It's the same, only different
As we promised we've been working through our paperwork from the last Council meeting (hence the lack of posts). One of the questions asked was by one half of the Lib Dem dynamic duo, Paul Webbewood. The question related to the apparent scrapping of "Time to Listen" and its replacement with the "Great Get Together". We'd also like to boast of our immense power and influence given we suggested he ask the question.
As we're sure our regular readers will recall, Cllr Webbewood commented on our post about the "Great Get Together" back at the beginning of June. He said that he was "somewhat peeved that the decision to scrap Time to Listen seems to have been made immediately before the Election, without giving the new Council the opportunity to discuss the issue." Our suggestion was to ask a question and so he did.
The answer from Chirs Roberts certainly makes for interesting reading (although it's not quite on a par with another answer he gave that night). Basically, in response to the question of, when, and on what authority, "Time to Listen" was discontinued, the council leader said - and we admit we paraphrase here - that it has not been discontinued, it's merely changed its name, format, location and size.
Interestingly he didn't mention cost. Perhaps, Cllr Webbewood can find out how much the "Great Get Together" costs compared to "Time to Listen" (assuming they can be compared of course given that the leader says they are the same thing only different)?
As we're sure our regular readers will recall, Cllr Webbewood commented on our post about the "Great Get Together" back at the beginning of June. He said that he was "somewhat peeved that the decision to scrap Time to Listen seems to have been made immediately before the Election, without giving the new Council the opportunity to discuss the issue." Our suggestion was to ask a question and so he did.
The answer from Chirs Roberts certainly makes for interesting reading (although it's not quite on a par with another answer he gave that night). Basically, in response to the question of, when, and on what authority, "Time to Listen" was discontinued, the council leader said - and we admit we paraphrase here - that it has not been discontinued, it's merely changed its name, format, location and size.
Interestingly he didn't mention cost. Perhaps, Cllr Webbewood can find out how much the "Great Get Together" costs compared to "Time to Listen" (assuming they can be compared of course given that the leader says they are the same thing only different)?
posted by greenwich.watch at 8:25 pm
4 Comments:
I've been trying to understand is the "Great Get Together" a fun fair/community type event, or an opportunity to question local councillors?
The "Time to Listen" were good opportunities to question your local councillors, even if they did have the problem of being spread over a number of wards and so often you would not know the direct problems in each area. From what I can tell these "Great Get Together’s" are larger, surely this problem will be exaggerated?
I think that the Borouigh's Latin-speaking community might concider that you have fallen into the fallacy of "post hoc ergo propter hoc"
So have the "Time to Listen" gone off the Calendar?
There are no Time to Listen meetings scheduled at present.
However Chris Roberts said in reply to my question:
"Time to Listen has not been discontinued.........The new arrangements will continue to be kept under review and a report evaluating them will be submitted to Cabinet in due course"
At one point he seemed to suggest that Time to Listen might come back in a particular area if local councilors wanted this. However when pressed on this he back tracked.
The full text of his answer will be available when the minutes of the Meeting are published. If you can't wait until then I can let you have what was tabled on 26th July.
Post a Comment
<< Home