Formal Complaint on Wells Centre closure sent to the Borough Council
Vanessa and Jason Marchant, residents of Spa Drive, have been joined by Julie Morris, candidate in the recent county council by-election, to lodge a formal complaint against Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. This has been sent to the Chief Executive Frances Rutter, but could be escalated to the Local Government Ombudsman.
The complaint concerns three key issues:
- Why, given the council has a duty to consult, was a decision made to close and redevelop the Wells Centre without prior consultation?
- Why, prior to the final decision, were all discussions and decisions concerning the Wells Centre kept secret, when the council is supposed to be transparent in all its decision-making processes?
- How did the conduct of the council relate to and interact with the county council by-election and did it influence the result?
Julie Morris said "It was clear from the recent public meeting that residents are very angry indeed about how this has been handled. They feel betrayed, tricked and excluded by a Residents Association council that prides itself on being more in touch with residents' views than any other political grouping. Someone had to complain. This RA council has been found guilty of maladministration before. They simply cannot be allowed to carry on like this."
The formal complaints procedure can be lengthy. An initial reply is expected within 12 weeks. If that is not satisfactory, the complaint can then be taken further.
For the background to this complaint, see "Closing the Wells Centre".
Read the formal complaint letter here.
See also the Facebook page "Save the Wells Centre, Epsom".