We could have predicted this... :-p we're a bit late to the party but still - there's much to enjoy.
Instead of admitting to an honest mistake born out of pure ignorance - The Environment Agency have decided to defend poetry scholar and EA Chairman Chris Smith (Salary £110,000 year - part time) over his ill advised sock puppeting of the new weirdy weather "wrong type of rain" house mantra some deluded PR policy idiot has dreamt up in a likely attempt to deflect criticism of the Environment Agency's performance during the recent weather. That weather, amazingly - hasn't actually obeyed Environment Agency policy - and something obviously must be done.
It would be too easy to simply portray the utterances of Lord Smith, Chairman of The Environment Agency as the witterings of a single (overpaid) ignorant fool seeing out the twilight years of his career in an undemanding and handsomely rewarded sinecure - and some people believe that - we see it as part of a pattern of toxic behaviour emanating from a delinquent public institution.
Well known and long time weather forecaster Bill Giles said a few days ago:“How on earth could we have appointed as chairman of the Environment Agency someone who so obviously doesn’t understand basic meteorology [like] Lord Smith?” - if it's any consolation Bill, if you ask nicely - maybe Chris can do you a short poem? a Japanese haiku ? A whole load of other people have taken umbrage at the EA's hubris in this matter (Here, Here and a bunch of other places GIYF)
Smith's rain assertions - as with so many things emanating from the Environment Agency do not survive close scrutiny and his claims are pretty well debunked (Using Met Office data) over at notalotofpeopleknowthat - we'd say that the EA's "wrong type of rain" claims are self serving lies and a contrivance - harrumph... we're now on familiar ground.
The Environment Agency is supposed (legally obliged) to deliver water licence determinations within 13 weeks (91 days - Penfold Rules - details of which the EA have deleted from their web site) - it is now 338 days since they were instructed by The High Court to determine the water licences at Avoncliff "without delay". The EA will not advise us of any progress on the licence (Note1)
Senior managers and executives have also begun a determined campaign of disinformation littered with material inaccuracies that they must be aware aren't supportable and which are entirely self serving in their attempts to pervert proper process at Avoncliff. EA communications seeking to misrepresent a revised and skewed history of Avoncliff water licencing have turned up at our MP's office and other places where they have been treated with sceptical curiosity since many claims conflict with the recipients existing knowledge of what's been going on.
(Note1)
The Environment Agency will not talk to us at all! As in nothing - when we telephone they get all flustered and say "we've been instructed not to talk to you" - it would be comical if we didn't have a whole load of stuff entirely dependent on the outcome of the determination process. As we keep saying - they've demanded £37,000 to tell us what's going on.
11,500 staff and a £1bn budget
It's a bit late to issue a PR release saying it was all a joke
If you want some entertainment we suggest you ignore Baron Smith of Finchley and book Bill Giles Weather Show
Well they dont seem to have a efing* clue what they are doing,totally snookered themselves what a waste of time and public money,its about time someone put a stop to this shower NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE. Jon B-ON-A
ReplyDeleteWell the truth is three and a half years on a £150 licence they have now brought in the specialists, to defend there illegal biased behaviour. The EA were tasked with the job of a simple water licence and now have cost the public purse well in excess of HALF A MILLION ££££££ because they cannot see the WOOD FROM THE TREES, lets see what they scheme up next. One thing is for sure it will be biased against us, not in the public interest, only in there interest to cover up there ef--g MESS
DeletePIGS WILL FLY
ReplyDeleteI have had dealings with these slime-balls even near the top, they lie and manipulate they sent me bust b--stards.
ReplyDeleteI think its totally unfair that you should paint all Environment Agency staff with the same brush. We did not choose Lord Smith, he was appointed = given a cushey well paid number. Most of us real EA staff would love to have his money and hours.
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to do a good job hampered by over zealous bureaucracy from those above. If it has not got a tick box they will make one. The policy of employing graduates stinks because they just suck up the promotional places for the real workers.
Most of the EA ie 95% are doing a great job, but the rotten apples need the exit they deserve. Ideally through the courts, your codes of conduct had just as well have been binned, they certainly have been ignored,as with the rest of your legislation and dutys
ReplyDelete