Cllrs Shama Tatler and Krupa Sheth are to hold meetings with ward councillors this week to discuss the experimental Healthy Neighbourhood schemes in their area following concern about lack of consultation and practicality voiced at a councillor briefing earlier this week.
The councillors are assured by Cllr Tatler that there was no intention to ignore residents or permanently impose changes but to fulfil an ambition, shared by all, to have 'healthier, cleaner and greener' neighbourhoods. The email circulated to councillors says that there is no disagreement on the principle but that there is a need to iron out some of the implementation and teething issues as well as communication.
Councillors are told that no scheme wil be operational until residents have been written to in order to clarify proposals, inform them of how they can comment and engage in the trials, and, importantly, a date on which schemes will go live. Tatler states that if a scheme is not working it will be amended or removed.
There will be regular communications with councillors on the monitoring process and updates for councillors and residents during the 6 month trial to ensure that all comments and feedback are tracked.
Covid restrictions permitting there will also be walkabouts with offices,
Cllr Tatler points out that in many areas, there are significant numbers of people, who do not have a car and that Brent Council has a responsibility to attempt to make the neighbourhoods we live in pleasant and safe environments.
She concludes that change, especially of necessity done at high speed, is not easy but the potential benefits are huge and long lasting.
Brent Council and its Leadership have no idea about how to consult sadly. Communication is poor and local views are ignored. Residents are only informed once a decision has been made and the process of implementation has started. Views of residents is then ignored because it is too late and their views (however valid and well informed) are just an inconvenience for Council bosses.
ReplyDeleteHit the Nail on the Head.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%
Why is it we are consulted but never receive the emails telling of the outcome, after the fact,
and why is this never then up for discussion before decisions are made.
This is not what I call democracy.
I simply say that this (it doesn't matter to me how it sounds to those who read it) the ''healthy and fair'' agenda wont work until everyone accepts that the system we struggle to survive under is responsible for the unhealthy and unfair state of Brent.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the complaint about (the lack of) ''consultation,'' I ask when has Brent council truly communicated with local residents on issues prior to being implemented?
As for complaining about the form of local democracy in Brent, that won't be resolved by a particular political party taking the place of the current one;
after all, this is a problem caused by human nature, meaning that people have free will and chose to be fair or unfair even in the context of local democracy.
In short, our borough is unhealthy and unfair because life is what we make it.