Jean Sullivan's Letter in the Hastings Observer

We've already done this but I suspect the Observer has been nobbled too, judging by the letters they don't seem to print.

Also can anyone help with my little project. Some weeks/months ago a pile of a photocopied letter from a senior manager at Asda to Cllr Scott (addressed to the Town Hall) were at the till in the Coop for people to pick up take away and read. Now a couple of the Coop staff remember this vaguely and I have written to the Coop Manager but no reply. I have instigated an official complaint about Cllr Scott's behaviour in allowing this letter, (which attempts to make out that Asda is the best thing since 2p sausages), to be distributed when he admits to a conflict of interest. He has told me that he has a vested interest in the proposed polyclinic because he and his family will benefit from the construction of 9 flats on the site of the Silver Springs medical centre, which already has outline planning consent. The HBC solicitor has told me that there is no proof that this photocopied letter was in the Coop. In other words, that I am lying and/or that I walked into the Town Hall and stole it off his desk. I feel slurred now and would appreciate something in writing from anyone else who saw these photocopies. Incidentally he has already had one notice of failure to comply with protocol but this was found to be not satisfied. Thanks, folks

Sorry I can't help you as I didn't see the letter, though I wish I did. I wonder if you can request a copy under the Freedom of Information Act. If Cllr Scott wrote in his capacity as an elected representative then you should be able to get a copy. If he has a vested interest in the Silver Springs medical centre move to the proposed site, then there should be some way of recording it so that it is flagged up when the meeting takes place. I wonder if other cllr Locke knows about it, it might be worth contacting him, he has been very supportive so far. The idea of stealing a letter off a desk in the Town Hall is ridiculous - I'd be pretty cross if I was accused of what is basically theft. It says a lot about them if they think that members of the public would take part in a Watergate style burglary. How did the Co-op get the letter in the first place? Good luck tracking the letter down.

We do have a copy of the letter. It is below. As to how it got to the CoOp, that is anyone's guess. But one would think that, as it was addressed to Cllr Scott, he must have popped it there himself, presumably. I can't see any employee of the Coop sneaking into the Town Hall to grab it, can you? Particularly, as all the workers there are against the new Asda.

I did pass the copy of the letter on to Cllr Lock and he was going to investigate. I can't ask him at the moment as he's away on holiday but I will send him an email to see whether he has unearthed any info. Although judging by what Carol was told, I would assume that he too was fobbed off with the argument there is no proof it was at the Coop. I shall visit the Coop later armed with a copy of the letter to see if it joggs any memories.

Incidentally, apart from the letter from Marshall Tufflex in support of Asda (which basically amounts to blackmail), there are now several other letters of support, received weeks after the council deadline. So I'm assuming we can all still write.

It certainly begs the question of why did they write to him? I wonder if they have written similar letters to other Cllrs as well. I spoke with him just before the elections in May 2007 and he didn't seem to be for or against at that point, I suspect that has changed now. It seems incredible given the history of the Labour Party and the Labour Movement itself, that he appears to be supportive of an organisation that is anti workers rights such as the right to join a workplace union, fair pay etc. Robert Tressell will be turning in his grave.

(I have been offline for a while as my computer preferred a black screen to a useful one. I have just bought a new vista computer and now most of my software won't work) Anyway, one of your members very kindly remembered the letter in the Coop, took 2 copies for his file, and wrote a letter for me confirming that the letter was in the Coop. I do wonder at the agenda of the Coop manager who would allow a competitor's propaganda to be on display, and he has not replied to my request for confirmation. So? Perhaps he wants a job with Asda or is a friend of Cllr Scott. I do not know the Coop manager but if he is the Buddy Holly look-alike that I saw and heard telling off a member of staff in front of customers I am not impressed. My 'evidence' such as it is concerning Cllr Scott goes before the HBC ethics committee next week. I imagine the answer to my complaint will be 'not satisfied'. I do not know how Cllr Scott will benefit from the proposed medical centre. He has admitted to a prejudicial interest in Silver Springs and the planning approval for the current surgery being demolished to make way for 9 apartments. He has admitted to a prejudicial interest in the Asda proposals because of it. Does it just mean that his doctors surgery is Silver Springs or something more? I don't know anything about the man, I just feel very strongly that he has abused his position by allowing this letter to be so used. If he does not materially benefit and he thinks the Asda proposals are a good idea, then why doesn't he stand up and say that. And Silverhill isn't his Ward, why poke his nose in. And why when I wrote to him about him stepping down from the Planning Committee did I get a long email about his 'prejudicial interests'. He could just have told me he was taking a break, which I would have accepted, but he had to embellish. Such arrogance!

Staff at the Coop also remember the letter. Unfortunately, neither of the two I spoke to remembered how it ever got there.

As expected HBC decided to take no further action as I had not substantiated my claim that Cllr Scott would benefit from Asda's proposals and therefore presumably it was OK for him to allow the Asda letter to be displayed in the Coop. Hey ho! However, this is the 2nd time such a claim has been brought against him and maybe he has leaned a lesson by now. Thank you to this forum's member who confirmed that the letter was in the Coop.

I will still investigate further with Matthew J. Lock once he is back from holiday and will also bring it up with the other Silverhill Councillor, Stephen Springthorpe, who, incidentally, sits on the planning committee.

Actually Matthew has already told me that there was nothing he could do (at your meeting) and Cllr Springthorpe was the one who passed my complaint to the HBC solicitor; so nothing doing.