21 July (Part 3) - Seven into eight won’t go
A
small number of people have commented on the idiocy which led to
Bexley council ruling
that the period between the weekend of 12th/13th July and 19:30 on the 23rd does
not represent seven clear working days. As a result they were able to reject a
question from their nemesis Michael Barnbrook. Some have offered a solution, however
the one that Mr. Barnbrook has pursued is based on Section 243 of the 1972 Local Government Act.
The Act apparently includes the phrase “the requirement or permission shall be
deemed to relate to the first day thereafter which is not one of the days
specified above”. The days ‘specified above’ do not include Sunday but
can include Saturdays, though not in this case because the question was received
by email late on Saturday 12th so cannot be considered to be a clear day.
The National Association of Local Councils published model Standing Orders less
than a year ago to make the above rule clear. Needless to say Bexley council is ignoring them preferring to
impose more draconian - and in this case indefensible - rules. I doubt we have heard the last of it.