22 March (Part 2) - Going Places : The Growth Strategy
With half an ear on the webcast, the Places Scrutiny Committee meeting chaired
by Cameron Smith sounded quite interesting. Will that initial assessment prove to be correct?
The first item on the Agenda was the Economic Growth Strategy and Councillor John Davey spoke for most of us by saying he did not
want to see any more cheap and nasty warehouses which do little for the borough.
He also wondered if, longer term, we really needed all the extra houses given
the falling birth rate. We have quite enough HMOs too and we should focus on
family housing with a reasonable number of bedrooms and the jobs to support
them. “This Growth Strategy will achieve those results.”
Cabinet Member Cafer Munur said he had an idea of what Bexley residents needed.
(Well thank goodness for that!)
Labour Councillor Jeremy Fosten (Belvedere) said he had read the report and was
none the wiser on what the plan really is, only the generic requirements. It
merely pats ourselves on the back saying how good we are. On culture,
warehouses, investment and growth It says what we aspire to do but doesn’t
mention how. It is nothing but a largely agreeable wish list. He was told that
was entirely intentional. it is a deliberately vague wish list and if Labour had
attended the prior discussions they would have known that.
Councillor David Leaf said the borough was up against a Mayor and Government’s
ill-thought through planning policies but the
Strategy is our prospectus to put before possible investors. Investors are no
longer very interested in Britain or in London but Bexley is trying to be a beacon
of entrepreneurship in both business and in culture, heritage and healthy
communities.
Councillor Fosten asked again what good growth is as opposed to bad growth. “A
definition please.” He was told it was all on Page 32 of the Strategy.
Cabinet Member Munur said if only Councillor Fosten had attended the meetings he could have helped define the answer himself. The meeting Chairman.
in his customary down to earth way, told Jeremy that he didn’t think he was going to get an answer.
Jeremy said he was disappointed to have no answer because his own thoughts on what might make Bexley a great place to be may be
very different to everyone else’s around this table.
The reply was that a vague definition allows the Strategy to move with the times and not require it
to be rewritten every few years. Instead every effort would be directed at delivery
and ‘Good Growth’ is an established term within the industry.
Councillor Mabel Ogundayo (Labour, Thamesmead East) said it “was not much of
strategy and I do not feel we are inventing anything new here. Take out the name
of the borough and it could be for anywhere else in the country. It is a nice
report but not a clear comprehensive strategy. Where is the Action Plan?”.
The Council Officer (Tanusha Waters) said there was one in development and she could share it with Councillors
on request. (Maybe I misunderstood her but I think words fail me here.)
Chairman Smith said “that would be useful”. Cabinet Munur repeated that whilst he understood some of the Labour concerns
they really should have shaped the Strategy by participating in its formulation at meetings.
Labour Councillor Anna Day said her party did not criticise the Strategy and the
Plan which is work in progress. She accepted that it was not easy to attract
people to the borough and NHS staff in paricular were reluctant to work here. People were not
keen on the Mayor of London, “how can we change this perception and work with
him?” Cabinet Member Munur said he does his best to jump through the Mayor’s
hoops and what goes on behind the scenes is not always reflected at public meetings.
The Strategy was adopted with Labour support.