Burntwood Town Council's offices at the Old Mining College Centre

The new leader of Burntwood Town Council has called for the authority to recognise the contribution of its previous chairmen by creating a gallery of their photographs.

The Old Mining College Centre
Burntwood Town Council’s offices at the Old Mining College Centre

Documents to be discussed at a meeting of the authority’s policy and resources committee reveal Cllr Bacon – who was controversially co-opted onto the council before becoming leader just a few weeks later – is keen to see framed photos installed on the stairway at the Old Mining College Centre offices.

Cllr Norma Bacon
Cllr Norma Bacon

The plan is for a local photographer to be commissioned to take the images, although the report reveals that discussion will need to take place about other issues.

The report explained: “Should the committee be agreeable to the request, instructions are sought as to at what point in time the gallery would commence from, and what would be done in those cases where previous chairmen are now deceased.”

Cllr Bacon has also requested a new sign be installed outside the council offices with its logo on, as well as a new noticeboard

If permission is granted, the new sign would cost around £290 plus VAT, while the noticeboard could cost £895 plus VAT.

The meeting of Burntwood Town Council’s policy and resources committee will take place on Thursday (July 6).

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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TheDoc
6 years ago

How pathetic can you be….

Around £1000 on a new bloody sign. Really Norma? You didn’t win an election and now you want to waste my tax money on a sign. I can only assume the logo will be a nice blue tree?

As for pictures of chairs…Kiddy Fisher didn’t do too much other than pay her 2 bands for playing at her own chairman’s ball. And after seeing how the newly elected chair acted at the Annual Town Meeting, I would say no one deserves their picture on the wall. You can almost bet that the majority of Burntwood couldn’t even name the current or last chair-peoples.

“Sorry Burntwood for all the potholes, shop closures, lack of housing, broken street lights & mess on the pavements. But I think it would be best if I take your tax money, buy myself a nice sign, as well as put pictures of my friends on the wall”.

The Teach
6 years ago

Pure self-aggrandisement! Instead of gazing at their navels and polishing their egos, shouldn’t the Tories be concentrating on making Burntwood Better!
Cllr Bacon is obviously searching for yet another chain to add to her collection.

Concerned Citizen
6 years ago

It is good to see that the Leader is focused on priorities. What about a health centre and other facilities needed in the area? Reminds me of the Chains of office saga.

Concerned resident
6 years ago

’tis about time Cllrs focused on the town they are supposed to represent. Unnecessary monies to be used on the opinions of self important egos. Time Burntwood was represented to make Burntwood a Better Town.
Cllr Bacon is already costing us a byelection by not allowing the previous agreement of co-op and yet her loyalties are not to resign on Lichfield council as it would cost an Election!!!!!……..go figure
Time for Burntwood Residents to make our voices heard yet again

Beth Fisher
6 years ago

I would like to set the record straight. I did not get paid to perform at my charity evening in February, the two bands I play with are volunteer bands so none of us got paid. The band leaders charged a nominal amount for organising the evening with me and because of this I was able to raise in excess of £1000 for my two local charities.

Rodney
6 years ago

I reckon Norma could pay a local street artist to paint a big picture of herself on the council offices, print of a stack of flags with her face on them for every lamp post in Burntwood and get a local choir to sing “Burntwood, Burntwood Uber Alles” for less money while keeping local people employed.

wilf
6 years ago

Nothing says 21st Century councillor like a noticeboard. Seriously, in an age of immediate digital communication does a £1k noticeboard really show a progressive leader?

Steven Nornan
6 years ago

As a former Chairman of Burntwood Town Council I don’t want my picture to replace the local art works adorning the corridors of the Old Mining College Centre thank you.

After being Mayor, Sherriff, Chairman etc Cllr Bacon must be missing the regalia she is used to elsewhere. I hope she will now replace the “Save our green belt” signs with “Save Burntwood’s health services” but if she does win her way with another noticeboard then it will need the notice of councillors’ surgeries on there so residents know where to see their Labour representatives – only Labour councillors give this service.

PS When I was Cllr Woodward’s consort I was never mistaken for a chauffeur either so didn’t need a badge.

TheDoc
6 years ago

Excuse me Kiddy Fisher, but that’s a lie.

Town Council Meeting, Agenda for March 2017. Page ~30

Schedule of payments shows the 2 payments to your bands:
“Performance Fee for Blast Off, Chairman’s Charity Evening”—£150
“Performance Fee for Gan Teideal, Chairman’s Charity Evening”—£100

There has clearly been a payment to your bands for the event. The Chairman’s ball is organised by yourself, your band did not volunteer if they have received a payment of up to £250.

Toast
6 years ago

I’m struggling to work out why 2 bands directly linked wouldn’t be prepared to donate their time FOC for a genuine charitable evening.

Rob Birch
6 years ago

I am gobsmacked that it is deemed appropriate to spend money raised from hard working people on such self congratulatory schemes. Is this what the £29.48 for Burntwood that appears on my Council Tax bill is going to be spent on?

This expenditure benefits no-one.

They can spend the £29.48 I’m paying to Burntwood this year on buying themselves some bin bags and litter pickers, available for less than £5 on Amazon (other suppliers are available) and then they can make a real contribution to the community by going around the town and collecting the increasing amounts of litter we see blowing around. I’m sure it would be below them but it would at least be a start to making Burntwood a better place to live. You could spend that money on improving more bus shelters around the town or perhaps some improvements to the skate park that some of the younger generation would benefit from. There are countless ways that money could be spent in ways that would tangibly benefit the local community. Chairmen’s mug shots on the staircase of the Old Mining College will be neither use nor ornament.

