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October 27, 2008
Brighton and Hove
Kolly Kibber writes:
"There is consternation in Brighton over its proposed Library Plan for the next three years.
Among other things, this was to include “member and stakeholder consultation”. A report has been prepared for the Council’s Cabinet Culture meeting on the 28th of this month (October), and it suggests that this consultation went ahead as scheduled in September. However, people were not consulted until October 1st, when the disabled group, among others, complained that they were not being allowed enough time to consult in their turn. A new deadline was given all round: November 13th.
However, the Plan is being submitted for passing by the Lead Councillor for Culture, David Smith, at the meeting on October 28th. This renders meaningless residents’ submissions - including those by local MPs.
The Plan should be pulled from the agenda pending consideration of these submissions. As matters stand, such maladministration can only make the Plan appear tainted in the eyes of the Scrutiny panel and the Full Council when it reaches them in due course."
Posted by Perkins at October 27, 2008 9:00 PM
Comments
I went along to this meeting, and was very glad to find that the Opposition spokeswoman, Melanie Davis, was - along with the Scrutiny chairman, Bill Randall - able to prevail the adminstration to defer the Library Plan from the Full Council on December 4th to January 28th's meeting.
This means that the consultation comments sent in by the November 13th deadline can be properly assimilated into the next version of the Library Plan.
Quite why one section of the Council should get a different version of the Plan from today's Cabinet's Culture sub-division is another of the mysteries of local government.
But it shows that libraries are regarded as a hot issue, and I should advise residents around the country to take every advantage that such meetings provide.
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at October 28, 2008 8:11 PM
Today it has been announced that the deadline for comments on the Libraries Plan here will be extended until the end of the year.
Residents around the country should be alert to the possibilities offered by these three-year Plans.
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at October 30, 2008 7:31 PM