Meetings
Eye Town Council hold three committee meetings each month before the Full Council meeting on the third Wednesday of each month 7.30 pm in the Chamber of Eye Town Hall.
Planning Committee
The main purpose of the planning committee is to consider and decide upon planning applications then pass those on to Mid Suffolk for the final decision.
Finance and Governance
Finance and Governance Committee meet the first Thursday of the month, with the exception of August.The committee hold a meeting in public in the chamber of the Eye Town Hall.
Environment Committee
The Environment Committee meet the first Tuesday of each Month to consider all aspects of the towns environment, from toilets to street lighting and play areas street cleaning and dog waste.
Eye Town Youth Council
The Youth Council is proud to enter its third year. Meeting three times a year in the chamber, operating under the same format as the Council standing orders. This structure ensures that discussions are organized & productive, allowing young people to effectively represent the voices of youth making a positive impact in our community
Eye Town Youth Council Meetings
The Eye Town Youth Council, comprised of Hartismere School students, is led by an elected chairperson and fourteen dedicated councillors. They convene three times a year, starting with their first meeting on Wednesday, October 23, at 14:00 in the chamber of Eye Town Hall. This council provides a platform for young voices in the community to engage and contribute to local decision-making. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make this school year!
Meetings are public and residents and press are welcome to attend. Questions can be asked by public in the public section of the agenda.
Eye Youth Council October Meeting
Join us for the first meeting of the Eye Youth Council for the new September term! This important gathering will take place in the chamber of the Eye Town Hall on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 2 PM. The meeting is open to all residents of Eye, and we encourage you to participate by asking questions during the agendaed public participation section. We look forward to seeing you there!
Your views welcomed
Eye Town Council have stated that you are welcome to raise any point of view, opinions or issues at any of the Eye Town Council meetings held in public or alternatively you can email the Eye Town Clerk townclerk@eyetowncouncil.gov.uk who will announce your correspondence in the public questions and community announcements part of the meeting.
Eye Town Council Meetings to be held in January.
Environment Committee January 5 th 19.00
Finance and Governance January 9 th 19.00
Town Hall and Events January T.B.C. 19.00
Eye Planning Committee January 20 th 18.30
Eye Town Full Council January 22 nd 19.30
Meetings are open to the public and residents can ask questions and submit views of things that effect them or the town of Eye.
Eye Town Council Agenda
The Agenda Wednesday October 16 th
Eye Town Council
Finance and Governance Committee Meeting
Why do we need a Whistleblowing Policy,interestingly
Eye Town Council Finance and Governance Committee meets on Thursday at 7pm March 14th. On the Agenda to be reviewed and approved is a “Whistleblowing” Policy. Whistleblowing also known as ‘Making a disclosure in the public interest’ is when a person reports suspected wrongdoing and it is an important part of safeguarding the public services it contributes to, a healthy working culture and the efficient running of a business.
Some of the most infamous events in recent history have been highlighted by a whistleblower who felt that the public should be informed of the truth.
With no published information to support the whistleblower item on the Agenda for Thursday’s meeting who knows what the Eye Town Council will discuss and what it will decide, will you be in the chamber at 7pm and be among the first to hear the official outcome.
Habitual or Vexatious Complainants / Correspondents Policy
The Finance and Governance Committee last Thursday agreed this new policy – this is to be welcomed: Councillors and staff of the Town Council have a right to be protected from unwarranted or unfair attacks in the course of doing their work for the Council. This policy goes a long way in providing clear guidance for the public about what is acceptable and what is not.
Many Councils have adopted a similar approach and it is great that the Town Council are moving on with this.
We would urge that this excellent approach is built on so that a complete package can be approved by the Council.
What has been done so far is only one side of the coin. Looking across other councils and public bodies they also set out how such a policy is to be implemented, including guidance on:
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How decisions to sanction people will be made to ensure fairness and transparency
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Whether people have a right of appeal
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How to seek redress if the Council has operated unfairly or in breach of their own policies
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What safeguards are in place to prevent any over zealous application of this policy
This approach would provide a balanced, rational and fair system.
The Council is urged to look at the best councils.
Ian Winter & Clive Hill
Habitual or Vexatious Complainants / Correspondents Policy
This is the Eye Town Council Draft Copy that will be voted on at the Eye Full Council meeting on Wednesday 21st of February at 7.30 pm in the chamber.
Habitual or Vexatious Complainants / Correspondents Policy 1.0 Introduction
1.
The Eye Town Council, with regulatory and control functions, will, as a natural part of its business, have to deal with people who disagree with our decisions, often expressing that
disagreement persistently and strongly. Lobbying for a particular point of view is an established and essential part of the democratic process. This policy is not intended to curtail activities of that kind in any way.
Another consequence of being a Town Council is that we are expected to respond to all communications received. However, there are cases, where the requests for explanations or information become unreasonable and often repetitious. There may also be
a refusal to accept that this Council has either no power or duty to deal with the particular matter. Dealing with matters of this type can take up a great deal of officer time and there must come a point where more time cannot be justified as it will have the effect of preventing
other legitimate matters being dealt with.
