Handover ‘was complete farce’

Nov 20 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTH & Kinross Council was slated by the petition organisers for the treatment meted out to the petition-bearers at the handover yesterday morning.

“The community council had notified the council about 10 days ago that they would be handing the petition in this morning,” said the community council spokesperson.

“The reply came that Bernadette Malone would not, as requested, receive the petition and we had to go to Pullar House as it was a planning matter.

“We duly turned up with four community council members, the headmaster of Craigclowan School and four of his six-year-old pupils plus the 3200 signatures. But nobody at Pullar House had been informed that we were coming and nobody was available to receive the petition.

“I was told that Roland Bean would be contacted, but 20 minutes later told it would be a press officer who would accept it. Ten minutes later the plan was changed and I was told Jim Irons was seeking legal advice.

“Nothing happened, and after waiting a total of 45 minutes the children had to get back to school. They, the TV cameras, and press photographers left and then Jim Valentine, depute director environmental services, appeared and took the box of petitions.

“So the children were snubbed by the council despite the community council alerting PKC 10 days previously of the time and location for the handover and requesting that someone be there to accept the petition. It was all a complete farce and made the council look like headless chickens.”

The Council, however, asserted that the group had attended “without prior warning”.

That claim was contained in the response by the local authority to the petitioners’ criticism.

“After requesting to hand the petition to the Council’s chief executive, the Community Council was advised to instead hand it in to staff at Pullar House reception which is the normal process in such matters,” said a Council spokesperson.

“A large group attended without prior warning this morning along with several children and members of the media, demanding to see head of planning Roland Bean. No appointment had been made with Mr Bean, who was unavailable to meet them at that time.

“Despite the unusual actions of the Community Council in handing in this petition, Jim Valentine, accepted the petition as soon as he became available.”