Moody – I am now

So after seeing hits from one specific IP sky rocket a day after the T-Shirts were delivered, I received an email from the council’s Chief Executive’s Office at 17:12. I was asked if I would like to meet with the planning person and a senior person with ‘Corporate’ in his title – I assume a member of the Chief Executive board, or just works in the office of the Chief Executive; I’m really not sure.

Although short notice, I thought best to agree to meet and get it out of the way. This was my bad as I should have prepared more and had someone with me. Dashing from London also appears not to have helped my Diabetes and it seemed to be competing in the ‘highest blood sugar’ competition for the rest of the day (documented); hence why I cancelled my protest scheduled for the next day.

Due to severe underground delays and two C2C train cancellations, I was fifteen minutes late, I did advise by email and was told it was ‘fine’.

When we met there were no formal introductions, just names and handshakes. I still do not understand what ‘Corporate’ has to do with residential planning or what that person’s responsibilities are. I was advised that I was late and they had a meeting to attend (no time given).

I’m sure the same as many of you, I have had meetings with Presidents, VPs, COOs, MDs etc (throw some scrabble pieces up in the air to see if I have missed any) and I cannot recall ever having a formal meeting without at least a brief objective being given; which it was not for this.

As I had written in my response to the invite, as both parties had stated their viewpoint I was unsure as to the purpose of the meeting, yet the next thirty minutes were indeed spent mostly going over what had already been declared. I did stress that I understood the rules had been adhered to (although the drive changing is still fuzzy to me) and what I was protesting about was that the rules needed to change; for the good of the area and ensuring resources meet ambition.

My one stipulation of attending was that any answers given to what I had stated as my outstanding questions needed to be documented and sent to me; five days later I have not received anything.

The corporate gentleman said very little and I felt he was there with an undeclared agenda. As myself and the planning person went over how I felt the driveway was changing, I tried to explain that the pillars being added meant the crossover and ‘assailing’ points had changed unless cars could now phase through solid matter; the Corporate person then spoke to say that the meeting was over!

Without the requested documentation I am limited on what I can say as I felt it was inferred that nothing discussed was a ‘statement’ and when advised that however I could write what I wanted – I felt even more intimidated than I had throughout. We did discuss that I had contacted the ombudsmen, in my opinion they were very happy with that – but again I think there is a misunderstanding as to what it is I am campaigning for. However, as the next blog will show, I feel I got more answers in a ten-minute conversation with the ombudsman than I have from nine months of correspondence and what I feel was a very uncomfortable and pointless (from my perspective) meeting.

I was probably very defensive throughout, but hopefully that can be understood based on the situation and environment.

Totally just my feeling but I don’t recall my surname being used and emphasised so much since I was at Primary school, if I had known I would have introduced myself as Very….

***UPDATE*** Using Google I found a page on the Thurrock Council site that explains who the Corporate gentleman was and that in fact Corporate is a level that several share, the title then expands to their responsibilities; should I not have been told the full title? However I still do not fully understand what it means as to me it sounds like a title held in a hippy commune!