THE CONCLUSION TO BE DRAWN FROM BOTH REPORTS

It is as well to remind ourselves that both reports are a reaction to situations, where there have been untold inspection and enforcement failures. The fact that such a record of failure can exist, especially when we are assured that the Council's much vaunted Q.A.[i.e.Quality Assurance] Audit  "will take place regularly to ENSURE that the inspection procedures are being carried out", is frankly mind-boggling. Perhaps, one should take with the proverbial a pinch of salts all the grandiose claims in the glossy brochures which emanate from County Hall. And to think that this Council can pose, as a result of accolades awarded by the Audit Commission, as a model in highway matters to other County Councils, really beggars belief!!!

The purpose of the two reports was presumably NOT to offer an apologia for Officers' conduct NOR even to get them off the hook. One might reasonably suppose that each would have been an objective attempt to portray comprehensively the situation as it existed during the construction of the Sandy Lane by-pass and the developments on the adjacent residential estates, respectively. After all, they were the response to queries by an elected member of the authority.

However, as the facts themselves have suggested, this supposition would be unfounded and far removed from the truth. The reports have every appearance of NOT being attempts to present accurate pictures of the situation, as a basis for meaningful action, so much as exercises in damage limitation. By no stretch of the imagination, does the uncritical approach and the selectivity in factual presentation, which both display, enable them to be regarded as credible and objective portrayals of the situations, which they depict.

Such fundamental shortcomings must inevitably undermine confidence in the integrity of both reports, which seem to be designed more for their value in convincing the unsuspecting and uninformed members of this council, and not least executive members, [whose approach seems to be more in tune with the exhortation to 'hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil'], than in satisfying the demands of intellectual rectitude as well as those of the more discriminating and impartial observer. Incredibly, even Internal Audit seems to have displayed a measure of gullibility and accepted, by and large, these efforts as being indicative of management's positive reaction to the problems which have emerged, by according these questionable efforts the status of source material in its own, it has to be said, equally questionable report!!!

The response to both reports by the Director of P.T. and E. has to be questioned. In the first case, he could only have been aware that the written assurances he had given me were NOT fulfilled. In the other case, it would have been obvious from our discussion at the meeting at Carknown Gardens and indeed, as anyone with even a modicum of intelligence would know, that the report by his Network Manager was seriously flawed. Yet in neither case has he seen fit to offer any criticism, let alone the apology, which a person, perhaps of a more humble and contrite disposition, might, in the circumstances, have felt impelled to offer!!!

Sadly, it has to be said that the departmental reports prepared by P.T.and E. would seem to be yet another area of Senior Management where apparent DUPLICITY, of a quite considerable magnitude, has reared its ugly and disreputable head.

One would have hoped, admittedly with no real confidence, that the DECEIT, which apparently is evident, far from being condoned, would actually have incurred the unreserved condemnation not only of the Chief Executive and the Executive, but also of every Member of this Council. The fact that it has NOT, can only be seen  an indication of the nature and the depth of the morass in to which Cornwall County Council has sunk and is alas so firmly embedded and entrapped.

  Click here to view the report by the Head of Structures so that you can establish for yourself the accuracy of my comments.

  Click here to view the report by the Network Manager so that you can establish for yourself the accuracy of my comments.