An environmental management consultant has investigated the County Council’s reasons for dismissing the West Norfolk incinerator referendum. By clicking on the following web link you can hear his conclusions.
Guess what, they first established the principle of incineration, now we see the production of a County Mineral and Waste Plan which opens up the possibility of a large number of other sites as potential locations for incinerators. The report was considered by the County Council this week and notice of it was the front page headline on the Eastern Daily Press, 5th March 2012. They have already held the consultation but residents could not have known this potential from that document.
Did we ever see the sense of a Norfolk wide facility being located at Kings Lynn anyway? The location is so skewed that the transport implications render it impracticable. It seems they are softening us up for the introduction of a companion unit for the east of the County. They are not fit to be described as our representatives.
When there is a one-party state as exists in many shire counties including Salop and Norfolk, there is an added responsibility which goes with that power. It is a responsibility not to ride roughshod just because you can or because someone has put you in a financial headlock over some scheme or another. Here they sent letters to the entire workforce in July saying they would be re-hired if they took a 5% pay cut. Arrogant and arbitrary, receiving plaudits from none other than Grant Shapps.
The running of Councils, many of whom fall into this description is fertile ground for career officers who have no concern for the wider community. If elected members conspire with this culture by closing the doors to public view, manipulate the decision making process or promote personal agendas, they strike at the heart of the democratic process. Unfortunately as you see it happens here too, so we applaud all those involved in your campaigns. We all deserve better.
Well done that man! Richard Burton for Mayor of KL and WN! (OK you will have to get elected first - and we don't have mayoral elections yet. But it is still worth saying.) Hmmmm ...... now who shall we have as elected Mayor of Greater Norwich, with real Mayoral power? There's two Richards and a Stephen - any of them would be awesome compared with the impossible-to-respect figureheads now in situ. What about a Triumvirate? (not sure what that is, but it sounds good). Anything rather than this fake Democracy.
You might think that Norfolk County Council succeeded in their 'rotten' bid to silence their critics, but instead they have alienated most of the County in the process. This video is a voice for justice in a world where Council Chiefs feel free to do what ever they will. It was not their finest hour with decisions being rigged before meetings and the Leader of the Council refuting all rational arguments, ignoring Council Rules and stifling debate to manipulate the outcome.
That was bad enough but all the twin hatters on these councils have created for themselves an elite at our expense. One of these twin hatters, the Leader of Broadland District Council took it upon himself to write a letter from Broadland to The Secretary of State supporting this incinerator plan, but he did it without any mandate.
This is the same Council leader who having been found to have acted unlawfully by a Judge, just shrugs it off with comments like an 'educated risk' and 'lets not talk about blame' then appoints the same group of officers to rewrite the unlawful plan.
What is the common thread....lack of accountability. What is Localism without it?
Guess what, they first established the principle of incineration, now we see the production of a County Mineral and Waste Plan which opens up the possibility of a large number of other sites as potential locations for incinerators.
ReplyDeleteThe report was considered by the County Council this week and notice of it was the front page headline on the Eastern Daily Press, 5th March 2012. They have already held the consultation but residents could not have known this potential from that document.
Did we ever see the sense of a Norfolk wide facility being located at Kings Lynn anyway? The location is so skewed that the transport implications render it impracticable. It seems they are softening us up for the introduction of a companion unit for the east of the County. They are not fit to be described as our representatives.
When there is a one-party state as exists in many shire counties including Salop and Norfolk, there is an added responsibility which goes with that power. It is a responsibility not to ride roughshod just because you can or because someone has put you in a financial headlock over some scheme or another.
ReplyDeleteHere they sent letters to the entire workforce in July saying they would be re-hired if they took a 5% pay cut. Arrogant and arbitrary, receiving plaudits from none other than Grant Shapps.
The running of Councils, many of whom fall into this description is fertile ground for career officers who have no concern for the wider community. If elected members conspire with this culture by closing the doors to public view, manipulate the decision making process or promote personal agendas, they strike at the heart of the democratic process.
Unfortunately as you see it happens here too, so we applaud all those involved in your campaigns. We all deserve better.
Well done that man! Richard Burton for Mayor of KL and WN! (OK you will have to get elected first - and we don't have mayoral elections yet. But it is still worth saying.) Hmmmm ...... now who shall we have as elected Mayor of Greater Norwich, with real Mayoral power? There's two Richards and a Stephen - any of them would be awesome compared with the impossible-to-respect figureheads now in situ. What about a Triumvirate? (not sure what that is, but it sounds good). Anything rather than this fake Democracy.
ReplyDeleteYou might think that Norfolk County Council succeeded in their 'rotten' bid to silence their critics, but instead they have alienated most of the County in the process. This video is a voice for justice in a world where Council Chiefs feel free to do what ever they will. It was not their finest hour with decisions being rigged before meetings and the Leader of the Council refuting all rational arguments, ignoring Council Rules and stifling debate to manipulate the outcome.
ReplyDeleteThat was bad enough but all the twin hatters on these councils have created for themselves an elite at our expense. One of these twin hatters, the Leader of Broadland District Council took it upon himself to write a letter from Broadland to The Secretary of State supporting this incinerator plan, but he did it without any mandate.
This is the same Council leader who having been found to have acted unlawfully by a Judge, just shrugs it off with comments like an 'educated risk' and 'lets not talk about blame' then appoints the same group of officers to rewrite the unlawful plan.
What is the common thread....lack of accountability.
What is Localism without it?
What is government without it?
ReplyDelete