RBC Branded Disrespectful To Community

RBC and Cemex persist in holding a "secret meeting" at 5:30 pm Friday June 2nd at the Town Hall. They insist that the PUBLIC are to be EXCLUDED and must not attend in any circumstances.

RBC and Cemex have both persistently and stubbornly refused to disclose to the very concerned Councillors, and members of the Rugby Cement Forum and Tyre Burning Review group, what this is all about, until they had actually advertised it in the local press today Thursday.

Lawyers have written to RBC's brand new Chief Executive asking why all the secrecy, why no proper notice period, and why no agenda, and decrying the conduct of this Council, and questioning the Council's backing for the "publicity exercise by Cemex".

"RBC claims that it is facilitating this meetings at Cemex's request in the interests of "dialogue and discussion." But no agenda or background paper has been provided. In other words there is no basis for MEANINGFUL dialogue or discussion.

It is not even the case that the briefing is aimed at the general public. It is expressly aimed at members of the RCCF (albeit others are invited) yet the rules for the RCCF are not being observed, and members of the public are being told they cannot attend.

This is a disrespectful and unacceptable way for RBC and Cemex to be behaving towards the Community. It is all the more so given the particular circumstances relating to Rugby Cement works, with RBC and the works' history of past failures in relation to public consultation.

While of course we would encourage RBC and Cemex to facilitate dialogue and discussion with the community, we would expect RBC to do all it can to ensure it is meaningful. We suggest RBC reconsiders holding this meeting. Surely it would be better to have it once RCCF had had an opportunity to be properly invited, consider the agenda, etc Presently the meeting strikes us and those we represent in Rugby as RBC allowing itself to be used as a PR agent for Cemex at public expense yet not effectively involving the community. Please advise BY RETURN what is going on."

Now Cemex have admitted they wish to trial a new WASTE, a mixture of packaging materials - but still they have not provided any data from last year's trials of tyres, and petcoke, and until this month have with held ALL the mandatory Monthly Returns and Emissions data from the Public Register.

Lillian