This from the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's website:
Cllr Atwood said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be elected as Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The Council has achieved many good things over recent years but I have listened to public concern in recent months in relation to a number of proposed regeneration schemes. I support the aims and objectives of the Regeneration Company, in which the Council is a partner, but I am committed to ensuring that its activities are communicated more widely and that the Council’s involvement is made more transparent. More generally, I will aim to improve public confidence in the Council through wider public consultation, and by making councillors more accountable to those they represent.
I note his support for the aims and objectives of the Regeneration Company and welcome his statement that the company's activities are communicated more widely and that the Council's involvement is made more tranparent. Does this mean: no changes to the plan but we will tell you more? Those hoping for the ending of the company and a major change from the previous Leader's policies might be disappointed by this.
I understand Cllr Jukes will be re-joining the Regeneration Company's board from which he resigned in spectacular fashion and helped put the skids under the former Leader.
I hope the council is not about to embark on an orgy of consultation which will wear people out. Call me old fashioned, but accountability is through the ballot-box.
KENT COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: acerbic, carping, caustic, curmudgeonly,critical, cynical, grumpy, moaning, sardonic and plain speaking.
Ultimately, and every so often, yes, it is, John. But by then, politics has got its mucky hands on the agendas, and people mainly vote FOR someone/thing, not against in a show of displeasure. Accountability must be more immediate. It needs to happen by placing scrutiny in the hands of people, not politicians. It needs to happen by more information flowing between elected and electorate. The days when elected reps could sit back and say "You voted me in, now put up with me, or vote me out next time, (if you can)" are over!
ReplyDeleteReally, where is the evidence for this assertion? The reality is that it will be a very small number of people who will engage in scrutiny. Simply replacing an elected bunch by a non-elected bunch.
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