1 January (Part 1) - Bexley council: We don’t do honesty
One of Bexley council’s bright ideas for raising money is to sell off the
small parcels of land it owns around the borough. It doesn’t seem particularly
contentious, it’s not going to
reduce library services for half the population or
deprive children of a playground.
Last October
cabinet member Linda Bailey published on the council’s website a list of proposed sites for sale but it was very quickly withdrawn
from view. Any example of Bexley’s lack of transparency should set the alarm bells ringing.
According to
Blackfen Past and Present - and councillor Daniel Francis has been Tweeting the same message
- Bexley council is planning to sell off 27 of its 106 public parks too. This would be cabinet member Alex Sawyer’s preserve.
He won’t talk about it either.
Selling parks is a whole different kettle of pond life from disposing of
a few oddments of redundant (in some cases) land.
In keeping with the tradition of secrecy that pervades this rotten borough Bexley council
has refused FOI requests about their plans which must surely be further proof that some sort of
underhand skullduggery is in progress.
The reason given is “it would inhibit free and frank discussions” but that is not a legal exemption under the
Act that the Information Commissioner has troubled to put on
his website.
Secretly planning to close or sell parks bears all the hallmarks of our dishonest council. How can
the council run a genuine consultation on the financial future of the borough if the public has no
idea what it is ‘voting’ for? Oh silly me, there is no such thing as a genuine
consultation in Bexley is there? Once in a while you may see some tinkering at
the edges - I can only think of one such instance - but ignoring public comment
totally is the usual result.
Bexley not wanting you to know anything seems like a good reason to republish what
has been discovered, but there are no parks listed below I’m afraid. (Scroll or click.)
