Last night we had a meeting on the traffic scheme proposed for the Manor Drive area of Old Malden.
Our job was to review what had gone on in the committee that decided to push ahead with the scheme. The residents had asked for it to be reviewed because they were unhappy at various aspects, in particular the method of consultation.
An odd meeting in some ways. The Co Chairmen of the committee that decided it agreed that there was new information they did not have when they took the decision. They also agreed that it would have been better had the results of the consultation gone back to the special residents working group that had been set up to look at the scheme. They even admitted that making the decision without reference to the residents broke their own consultation code the committee had adopted. And yet they refused to countenance the matter being redecided. Instead they hid behind a fig leaf that if they did not implement they “might” lose the funding. Now tell me that money does not lead and the proposal being a good one take second place?
I accept that some form of traffic measures need to happen, as do the residents, but there is a real need for Councillors to take heed of residents advice and not ride rough shod over their views when it suits them. Still we have been here before with this Council and flawed consultations!
1 comment:
I can't see how it can be said that a decision was reached without reference to the residents. The council report says that consultation papers were sent to 690 households and 322 responses were received (48% response). The responses influenced the recommendations and the decisions. Who was it not long ago was moaning about endless consultations? Hmm?
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