Philip John
6 years ago

If anyone wants to verify what TheDoc mentions, you can view the agenda here: http://www.burntwood-tc.gov.uk/Document/Default.aspx?DocumentUid=5F65655E-D23A-4386-B823-2443CB437866

The minutes (http://www.burntwood-tc.gov.uk/Document/Default.aspx?DocumentUid=C774E5AF-6A95-4A1D-8382-0B70E5D3F491) show Cllr Fisher declaring an interest in that very agenda item:

“Councillor Miss Fisher declared a disclosable non pecuniary interest in Agenda Item 11 – Schedule of payments made between 14 January and 28 February 2017.”

The “non-pecuniary” bit is most interesting given this was about *monetary* payments to those bands.

Cllr Fisher might like to explain what happened to that money then. Was it distributed amongst the band members? Or did it pay some costs incurred by the bands for performing? Who suggested the amount?

Steve
6 years ago

@The doc. Excellent work.

It reminds me of a Public Sector Oragnisation I worked for, a few years ago, who hired an external consultant, at a cost of many thousands of pounds. To arrange a charity event, to raise less than £200.

Concerned Citizen
6 years ago

So, will Norma save her bacon and cancel this absurd proposal? As Leader, she must assess the priorities of the people of Burntwood and I cannot see how a rogues gallery will meet such needs. Can we have a statement from Cllr Bacon saying it was a ludicrous idea and that she has cancelled the project.

Whilst considering Cllr Bacon’s many roles, as a resident of Leamonsley I did not know she represented me. It goes to show what valuable work she does in the community. Isn’t time you and Brian made way for younger blood who are keen to represent the electorate?

Ben
6 years ago

Isn’t that a bit rich Mr Norman. If i remember rightly, prior to the elections you were wanting to force the hand of all the conservative councillors to ‘save the green belt’ and were a strong advocate of this group yourself. why, would you want the signs removed that you fought so hard for? or was that just an election ploy as per

Steve Norman
6 years ago

It’s a bit unusual – and a bit risky – for a local authority to formally support a political issue in this way. The GLC did it to annoy the 1980’s Tory government across the river from Parliament. I loved the latest unemployment figure sign at the time but where does it end – apart from the abolition of the annoying council of course.

Many of the current Tory administration were happy to take part in a cheap publicity stunt in 2012 outside Greenwood House saying a new Health Centre was about to be built – but since then? Why not have signs saying “Save Burntwood’s Health Services” which residents are increasingly complaining about or “Save our local services from Government cuts”?

My point is that The Green Belt campaign has done its job (and very effectively) and we are now waiting for the report to the District Council Cabinet to see what they recommend. Labour councillors have been pressing LDC on when this is to happen and I understand that September seems likely.

Obviously I am happy for the Conservative/Lichfield City-controlled Town Council to attack their Conservative controlled District Council and Government colleagues in this way.

Ironically though some are also district councillors but probably didn’t know they had voted to remove St Matthews from the Green Belt in 2013/14 under the Green Belt Review so putting signs up doesn’t convince me of their commitment to the cause – but, as ever, you can fool some of the people some of the time I suppose.

Just saying.

TheDoc
6 years ago

For those of you who are disgusted by this abuse of power & waste of public funds. The people deciding the idea are: Mrs Bacon, Mrs Evans, Mrs Fisher, Mosson, Pullen, Tranter & Mrs Woodward.

Bacon wasn’t elected. Fisher used to be in Bacon’s position. Mosson has already indicated his lack of respect for the public, and Tranter is a typical tory sheep.

Sorry to say folks of Burntwood, but your money is being wasted.

Also on agenda:
– £100+ on storage boxes
– £3,000+ on air conditioning units (Admin room, and 2 other rooms)
-£1,500+ on a document safe
– £~300+ on a new laptop
– Cost of these photos, frames and hanging kit
– £1,000+ on new signs
– and I’m sure there’ll be other tat

Austerity? Greed? Hopelessness?

Sue Woodward
6 years ago

I shall be speaking and voting against the ridiculous gallery idea, as I did against the additional Chains of Office, but we’ll see. The main item – a strategy for Burntwood – was the last item on the agenda and I’ve asked for it to be brought forward as some of the other decisions are only appropriate once we’ve decided (or at least discussed) what the Town Council is for. Is it just about events and OMCC management or a strategic voice for the future of our town and its infrastructure? I’d prefer the latter.

Concerned Resident
6 years ago

Why is it that councillors cannot forget the self adoration aspect of their position (A few exceptions noted) and just get on with the job in hand i.e. A Better Burntwood. It is time that they all stopped back biting like adolescent teenagers and put the future of Burntwood to the fore. Come on councillors forget the chains of office and pretty pictures of yourselves haven’t you got enough Norma! lets get on with making Burntwood Town a pleasure to live and somewhere people would like to visit.

Concerned Citizen
6 years ago

Come on Leader Bacon show us that you recognise the incredulity and irritation of your electorate and cancel this outlandish and self-serving vanity idea. To continue with it only undermines the credibility of the Town Councillors and you in particular. Demonstrate how in touch you are and back down.

Just out of interest, how many Burntwood citizens have canvassed you FOR this tribute to past Leaders??