24 April (Part 1) - Selling the silver - Knock out Round 3
And so we came to the final moments as the sword was raised ready to descend on Bexley’s neck. The Mayor said she would allow three more speakers and Councillor, or Mrs. as the Mayor prefers to call her, June Slaughter rose to her feet to deliver her eagerly awaited words.
Selling
parks she said “was one of the most unfortunate decisions this Council has made
since I was elected in 1974. I have received more letters and emails about this
than any other issue in which I have been involved as a member of the Council”.
“Despite assurances to the contrary I still feel that alternatives have not been
fully explored.”
“As far as the policy of selling is concerned I have consistently opposed the
sale of this park because I am opposed to selling any open space that was acquired or
designated by the Council as open space.”
“Like other members I am critical of the process followed by the Council.”
Councillor Slaughter covered the consultation conducted without identification of the
site, the consultation taken at the height of the holiday period and the
statutory consultation which went ahead with minimal publicity. The consultation
was not listed among other consultations on the Council’s website and only
following complaints was a small sign put in the library on 22nd December.
“Residents feel that a full public inquiry should have been undertaken.”
“The Council’s claim of underuse of the park and the overprovision of nearby open
space was unjustified.”
The public was hanging on to Councillor Slaughter’s every word but not everyone
was paying attention.
While Councillor Slaughter
was speaking the reliably obnoxious Cabinet Member Massey struck up conversations with She Who
Must Be Obeyed and his partner in crime Philip Read. Plotting June Slaughter’s downfall perhaps.
Councillor Slaughter had not forgotten that most Councillors had already voted
to sell Bexley’s parks while pretending to remain open minded at public meetings.
“Listening to you, working for you” she said, was ignored when 1,400 people
objected as part of the Summer consultation. “Residents are left wondering what
more they can do to be heard.”
Councillor Slaughter promised residents that all the Sidcup councillors would be
“with them for the next stage to ensure the least damaging development is carried out”.
Like
Councillor Leitch, she paid tribute “to the many residents who put heart and
soul into the campaign to Save Old Farm Park”. Addressing her bored looking
colleagues, she said “do you want to be remembered as Members of the Council
which sold this highly valued park?”
Councillor Alan Deadman (Labour Leader) supported a public inquiry because it
would not be seen as ‘predetermined by the party opposite’ and there were still
unanswered questions about the sale of the parks, especially the smaller ones.
Like Councillor Slaughter he wanted to know just how many people needed
to object before this Council would take any notice of residents.
The
third Sidcup Councillor, Aileen Beckwith, was invited to speak. There had been
speculation beforehand that Councillor Beckwith would abstain in the vote
which would be little better than the decision of others such as Gareth Bacon
who chose to stay away. But Councillor Beckwith is made of sterner stuff than the money motivated GLA candidate.
She came straight to the point and agreed with her ward colleagues, saying she
would be voting against the sale of parks.
From someone who seemed to have had enough of her party we went to someone
who can never get enough parties, the well known reveller, Councillor Sharon Massey.
Councillor Aileen Beckwith can be independent of husband Brian who is more in awe of Teresa
O’Neill and obediently voted to sell, but there is no such division in the
Massey household. Whether it be
accusing their neighbours of harassment or
harassing the whole borough they stick together.
Holding
up the General Purposes Agenda as proof, Councillor Massey disputed the
suggestion that “not enough people have been consulted”. She said that
Councillor Deadman was wrong, people had been listened to. I think she meant ignored.
She said Councillors must do what is best for the borough which was to sell its
parks to fund the financial black holes. The financial woes were
caused by too high a benefit bill and quoted some figures while blaming the
Labour government for them. “That is one of the reasons why we do not have
enough money.” To much laughter she claimed to understand the residents of
Sidcup. The residents responded with “you don’t even live here.”
The Mayor threatened to clear the gallery and I resolved to sit tight if she did
and make them call the police. Unfortunately the Mayor is all hot air and issues
only empty threats.
Councillor Massey concluded by saying that “if any Member of this chamber
doesn’t think they have had their concerns addressed, they’ve had plenty of
opportunity. What we are doing tonight is the right thing.”
To cries of “oh no”
the Mayor asked Councillor Craske to sum up. He claimed that ten
years ago the Labour Group planned to sell off Old Farm Park. You’d think that
would have cropped up somewhere along the last 15 months of debate if that was
true, but it hasn’t. “They were going to bulldoze over Old Farm Park”, he said.
“It’s a bit of a joke.”
Presumably an unintentional slip of the tongue, but he then said that Councillors
Leitch, Slaughter and Beckwith were “going to vote the right way”. Much
clapping. The Bogey Man then launched into the drivel about the alternative to park sales
being the vindictive closure of all the children’s playgrounds.
Just before the vote was called Councillor Borella objected to it being taken without
Members being provided with a clue, not even in confidence, of what the sites
might sell for. The public clapped, nothing more, and the failed headmistress
threatened to have them removed again.
In answer, Cabinet Member Don Massey read out an email he had sent to Councillor Borella
which claimed that jumping into the unknown without any figures had precedents. So that’s all right then.
The Mayor complained about the fact that Councillor Borella had chosen to “interrupt” her
call for a vote.
Finally the vote was taken by roll call with the Acting Chief Executive calling out the
names - apart from UKIP Councillor Beazley who he initially omitted - and the result was a
foregone conclusion. Labour, UKIP and the three Sidcup Conservatives voted
against the sale while all the others dutifully put their knife into the green heart of Bexley.
As numerous people have said before, it was a done deal more than a year ago but there was a drama
that had to be played out for appearances’ sake.