14 April - It was “a done deal”
Five Cabinet Members had made very specific statements to the effect that
they would be voting to sell the first four of the 26 parks and open spaces
listed for disposal. The sixth, Councillor Peter Craske, had spent ten minutes
explaining why he thought it was a good idea. I think it is a reasonable
assumption to say that their minds were firmly made up, or predetermined as the
Council’s jargon would describe it.
Opposing voices had in the past
been excluded from meetings accused of having
prejudged the issues but Bexley’s Cabinet is not expected to behave with any
pretence of integrity.
So
it was rather late in the day to ask Sidcup Councillors Rob Leitch and June
Slaughter to say why they thought the Cabinet was making a mistake. Nevertheless, She Who Must Be Obeyed did so.
First to his feet was Rob Leitch. He noted the recommendations with “enormous regret”.
He recognised the financial situation but “the disposal of land was a precarious
route to pursue because of the dangerous precedent it sets at times of budgetary
difficulty”. He felt “enormous discomfort over this decision”.
He had “utter admiration for the residents” and “will continue to do all I
can to represent them throughout the remaining stages of this sensitive and difficult issue”.
One minute and forty eight seconds.
Councillor
June Slaughter repeated her assertion that Old Farm Park should not be sold and that
a Public Inquiry should be held.
She referred to “the dire financial situation in which the Council now finds
itself” and how “to some extent that has been brought about by the determination
not to increase Council Tax over the last few years”.
“Many people feel that the Council has not given sufficient consideration to the
alternatives. These include alternative sites and a Council Tax referendum.”
“Residents have said that Council Tax was held down for far too long and the
consultation revealed a willingness to consider real increases.” (See
Council’s
own Press Release.)
“It was a great disappointment that the General Purposes Committee was not
prepared to consider a Public Inquiry and it was justified in my view by the
fantastic response to last Summer’s consultation and the one held in December
which overwhelmingly opposed the sale. Residents feel that the claims of under
use, over provision and of alternative open space were flawed, and aspects of the
consultation were also flawed.
The 2014 budget consultation (see Note below) failed to disclose
the sites being considered, the 2015 consultation was held in the height of the
Summer and the statutory consultation was held during the Christmas period.
Publicity given to the consultation was the minimum possible.”
“The Cabinet has indicated its intention to use the revenue saving which will be
generated by the use of the sale proceeds to offset further reductions in
grounds maintenance, but it has been acknowledged that saving cannot be ring
fenced and thus the use of those savings cannot be guaranteed.”
“It was regrettable that the General Purposes Committee refused to consider
holding a Public Inquiry which residents felt would be a genuinely independent
process. Residents understandably feel that the decision was a done deal.”
“I object to the sale of open space land in principle. Once it is gone it is
gone for ever and Bexley’s green spaces make it the borough that it is. There
are many who feel that environmental and wild life issues are given insufficient
attention in Bexley and promises have a very hollow ring.”
“It has been an honour to represent Old Farm residents, I pay tribute to the
amount of time and energy they have devoted to this cause. If this decision is
approved I can honestly say that it is the one that I shall regret the most in
my forty two years as a member of this Council.”
Six
minutes and twenty seven seconds of stony faced glare from the Leader.
If it is such a good idea to sell Old Farm Park and several smaller ones for around
£20 million and spend the revenue generated, the interest, on a better
maintenance schedule than could otherwise be afforded at those parks that remain,
surely there is scope for similar schemes.
It is utterly pointless for the dual carriageway North Cray Road to feed into
Bexley High Street that can barely accommodate a bus, so sell the northbound
carriageway and build terraced houses. The interest on the proceeds could keep
the borough pothole free for ever.
Us Northern dwellers have learned to do without a recycling facility and with
the hours of opening being reduced at both Crayford and Foots Cray why not go
the whole hog and sell the Foots Cray site? The interest on the capital raised
might pay for the free collection of large items of waste and see a reduction in fly tipping.
With more and more Council Services being contracted out, why did Bexley Council
spend £42 million on Watling Street when it admitted that a rebuild on the old
town hall site would come in at under £30 million? Not making that fundamental error would
have saved Old Farm Park. Thanks to Bexley Council’s flawed contract with Tesco
it can only stand idly by and watch more astute brains than those to be found in
Bexley Council make their millions.
Who elects these clowns? Oh yes, we did.
Note: The 2014 consultation did not reveal which parks were
to be sold but asked the public to approve anyway. It was not until the February
2015 Places Scrutiny meeting that Cabinet Member Alex Sawyer decided he had seen
enough of the deceit and broke ranks by reading out the list.
His spoken comments were published here and the cat having escaped from the bag,
Bexley Council owned up
the day after BiB provided the answer.