So let us hope that both the members and the officers of Broadland District Council are listening. Things are going to change around here...
Bob Neill highlighted that these challenges are not mere problems but a mandate for radical change, and that we need a strong society where individuals, families and communities are more able to take on responsibility to improve their areas.
He said:
"The old rules of central control are not a fixed part of the system - we need to change the culture to enable us to rewrite the rules. We want local deliverers to be much more accountable to the people they serve rather than focussing on Whitehall.
"The tired, old bureaucratic approach needs to go and the balance of power between central and local government needs to be reset. It's time to build a new system around our trust in people and professionals.
"Strong local government ultimately comes from rising voter turnout. Success will be further recognised when local citizens and national media routinely ask locally elected leaders for answers and not Ministers in Parliament.
"Decentralisation needs to happen by moving decision making down through the town hall, starting with individuals, families, communities and voluntary groups. It's not about which type of politician is in charge. Hard questions have to be asked by everyone about how far power can be transferred to put people fully in charge of their own destinies."
Voter turn out will only rise when the electorate believes that their votes will have an influence on the way the Councils run.
ReplyDeleteThere is little evidence of that at the moment. We learn that in spite of everything which has transpired in the last three weeks Broadland District Council have no intention of changing anything and insist that the excessive plans for housing will not be reduced.
Maybe its time to request that Grant Shapps gets involved with BDC as they are still bulldozing on as before,and appear to be ignoring the new governments policies equally as well as they have been ignoring our opinions.The "level playing field"talked about in his recent letter to SNUB,(posted on June 7th 2010),does not yet appear to have changed BDC's behaviour one iota.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he can persuade them to listen and take notice of what we have been saying.
It is a great pity we cannot vote these people out and return ones who listen to their electorate sooner than next April.