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News and Comment December 2014

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10 December (Part 3) - Corrections and Clarifications

Photos of the demolition of Hill View were posted at the weekend along with a reminder of the rather strange goings on at the planning meeting that approved its redevelopment. Basically all the councillors who spoke against it and supported a residents’ campaign group, ignored their own planning guidelines and voted the scheme through unanimously. It seemed very odd to me and I suggested that two scrutiny committee chairmanships may have been the reward.

It’s dangerous to drift too far into the realms of speculation and I’m not sure why I did it on Sunday because it can prove to be wrong. According to an insider willing to risk all by passing information to BiB the facts are as follows.


Scrutiny chairmen are elected on a majority vote by the 13 Tory full scrutiny members (then five Tory substitutes if a tie).

The only possible outside influence is when the whip (really the leader) decides which members sit on which Scrutiny Committees. This happens every May and will result in challenges particularly where the leader wants one of her own supporters as chairman. Much of a chairman’s work is done behind the scenes (if at all) with support from the vice chairmen.


So who gets to be chairman is reasonably remote from Teresa O’Neill’s control. But who votes for her? How I wish they would vote her out. An honestly led council might make BiB redundant. What would I do with the time?

Grateful thanks to the council mole. Presumably not a Tory given the ‘if at all’ comment.

 

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