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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 25 comments to this article
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Colin Winspear
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 01:42 PMI do apologise for this Free Whitby, in my persistence in this subject, but I have another question. In your new column In My View on www.real-whitby.com you stated that the WHUCG does not publish its' minutes and agendas did you not? (I quote Notice of Meetings has not been publicised.· Agendas and Minutes have not been publicised) If so I am stuck as to how I can consult them as you advised. Also, how are you privy to them? I have sent an email to both Councils this morning with a Formal Request from a permanent Whitby resident, that the situation be resolved at the earliest possible opportunity.
FREE WHITBY
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 09:09 PM<<< "For all intents and purposes, they are indeed a group of local business men with vested interest in the running of the Harbour." >>> Here is a list comprising one-third of the membership: Whitby Yacht Club - Whitby Boating Association - Whitby Cruising Association - Whitby Town Council - Whitby Friendship Amateur Rowing Club - Whitby Fishermens' Rowing Club - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - The WHUCG is quorate with an attendance of four-sevenths. "Local businessmen" - WHUCG's status as a SSG is fully documented. I will not be responding further on this topic.
Colin Winspear
Monday, March 5, 2012 at 01:27 PMThank you Free Whitby for your reply, and for the trying to clear up my confusion. May I ask that you have a look at this please? http:democracy.scarborough.gov.ukmgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=19624 As far as I can see, there is no mention of them being a Stakeholders Steering Group, is that a label you have given them? Though I have spotted the words "Stakeholders and steered" mentioned, perhaps that's where you got it from. For all intents and purposes, they are indeed a group of local business men with vested interest in the running of the Harbour. No other label will call them otherwise. My confusion in the matter isn't down to my misapprehension of the nature of the WHUCG. More from the way in which all three bodies are referred to as The Harbour Board. Most of the negative reports are aimed towards The Whitby Harbour Board, you yourself have done so in the past, on paper and in public. My question to you now though is, which one? In my "misapprehension" I would say the WHUCG, not the SBC WHB or WTC WHB as we are misdirected towards.
FREE WHITBY
Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 10:19 AMRe: Whitby Harbour Users' Consultative group. >>> Your confusion , Colin, seems to stem from your total misapprehension of the nature and function of the Whitby Harbour Users' Consultative Group (WHUCG): "It was set up for local businessmen to voice their concerns to the SBC WHB was it not?" - No. It absolutely was not. You need to consult the Terms of Reference of the WHUCG, its Agendas and Minutes - and its Membership. It is a Stakeholders' Steering Group, consulting the interests of all Harbour users. The Harbour is in the public ownership. It is administered by SBC.
Colin Winspear
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 06:55 PM"Council meetings, at all three tiers of local government (and I include their respective Committees), are obliged by law (the Local Government Act 1972) to grant admittance to press and public" I would highlight the words RESPECTIVE COMMITTEES as they is a contradiction in a later sentence. ""The Whitby Harbour Users' Consultative Group, on the other hand, is neither a Council nor a Committee; it is a Stakeholders' Steering Group"" Do you see where my confusion comes from Free Whitby? If they are neither Council or Committee as you stated, why are you pressing for public admittance by using legislation that doesn't apply? It was set up for local businessmen to voice their concerns to the SBC WHB was it not? Not to make decisions on how it is run? My comment about the two Council Bodies meeting being before an invited audience may have been a little naive. However, I was only thinking of the previously witnessed disruption by members of the public being prevented. Mind you having also witnessed the apathy shown towards other public held meetings concerning the Town and its' Harbour, I would guess nobody would attend anyway. The Coastal Strategy Consultation session at the Spa was met with a very poor attendance. Most prominent in their absence were the people who are the most vocal on the issue. Your comment " Resolution of this dispute is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of law" is redundant in that the only opinion I have expressed has been how it should happen, not if..
darkstairs
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 09:22 AMThank you, Free Whitby, and "Exclusion of press and public, or an 'Invited audience' is simply not an option"....I agree absolutely!
