A Whittlesey councillor and Cabinet member of Fenland District Council asked council leader Chris Boden if she could retract a statement made at the previous Cabinet meeting. Cllr Dee Laws, the portfolio holder for planning and flooding, asked for permission to make “one slight adjustment” to the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on January 27.
She said the comment had been included in the minutes during her speech on the leisure centres condition survey.
The minutes recorded that “Councillor Mrs Laws said she noted within the report the refurbishment of the tennis court at Whittlesey and asked for a complete breakdown of what has been done for the next meeting as she does not think the floodlighting has been completed and is getting reports that the surface may not be entirely up to standard.
“The investment money is excellent, but she understands the tennis court is not being fully used due to some disagreement with the management of the tennis club who do not seem to have welcomed the netball club who wish to use it and for whose benefit the floodlighting was installed”.
At Monday’s meeting of the Cabinet, she asked for the minutes to be adjusted.
“I did actually mention the tennis court is not being fully used owing to some disagreement with the management of the tennis club and they do not seem to have welcomed the netball club.
“Can I retract that statement because that was hearsay
“I’d like to actually now put in there that no such rift exists in the minds of the tennis club officials and as a main point of contact there’s friendly consultations going on and they have a dialogue continuing now in the future between the tennis club, FDC and also the netball club.”
Council leader Chris Boden told her: “I’m afraid councillor Laws that the minutes are meant to be a record of what actually was said at the meeting rather than what we now might wish had been said.”
He added: “However I’m perfectly willing to bend the rules a little bit and subject to member services being able to assist on this for the comment you have just made if you could supply that to member services and then for that to be included under this agenda item as to how you would now like the situation to be uh to be to be referred to.”
Cllr Laws replied: Thank you chair it was just I did say the word hearsay before and that hasn’t been recorded in the minutes.”
Cllr Boden added: “Thank you very much.
“Anyone else who’d like to change what they said at the last meeting? Probably lots no everyone else is happy with the with minutes fine then we’ll take them as correct record.
“I will sign those, and I would ask as a note to this agenda item but not as part of changing the minutes that Councillor Law’s comments be recorded as well.”
