No, it isn’t a joke – it caused banner headlines throughout the County when Dr Andrew Povey ‘resigned’ as Surrey County Council Leader and many people heaved a sigh of relief at his departure! Now rumours abound that Povey is to be resurrected as a Cranleigh Parish Councillor – talk about the Comeback Kid!

Some councillors are to ensure that Tory control is maintained at all costs, you’ve heard that old chestnut about pinning the right colour rosette on a monkey! – several of our followers in Cranleigh have contacted us enquiring, whether the word on the High Street is to be believed. WW would believe anything!

Our Cranleigh followers are keen to get to the bottom of the rumour – and from what we have heard, Cranleigh Parish Council could be scraping the bottom of the barrel if it resorts to having  Dr Povey in its ranks.

We’ve been doing a little bit of research into the man who wanted to put pay and display machines in every High Street in the Borough including Haslemere, Farnham, Godalming and Cranleigh.  The very same machines that he actually purchased, at enormous cost to local taxpayers, but which disappeared without a trace. We assume someone knows where they are but if they do they’re not saying. No surprise there do we hear you say?

For those who would like to know more about wannabee  Councillor Povey read on:

Our research shows he was:

• Kicked out of the SW Surrey Community Health Council for using the organisation for electoral advantage. WW understands the organisation did not like being used to boost his election chances.
• WW also understands his election to the SCC was Cranleigh Parish Council’s gain as until Mr Povey arrived at the parish council it was Political with a very small “p”
• He was accused by his Conservative colleagues of using his position as a councillor and then Leader for his personal gain – or that of his Care Agency – Care Unlimited, which WW believes operated in the borough of Waverley.
• The Local government Ombudsman issued its first adverse findings notice against Help Unlimited. This centred on a complaint made while it was owned by Dr Povey’s Personnel Services Limited, which was subsequently sold to Novus Care. The complaint was made by the relative of a woman in Devon to whom, they claimed, HU provided poor quality care. The LGO ordered the company to apologise, review its policies and pay compensation. None of these orders was followed. The LGO lashed out at Dr Povey’s organisation for failing to comply with its recommendations, failing to issue a notice to the media and destroying records.

Dr Jane Martin (LGO), said at the time –

“This is the first time in years that I have had to issue such a notice against a private care provider and shows just how seriously I take failure to comply with its obligations to address complaints.”

Dr Povey who resigned from the council in 2011 following clashes with his then deputy David Hodge was defiant in the face of the Ombudsman’s statement – saying

“In my view the LGO is the most incompetent organisation I have ever seen across the whole public sector. I simply do not accept its findings.

If you can bear to read more go onto The Guildford Dragon and Get Surrey and read more …much more…about Dr Povey’s Antics.

Do Cranleigh people really want this man representing them? And what on earth is the parish council thinking of, even considering him as a suitable candidate to represent the people of Cranleigh? but then stranger things have happened!

Read: Those were the days – former Councillor Williams.