A formal complaint has been submitted by Lib Dem councillors over ‘poor information’ provided at a scrutiny session about the Council’s recent review of parking in B&NES.
Image courtesy of B&NES Council
The councillors tabled the complaint after last Monday’s meeting of the ‘Communities, Transport and Environment’ panel received only a limited presentation about the parking review, which they say was not even made available at the time papers were published.
This was at the same time as extensive information, including detailed quotes from the Cabinet member and a video, had been released on the Council website and in a media release.
Councillor Neil Butters (Lib Dem, Bathavon South) commented: “There is no reason that the additional information released on the Council’s website and to the press could not have been shared with the scrutiny panel.
“This is a clear case of the Conservative Cabinet seeking to avoid answering difficult questions in public.
“Scrutiny has a crucial role within the Council’s decision-making process; it should not be relegated to a box to be ticked with the scrutiny panels being treated as mere consultees.
“Democratically elected opposition councillors have been denied briefings on this major policy change, which the Tories are trying to sneak through without proper scrutiny. Liberal Democrats are calling for the Chief Executive to examine this abuse of process immediately and take action to ensure it does not recur.”
Councillor Dine Romero (Lib Dem, Southdown) added: “This evasive attitude clearly displays this Conservative administration’s contempt for the proper democratic processes of Council.
“Scrutiny committee members should be provided with complete information, in good time, to allow them to prepare for meetings. Their role is to check that the executive’s plans are appropriate, evidenced and represent good value for local people.
“The Conservative administration is failing residents in this and many other regards.”
Cllr Mark Shelford (Lyncombe), B&NES Cabinet Member for Transport, responded to the above comments with the following statement.
Cllr Shelford said: “Our proposed new parking strategy aims to balance the interests of residents, businesses and the environment, whilst at the same time reducing the impact of coaches on our World Heritage City by providing more appropriate places for them to park – something the Lib Dems completely failed to do in all the years they ran the Council.
“The strategy has been produced following extensive public consultation earlier this year involving both residents and businesses.
“This draft strategy is now subject to a further round of public consultation, during which residents, businesses, community groups and councillors can all respond with any comments they have.
“This consultation has been well publicised through the local press, on social media and on the home page of the Council website.
“In addition, the Council’s scrutiny panel has been kept briefed by officers on the proposals, and comments made by the panel will feed into the consultation process.
“Given the extensive public engagement which has taken place on this strategy already, I struggle to see how this process can be described as anything other than open and transparent.”
