Rush allegations inaccurate says Lambert

Councillor Colin Lambert has issued a robust response to Councillor Peter Rush's criticism of a meeting held on Friday 29 September to discuss the problems of flooding in Heywood. Councillor Lambert highlights what he says are a number of inaccuracies by Councillor Rush.

Councillor Lambert's response:

"Cllr Rush criticises the handling of a public meeting, but Cllr Rush did not attend the meeting and it was not a public meeting.

"He states wrongly that residents were contacted by the Chair of Heywood Township, the residents were contacted by Jim Dobbin  MP in writing by Parliamentary letter.

"Jim Dobbin MP is not chair of Heywood Township, obviously Cllr Rush knows who is chair of Heywood Township, because Cllr Rush is himself a member of Heywood Township.

"He says that it was not made clear to residents that numbers attending would be limited, yet the letter from Jim Dobbin MP to residents who had contacted him regarding the flooding states:

'It is not going to be practical to have everyone at the meeting with United Utilities on Friday 29 September, but if we are to make progress it is necessary to have a very focused meeting and for representatives from each area to be present to tackle both United Utilities and Rochdale Council.'

"The letter from Jim Dobbin MP made it clear who was representing each area and that each street or individual resident would have a meeting with United Utilities to resolve their issues.

"Cllr Rush states that everyone should have been invited to the meeting, but Cllr Rush fails to mention that he agreed at the last township meeting that having a community champion for each area was the best way forward. So he contradicts himself.

"He says that the selected spokespersons for each area had a prepared agenda and they were not given time to have their say, Jim Dobbin  MP by letter and where contact was made by telephone made it clear the meeting to address individual concerns would be at the direct meeting with United Utilities, if Cllr Peter Rush had indicated to residents differently, then he at no time made this point prior to the meeting with either United Utilities, Rochdale Council or Jim Dobbin  MP.

"Cllr Rush asks what has Rochdale Council got to hide, well he should be the one to tell us, he is a member of the group who are in control of Rochdale Council, that is Rochdale Liberal Democrats.

"I am afraid I can not comment on his description of an aristocratic meeting, I fail to understand what he is trying to say by this phrase.

"So to put the record straight.

• Cllr Rush never attended the meeting to which he refers.
• It was not a public meeting.
• Cllr Rush made no attempt to call such a meeting himself.
• The meeting only happened because Jim Dobbin MP organised the meeting with both United Utilities and Rochdale Council.
• Jim Dobbin MP is not chair of Heywood Township.

"But, apart from all the corrections, it does appear that Cllr Rush got his own name right and everything else wrong.

"The article by Cllr Rush contributes nothing to helping resolve these serious issues facing Heywood residents."