1.3
This policy identifies where a complainant / correspondent, either individually or part of a group, or group of complainants / correspondents, might be "habitual or vexatious" and ways of responding to these situations.
1.4 For the purpose of this policy the term habitual means "done repeatedly or as a
habit". The term vexatious is recognised in law and means "denoting action or the bringer of an action that is brought without sufficient ground for winning, purely to cause annoyance to the defendant". This policy is intended to assist in identifying and managing persons who seek to be disruptive to the Council through pursuing an unreasonable course of contact.
2.0
Criteria for determining habitual or vexatious complainant / correspondents
Complainants / correspondents (and/or anyone acting on their behalf) may be deemed to be
habitual or vexatious where previous or current contact with them shows that they meet none of the following criteria:
Where the complainant / correspondent:
2.1
Persists in pursuing a complaint/matter where the Council's process has been fuly and properly implemented and exhausted.
2.2
Persistently change the substance of a complaint/matter or continually raise new
issues or seek to prolong contact by continually raising further concerns or questions whilst
the complaint/matter is being addressed. Care must be taken, however, not to disregard
new issues which are significantly different from the original complaint / matter as these will need to be addressed separately.
2.3
Are repeatedly unwilling to accept document evidence given to them as being factual, or deny receipt of an adequate response in spite of correspondence specifically answering their questions, or do not accept that facts can sometimes be difficult to verify when a long period of time has elapsed.
2.4
Repeatedly do not clearly identify the precise issues which they wish to be investigated, despite reasonable efforts of the Council to help them specify their concerns, and/or where the concerns identified are not within the remit of the Council to investigate.
2.5
Regularly focus on a trivial matter to an extent which is out of proportion to its significance and continue to focus on this point. It is recognised that determining what a trivial matter is can be subjective and careful judgement will be used in applying this criteria.
2.6
Have threatened or used physical violence towards employees or members at any time. This will in itself, cause personal contact with the complainant / correspondent and / or their representative to be discontinued and the complaint/matter will, thereafter, on be continued through written communication.
2.7
Have, in the course of addressing a registered complaint / matter, had an excessive number of contact with the Council - placing unreasonable demands on employees. A contact may be in person, by telephone, email. Judgement will be used to determine excessive contact taking into account the specific circumstances of each individual case.
2.8
Have harassed or been abusive verbally or in writing on more than one occasion
towards employees or members dealing with the complaint / matter. This is particularly serious where the abuse is aimed personally. Employees recognise that
complainants / correspondents may sometimes act out of character in times of stress, anxiety or distress and will make reasonable allowances for this. Some
complainants / correspondents may have a mental health disability and there is a need to be sensitive in circumstances of this kind.
2.9
Are known to have recorded meetings or face to face/telephone conversations without the prior knowledge and consent of the other parties involved.
2.10 Make unreasonable demands on the Council and its employees and fail to accept that these may be unreasonable: for example, insisting on responses to complaints / matters or enquiries being provided more urgently than is reasonable or within the council's recognised practice.
2.11
Make unreasonable complaints / matters which impose a significant burden on the Council and where the complaint / matter:
Clearly does not have any serious purpose or value; or Is designed to cause disruption or annoyance; or Has the effect of harassing the Council; or
Can otherwise be characterised as obsessive or manifestly unreasonable.
2.12
Have persisted in requesting information where the Council is precluded from
responding to a request for legal reasons, e.g. the mater is the subject of claim by or against the Council and that has been explained.
3.0
Actions for dealing with habitual or vexatious complainants / correspondents
3.1
Where a member of staff feels one or more of the criteria in 2. Above are met, then
they should discuss the matter with their Line Manager. The Line Manager wil communicate with the complainant / correspondent informing them that all future correspondence will be responded to by them. In extreme cases, it could be reasonable to indicate that no further contact on the subject will be entertained from the complainant for a period, say 3 months or more.
Dated January 2024 Review January 2026
The Council stated at the Finance and Governance meeting on February 1st that there is to be an amendment added before the date of the vote.
Eye Town Full Council Meeting
The Eye Town Full Council meeting is held on the third Wednesday of each month.
No meeting in August. Public are welcome to attend and speak at meetings.
Eye Town Council Meeting Update
The latest Eye Town Full Council meeting was held on Wednesday 18th October in the chamber of the Eye Town Hall Suffolk at 7.30 pm. The meeting was attended by Eye Town Councillors Mary Ager, Kim Crispin, Jean Bush, Angela Rangecroft, Bruce Salter, Mike Smith, Robert Spreadbury, Johnnie Walker and the Eye Town Clerk. District Councillor Lucy Elkin and Suffolk County Councillor Peter Gould.
October 2023
Key Points to consider from the Eye Town Council October Meeting
Loss of Public access
Eye town Council Committees have been suspended, Councillors and public will have far less opportunity to get involved.
Committed to Public Meeting
Eye Town Council committed to hold a public meeting setting out proposed changes at the Eye cemetery at a later date before any changes are made.
No Deputy Mayor
Election of Mayor, No Election of Deputy Mayor
Does the town have a deputy Mayor ?
Eye Town Council Agenda
The copy of the agenda seen below has the original text in black, Highlighted Points are marked in Red. The original agenda can be viewed via this link.
