What were the most read stories on this blog for each month in 2016?

What were the most read stories on this blog for each month in 2016?

What were the most read stories on this blog for each month in 2016?

                                    

Councillor Steve Foulkes (Labour) (right) speaking at a recent meeting of the Birkenhead Constituency Committee (28th July 2016) while Councillor Pat Cleary (Green) (left) listens
Councillor Steve Foulkes (Labour) (right) features in one of the stories

As we’re approaching the end of the year, I thought it would be useful to look back and see the posts that were most read on this blog each month from January 2016 to November 2016, along with some comments of my own.

January 2016
Why are people objecting to the Hoylake Golf Resort plans?

People are still objecting and it goes to a call in meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

February 2016
Why did Wirral Council’s Cabinet recommend closure of Girtrell Court despite a protest against closure and opposition from the trade unions?

Another long running story that had its twists and turns in 2016.

March 2016
Tribunal confirms that Wirral Council paid ~£48,000 to Emma Degg connected to confidential compromise agreement

A pay off to Wirral Council’s former senior manager in charge of their press office, would Emma Degg have approved of a Council newspaper?

April 2016
Tribunal date set for 16th June 2016 over Wirral Council FOI request; but who’s being gagged?

Gagging of a different sort but the Tribunal theme continues.

May 2016
Who wouldn’t want you to read this story about the election of 4 Wirral councillors?

The elections came and went in May 2016.

June 2016
Why has Wirral Council sunk deeper into the quagmire of poor corporate governance surrounding a complaint about Cllr Steve Foulkes?

No public or filming was allowed at the public meeting to decide a complaint about Cllr Foulkes.

July 2016
Plans to consult on changes to bin collections put on hold as Cllr Stuart Kelly requires councillors to look again at Cabinet decision

The recently elected Cllr Kelly called in the Cabinet decision to consult on changes to the bin collections. So did the Conservatives, however Labour made sure that the consultation went ahead.

August 2016
5 days after Lyndale School closes, Labour councillors on Wirral Council’s Cabinet will meet to decide on a further consultation on sale of Lyndale School and the playing fields

Lyndale School was heading for closure and the Cabinet had further decisions to make.

September 2016
Planning Committee (Wirral Council) 22nd August 2013 refuses plan for Tesco in Wallasey Village

Strangely this story from 2013 was the most read in September 2016.

October 2016
Do Cllr Christina Muspratt’s election expenses add up (a councillor who is on Wirral Council’s Audit and Risk Management Committee overseeing £billions of public money)?

This story published in June 2016 became October’s most read story.

November 2016
Do Cllr Christina Muspratt’s election expenses add up (a councillor who is on Wirral Council’s Audit and Risk Management Committee overseeing £billions of public money)?

And then it became November’s most read story too.

So the themes of stories most read for 2016 were Hoylake Golf Resort, a pay off to a former senior manager, gagging, elections, secret public meetings, bins, Lyndale School, a planning application refused for a Tesco supermarket and election expenses.

Who knows what will happen in 2017?

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Tribunal confirms that Wirral Council paid ~£48,000 to Emma Degg connected to confidential compromise agreement

Tribunal confirms that Wirral Council paid ~£48,000 to Emma Degg connected to confidential compromise agreement

                                           

Emma Degg at the Wallasey Constituency Committee Working Group 1st October 2014
Emma Degg at the Wallasey Constituency Committee Working Group 1st October 2014

In a recent Tribunal judgement involving a freedom of information request made to Wirral Council by Paul Cardin, there has been official confirmation that the ~£48,000 payout by Wirral Council to a former employee was to Emma Degg (referred to in the judgement as X).

Emma Degg was a chief officer at Wirral Council. She was the Head of Neighbourhoods and Engagement on a salary of between £77,697 and £86,330.

It has been revealed in the judgement that before leaving Wirral Council Emma Degg signed a confidential compromise agreement with Wirral Council. This compromise agreement included not revealing the amount she was paid to leave Wirral Council or the date she was paid it.

The FOI request along with Wirral Council’s responses can be read on the whatdotheyknow.com website and ICO decision notice FS50522678 can be found on ICO’s website.

Mr. Cardin’s appeal to the Tribunal was dismissed. The judgement stated that the Article 8 (privacy) rights of Emma Degg was a factor in favour of not disclosing the information.

The Tribunal upheld ICO’s decision notice FS50522678 that the information requested should be withheld on grounds that it constitutes personal information.

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