I am a member of the public Following a request I made asking for further information about a minute under Correspondence detailed only as email/private company name/planters. Other correspondence items noted similarly were then detailed in those Minutes eg a request by youth group asking for a monetary donation from the Council and the Agreement to it. I received no response until 20 days later informed it had been treated as a FoI request with a response that it was an email asking how many planters the Parish wanted. In my request I had asked what had been proposed, what discussions took place and what action if any had been agreed. I complained that I was not satisfied with the response as it did not provide the information requested. I was informed by the Clerk that it had been satisfied that no further detail would be given and advised of their vexatious and habitual correspondence policy. The private company has been subject over decades to complaints and currently a Community Petition to the County Council due to hgv traffic volumes 24 hour operation and site noise pollution etc. and have plans for further expansion currently awaiting County Council approval with many objections from local parishioners. I complained to the Chair that I was not happy with the Clerk's incomplete response and threat of vexatious correspondence and why no further detail zabout the contents of the reported Correspondence was Minuted as it was an offer of a donation to the Parish of planters. She responded that she did not uphold my complaint having looked at my request and the Clerks's response but informed me that there had been no discussions at that meeting but that it was an offer from the private company to supply planters to the Parish annually, discussed, agreed and actioned and an email sent by the Clerk on behalf of the Parish to accept the annual donation and that no copies of any emails or related documentation could be provided as it had been deleted as no longer needed. I have questioned why such an ongoing Agreement to accept a donation actioned outside of a formal Parish Council meeting was not then reported and Minuted at the next or subsequent meetings and as per their Retention of Documentation policy as non routine correspondence all emails relating to the Agreement have been deleted. I do not know the date of their deletion but I expect them to say it was prior to my request. The Minutes I referred to were for a June meeting not approved or published and made public until September. My question is would it be acceptable for such an ongoing Agreement to a donation discussed approved and actioned outside of a Parish Council meeting by Parish Councillors to not them be reported and Minuted. The only related Minute was that an email had been received about planters but the Chair said no discussions or detail took place at that meeting.