FREE WHITBY
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 07:25 PMCouncil meetings, at all three tiers of local government (and I include their respective Committees), are obliged by law (the Local Government Act 1972) to grant admittance to press and public. (There are exceptions in the case of certain Agenda Items, under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998). The two bodies in the present dispute are the Harbour Committee (a Committee of Whitby Town Council) and the Whitby Harbour Board (a Committee of Scarborough Borough Council). Were they to meet, the law requires that they MUST grant admittance to press and public. Exclusion of press and public, or an 'Invited audience' is simply not an option. The Whitby Harbour Users' Consultative Group, on the other hand, is neither a Council nor a Committee; it is a Stakeholders' Steering Group. I have requested citation of the authority under which Stakeholders' Steering Groups may lawfully convene and prohibit the admittance of press and public, without response. The East Side Master Planning Group is a Stakeholders' Steering Group. It has met twice, granting admittance to members of the public and press (though no press attended) on both occasions - thereby setting a precedent, should a precedent be required. Resolution of this dispute is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of law. A copy of any late edition of Charles Arnold-Baker's "Local Council Administration" (the so-called Councillors' Bible) is a worthwhile investment for anyone beginning to take even a casual interest in civic affairs. UK Acts of Parliament are available at: www.legislation.gov
darkstairs
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 06:12 PM#9 “it's all a bit of a mess really, too many cooks etc”.. that’s right and the latest, and third group, of panshakers are WHB. Which group should be sacked than? Do you think WHB has a future? The only major achievement of WHB, so far, is to get their hands on an extra 500,000 pounds of council taxpayers monies, to cover the cost of being sold a pup…….
Colin Winspear
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 04:54 PMThank you Darkstairs,
darkstairs
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 04:10 PM" Sorry Darkstairs could you clarify which WHB you mean please?"..........."There is only one Whitby Harbour Board. This one...............Port Management Board......... Following the recruitment process for Members of the Whitby Harbour Port Management Board, the Board Members will be:...... Elected Members - Cllr Peter Popple (Chair), Cllr Mike Cockerill, Cllr John Flinton & Cllr Herbert Tindall....... Independent Members - Edwin Black, Jack Hardisty, Tony Hornigold & Laurie Farmer (Vice Chair).
Colin Winspear
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 11:34 AMSorry Darkstairs could you clarify which WHB you mean please? After all of the press and other website coverage they all seem to merge in to one and are all now referred to as the WHB. Which is why Mr Wards email is so confusing..
darkstairs
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 09:50 AM#9 “it's all a bit of a mess really, too many cooks etc”.. that’s right and the latest, and third group, of panshakers are WHB. Which group should be sacked than? Do you think WHB has a future? The only major achievement of WHB, so far, is to get their hands on an extra 500,000 pounds of council taxpayers monies, to cover the cost of being sold a pup…….
Colin Winspear
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 06:20 PM"I feel sure that the recent ill feeling brought about by the perhaps, hasty actions of one or two people involved in these various meetings has all been a misunderstanding" You are 100% right there Richard, most of the misunderstanding has been created by people who were not even there at the time of the event concerned. If you read some of the forums discussing this matter the amount of irellevant, inaccurate and misleading information is rediculous. They have done this town more harm with their posts than any Council has ever done.
Colin Winspear
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 06:14 PMI think the first meeting between them should be held before an invited "audience" , along with the press, Richard. Its' only brief being to discuss the chain of responsibility. Opening it to the general public could invite some of the most outspoken critics to use it as a platform for their own rants, and be open to disruption. (As I have witnessed before) As far as I am concerned it should be SBC HB, WTC HB with the Consultative group reporting to WTC HB, in the first instance. As they are only a group of local business men, their meetings don't really need to be open to the public. It's nothing different from, for example, The Baxtergate Traders Assoc. (should one exist). Their reports are put forward at public meetings anyway, or made available through Council websites. As an old Sergeant of mine used to say, "we need clear lines of de-marcation to show who does what" So far there are a lot of grey areas
Richard Ineson
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 01:02 PMMr. Hooyah, I am sure that many people would support your suggestion for a meeting between the SBC and WTC versions of the Harbour Board, me too; are you in favour of this meeting being open to the press and public?
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