| Topic: | Re:Re:Re::Re:Re:Re:Re:What is being done: | |
| Posted by: | Theo Dennison | |
| Date/Time: | 23/07/12 20:19:00 |
| Good point. It certainly is wishful thinking on my part and individual priorities will differ but I am not alone in pressing for it - and it is the position of the Labour Group as a whole. The five pledges designed to focus action on key priorities formed the platform on which Labour stood in the local elections in 2010 and were then adopted nem con by the council as a whole. There's still lots to do on them but they are still front and centre of the council's plans. The top to bottom reorganisation has the full support of the new administration - and it will test every senior officer against external peers, slim the organisation down and to be successful see the organisation adopt a clear community and customer focus. Changes to Area Committees to encourage a partnership with local communities and their participation in decision making are currently being introduced; and in planning we have now introduced a more open and participatory framework allowing residents, amenity groups and local councillors greater opportunities to influence what goes on - the latter changes being not only unanimously approved by borough council but also being welcomed by the planning department. Things are still a long way short of good enough but when facing a bureaucracy that thinks they should be able to dispose of any and all community assets as they feel fit it is beginning to look like a start. It's a small measure of success but as you know the roof on the St John's Centre has leaked for 20 years, previous administrations ignored it while bleeding the community organisation that managed it dry with repair bills, even the four year's during which you had influence didn't see it fixed, it took me two years just to have the principle of using the money you set aside spent on it - but now the new roof has been set in train by Cllr Ruth Cadbury. Real progress at last. I was never the only advocate for these things in the cabinet and there is no evidence the pace has slowed since I left it. |