Begging strategy for Hornfair Park
We've just found out that another of the late petitions to the last Council meeting was one for Hornfair Park. The petition called on the Council to restore the pavillion and public toilets in the park.
The Council's response to the petition was an interesting one we thought. They said that that a detailed "Management Plan" was prepared in relation to Hornfair Park and would be available in the "forthcoming weeks". We're a little concerned that the answer - whilst sounding promising - is rather vague on timescales. Have they not heard of Microsoft Project?
We're more concerned with the finer detail of the response though. It says that the Management Plan will be used as an "inward investment tool" to "attract external funding streams" and that money would be used to "fund the priority infrastructure projects for the park."
Now we're the first to admit we might be a tad cynical, but to us that translates as, "we're going to write a begging letter because we're not willing to pay for things we accept are priority needs". Don't misunderstand us here though please. When it comes to local Government funding there's nothing wrong with a little bit of begging for cash. What is wrong is dressing it up in politicese and thinking we won't notice. We're not idiots after all.
One final thing that's bothered us is what seems like a lack of support from the ward councillors present in the Council Chamber when the response was given. Whilst new councillor, Grahame Coombes had sent his apologies for the evening so had a good excuse. We've been told that the Labour councillor Norman Adams and his Tory colleague Andy Jennings both left the chamber during the discussion of the petition. Neither made it back in to give a comment about the Council's response.
Now we're sure there was a perfectly good reason for why they left. Perhaps they both needed the loo. However, we can't imagine what sort of impression it left on the resident petitioners who'd come to the meeting.
The Council's response to the petition was an interesting one we thought. They said that that a detailed "Management Plan" was prepared in relation to Hornfair Park and would be available in the "forthcoming weeks". We're a little concerned that the answer - whilst sounding promising - is rather vague on timescales. Have they not heard of Microsoft Project?
We're more concerned with the finer detail of the response though. It says that the Management Plan will be used as an "inward investment tool" to "attract external funding streams" and that money would be used to "fund the priority infrastructure projects for the park."
Now we're the first to admit we might be a tad cynical, but to us that translates as, "we're going to write a begging letter because we're not willing to pay for things we accept are priority needs". Don't misunderstand us here though please. When it comes to local Government funding there's nothing wrong with a little bit of begging for cash. What is wrong is dressing it up in politicese and thinking we won't notice. We're not idiots after all.
One final thing that's bothered us is what seems like a lack of support from the ward councillors present in the Council Chamber when the response was given. Whilst new councillor, Grahame Coombes had sent his apologies for the evening so had a good excuse. We've been told that the Labour councillor Norman Adams and his Tory colleague Andy Jennings both left the chamber during the discussion of the petition. Neither made it back in to give a comment about the Council's response.
Now we're sure there was a perfectly good reason for why they left. Perhaps they both needed the loo. However, we can't imagine what sort of impression it left on the resident petitioners who'd come to the meeting.
posted by greenwich.watch at 5:11 am
2 Comments:
We've been told that the Labour councillor Norman Adams and his Tory colleague Andy Jennings both left the chamber during the discussion of the petition.
Half right: I had left the chamber before the petition response was given, but returned before the item came up on the agenda. Cllr Adams left the chamber just as the petitioning resident got up to speak.
You can see my views on the Council's response at http://kidbrooke.blogspot.com/2006/06/hornfair-park-inadequate-response.html
We see Cllr Jennings. Thank you for correcting the detail. Given you were in the chamber, why didn't you speak up about the inadequate response at the time?
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