Statement of The Telephone House Neighbours Association 28 November 2001



TELEPHONE HOUSE INTERNAL INQUIRY


This Tuesday 27 November at an extraordinary meeting of Operational Services Board, we exercised our right to speak. Annemarie Topliss spoke on behalf of the Telephone House Neighbours Association with regard to an internal investigation by Mr John Haynes.

She raised crucial points which had not been addressed in the report of the Council into the Telephone House affair, titled "lessons to be learnt" She was granted three minutes. Then John Haynes, director of operational services, in a savage attack on Mrs Topliss dismissed all points raised in the Association's statement and concluded
1) She does not understand Planning
2) She jumps to conclusions quickly.

This cannot be the way forward. A Council run by officers declaring themselves beyond criticism, and Councillors addressing them:
"I do not want to critisise you . . . [Weeden] - I do not want to get myself into trouble now . . . [Neve]",
cannot be in the interest of its most valuable asset: its residents and taxpayers.

If there are lessons to be learnt you have to identify the teachers and the students. In this case the lessons can only come from an independent public inquiry where we will be glad to testify.

for Telephone House Neighbours Association



27.11.01 - THNA Statement to the Operational Services Board Meeting, TWBC

TWBC Internal Inquiry into the Telephone House Debacle
Internal Report of the Director of Operational Services John Haynes

A guide through the Local Press since August 2000 - "The Telephone House Debacle"