Letter - We demand to know the figures

Published on 15/02/2013 15:26

In 2008 the public were told that a gas plant at Welbeck would be built creating enough electricity for 8,000 homes, and that we the public would be told the financial benefits to WMDC residents.

This year RATS asked under the FOI act for the financial benefits of this plant to Wakefield MDC. This information was refused due to commercial confidentiality and RATS appealed against that decision. We have now been told that the original decision not to give RATS this information has been upheld.

RATS then requested the names of elected members and authority officers who had made this decision. The Freedom of Information Officer informed us that no elected members were involved only WMDC officers and refused point blank to give us the names and titles of any officer involved in this decision.

It would seem that WMDC’s byline of “openness and transparency” is very much compromised by not allowing RATS to see the financial benefits to the community.

RATS have to ask, is it the officers of WMDC who deal with the payments from Welbeck - the very same people advising the FOI people not to give RATS the requested information? if so why do they now choose to hide these financial benefits after bragging about such benefits when the plant was built?

We the public have a right to know all benefits for having Welbeck on our doorstep. Not to give us this information smells worse than Welbeck on a hot day and RATS urges everyone to demand the whole truth about financial payments from Welbeck through to the officers of WMDC.

Paul Dainton

Altofts Lodge Drive

Normanton

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Letter - We demand to know the figures

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