Having got twice as many signatures as were needed, the Big Save Our Parks petition will be discussed at the full council meeting next Tuesday evening. The petitioners say that
"Neighbourhood Partnerships should decide on any green space disposals in their area – making sure local people are involved in the decision making, unlike the decisions taken so far by Cabinet."
No doubt the lead petitioners will ask their council colleagues to vote for a supporting resolution (which can't actually make any decision, only recommend that the ruling Cabinet go along with it).
And, judging by what happened at our Neighbourhood Partnership last night, the LibDems will want that resolution emasculated or simply defeated by weight of numbers.
Last night, (just the same as in December - before the Cabinet ignored public opinion and steamrollered through its decision to sell off the green spaces, including eight here in Stockwood) I asked our NP to agree to submit a Public Forum Statement to the full council meeting. In December, our Statement had asked the Cabinet to defer its decision. This one simply urges councillors to support the petitioners' contention that Neighbourhood Partnerships must consent to selling green spaces.
And, just as at the last NP meeting, just three people fought tooth and nail to stop the NP agreeing the Statement. They were, of course, Hengrove's two LibDem councillors plus their Stockwood candidate for the May election.
You'd think that Neighbourhood Partnerships might be pleased to have the say-so on what green spaces on their patch should be sold, but not these LibDems. We had a whole series of attempts to avoid a vote on it, including a desperate claim that we couldn't ask the council to do what it cannot do. (Answer A. We weren't doing that. Answer B. What's to stop us expressing a view, anyway?)
Anyway, we agreed to put the Statement in, the three LibDems dissenting. Just like we did in December. It's getting to be a habit.
It's still a mystery why our local LibDems should be fighting so hard against us getting these rights. Maybe they could provide an explanation here?
8 comments:
How many Bristol residents are aware of the existence of Neighbourhood Partnerships, let alone who serves on them or what they do?
One of the areas under threat from the big Liberal Democrat sell-off is Hartcliffe's Pigeonhouse Stream. A group of campaigners is organising to defend two plots which have been identified as 'low value' land. Please help our cause by going to our new website at pigeonhousestream.wordpress.com. If you oppose the sale, please leave a comment in the Pigeonhouse Testimonies page. Many thanks!
"You'd think that Neighbourhood Partnerships might be pleased to have the say-so on what green spaces on their patch should be sold, but not these LibDems."
Well no. That would then involve them having to take some responsibility for the decision, wouldn't it?
Remember that election (2005?) when the Lib Dems had the largest number of councillors but then didn't want to be in charge, and had to be threatened with John Prescott?
Why do they bother?
Good point. Taking decisions locally could put a lot of electoral pressure on individual councillors - it will be harder to go down anything that looks like an 'unpopular' route.
In fairness, the Parks issue puts the LibDems in the firing line... other controversial decisions could affect other councillors.
Hi Woodsy
"How many Bristol residents are aware of the existence of Neighbourhood Partnerships, let alone who serves on them or what they do?"
A tiny proportion, I'd say! Not that the information's not available, it's just well down most peoples priorities. In H & S, our meetings are getting a bit bigger, but the official 'membership' partners are effectively self-appointed (though not quite as much as the flagship Local Enterprise Partnerships)
We'll have proper elections in due course, but as things stand that won't cast the net much wider.
I think the internet is the only practical way to make the NPs more accessible and participative (though it will still only be for those who those who want to know). We've just launched a 'HandS ON' e-forum to get round this. It's independent, but supportive of, the NP. (HandS ON is Hengrove and Stockwood Online Neighbourhood, get it?) If - a big IF - people take it up, it will be a big step forward. I hope so, it's taken us a lot of work! But so far only one of our four NP councillors has got round to registering, and it needs them on board to have any real credibility as part of the NP process!
Hi again Pete
Thanks for your information re your efforts to widen participation in discussing local issues in your part of town.
I've been involved for many years in trying to promote participation in/discussion of matters in Easton. Your words "But so far only one of our four NP councillors has got round to registering, and it needs them on board to have any real credibility as part of the NP process!" are indicative of some of the outcomes we've had. Most people are consumers, not contributors. Sad but true. :(
The website looks great, Pete.
My experience with Easton NP, or Neighbourhood Management as it was, was that the whole thing was so bogged down in bureaucratic processes and hidden agendas that only the hard-core of politicos and meeting junkies could sit through it all - no offence Woodsy, maybe we were at different meetings?
Signing up your name as present at any meeting then resulted in an ongoing avalanche of minutes and a feeling of powerlessness as you then read of decisions you strongly disagreed with being taken, with the only alternative being forced to make endless evenings free for all future meetings.
You also have to be very experienced at public speaking and verbal judo to be able to get any point you wish to make across without being slammed down, patronised, or dismissed by the pros who are always present.
But on the plus side, some of the food provided, from local take-aways, was dmn tasty!
Post a Comment