Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

Today I have been spending yet another Saturday (what a sad and wasted life - I never realised there were SO MANY Saturdays in four years) wondering how all this fits together, and wondering what have I done wrong, and why no "officials of the Council" including my own FIVE ward councillors (Caldecott) will not even talk to me or answer me. I mistakenly thought Councillors were appointed to represent the people of Rugby, but out of the 48 Councillors only one seems to be doing that?

Can anyone name any Councillors who are doing their job - the job the public pay for? I have asked the following few questions of the Rugby Borough Council Environmental Health Director, Leader of the Council, the Mayor, and all councillors, (we have no Chief Executive, but I believe we are paying one on full-time salary?), and I will publish the reply - if I ever get one?

Last time I asked a question, (albeit in the Council Chamber where we are told we, the public, who pay their salaries, MAY be seen but MUST not be heard), when they were misinforming the Councillors and people of Rugby, they did not like it at all that I butted in as the public are apparently not allowed to point out "untruths and misinformation", and we are "supposed to sit through it all and take it on the chin". They asked me to "leave the Council Chamber!" Apparently people who speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, are not welcome. Maybe I will get an ASBO for speaking the truth out of turn, but they should remember the Three Monkeys: "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil!"

Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:03 PM
To: RBC EHO, Leader of the Council, Mayor of Rugby and all Councillors:

Dear Mrs Stone, Leader of the Council, and Mayor of Rugby,

On the RBC web site it states that the Air Quality Review and Assessment is open to public consultation until March 15th "2006. Why is the raw/ratified/unratified data not supplied for people to look at? You have supplied the 2003 hourly data and the 2004 data, so how can the members of the public reply, if they have not got access to the essential data?

1. Where is the RBC Air Quality helpline advertised currently?

2. Where has it been advertised since November 2003: please list?

3. What is the telephone number?

4. What is the email contact number?

5. You write, at RCCF meeting 25th January 2006, in response to the question "Where is the data from the Stack Cam, and how can the public view it?"

"The Stack Cam images are not available to be viewed by the public. They are continually recorded through the Council's control centre, which is based in Rounds Garden. Specific software is enquired to be installed on a host computer before the images can be viewed. Images are routinely retained for 7 days, after which period they are erased. When incidents are reported to the Council concerning visual emissions from the stack the images can be reviewed and transferred to a cd-rom for long-term storage. These are available to the Environmental Agency for viewing or other purposes."

A) How much of the recording (in terms of hours per day) do council officers actually routinely view the stack cam?

B) Do they only view it when they get complaints from the public?

C) Do they only view it when they get request from the EA?

D) Do they view it at all, or just send the "transferred data" on CD ROMs, to the Environment Agency?

E) How much does it cost to run this "service" each year?

F) Rugby in Plume managed to record at night: why can the RBC stack cam only record during the daylight hours?

G) is this good value for money?

6. Where is the Environment Agency hotline advertised to Rugby residents?

7. Can you please confirm that any complaints about the plant and the plume should be telephoned immediately to the Environment Agency emergency number of 0800 807060, and also that the persons reporting in MUST ask for the NIRS reference number, so that they get a reply in writing.

8. Should people also contact RBC to record their complaints, and if so what is the emergency 24 hours RBC hotline number? And the Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 number.

9. Can you confirm that this plant is allowed to put out black smoke in the "smoke control zone of Rugby" because it has an "exemption".

10 Can you confirm that the Statutory Nuisance Regulations, as applied to all other industries and persons, do not apply to the Rugby Plant because they have an exemption under the Legislation?

11 Can you tell us where in the UK or Europe there is any such 2 million tonne a year cement plant, to the west of a town where the wind is predominantly westerly, within a smoke control area in Western Europe?

12 Why did RBC allow a massive semi-wet co-incinerating cement plant, that has the obvious and uncontrollable plume grounding problems, to be built in a town with no raw materials?

13 Please list the names of all councillors, and officers, who have agreed to this development.

14 How much has RBC been paid to agree to this?

15 What action can the Rugby residents lawfully take against RBC for the damages to the Environment and Health? What route is open to us and what evidence to we need?

16 Why does RBC refuse to meet with Lilian and members of RIP, and refuse to answer their questions and emails?

17 RIP lawyers have written to RBC at great length, explaining where and how RBC is failing in its duties, and the reply has been "thank you for your letter - we have put it on file!"

Thank you.