortnight before the demolition of the Clubhouse, requesting a meeting with the City Council.