| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:What is being done: | |
| Posted by: | John Connelly | |
| Date/Time: | 20/07/12 11:17:00 |
| I agree with you, Adam, that defining what "serving the public" means is far from straight forward. It could be argued that the Heston and Cranford councillors, whose power to deal with enforcement issues was suspended a number of years ago, were serving their public by refusing to enforce on officer recommendations. Certainly it was rare to see any objections to the many extensions built without authorisation, and it was usually observation by officers that led to enforcement action. One of the ironies of the previous administration's decision to remove the Area Committee power is that it led to a situation where virtually every recommmendation for enforcement was accepted by members henceforth. It is over ten years since I was in a leading position on Hounslow Council. In my experience most senior officers were always prepared to listen and could be persuaded to reconsider their initial propositions. One very good Borough Solicitor in the mid-1980's was quite clear about the relationship when he said to me "Officers advise, members decide". I don't know how far the calibre of senior officers has declined in recent years. However, a former Hounslow Council Treasurer and Chief Executive, Sir Bob Kerslake, is now Head of the Home Civil Service, as high as you can go in public administration. His successor, Derek Myers, is now Chief Executive of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham councils, the country's first "super-authority". Baroness Amos, now an Undersecretary-General at the UN and former Leader of the House of Lords was, I recall, a candidate for a senior post at Hounslow a number of years ago. During the period when these highly respected people were Hounslow officers, a constant criticism was that salaries at Hounslow were below the London average. Huge salary hikes occurred after 2006. It appears from many comments on this thread that these did not have the desired effect in recruiting quality officers. |