Page 6 - link magazine

6 swindonlink.com • January 2011
What’s the best way to lead Swindon Council?

Since August Swindon Council has been considering models of leadership and on 16 December agreed that the leader of the council should
hold the post for four years, instead of being voted in annually by the councillors of the party with most seats. You may not know anything of this
because, apart from an obscure public notice in the daily paper and some leafl ets in the Central Library, there has been no public discussion or
publicity about it whatsoever. Geoff Reid of online forum www.talkswindon.org poses controversial questions about the way the town is run.
For the second time this decade Swindon councillors have looked at whether the town should be led by a publicly elected mayor or continue
appointing its leader on a party political basis. Swindon’s voters have again been largely excluded from the discussion.
In June 2001 The Link magazine was nodded through the council spending shows that ‘the money’
was the only local media to publicise without debate. is there, but is being spent on the
the possibility of Swindon electing Nine years later, the Leader and wrong things at the wrong time. The
a mayor to lead the town but our Cabinet model of governance seems leadership should be focussed on
political elite, determined to retain to have delivered little for Swindon people, and not funding expensive
power for itself, used a biased public apart from a noticeable decline in regeneration and vanity projects
consultation to prevent a public vote transparency and accountability, and until economic conditions are better
on the issue and in September 2001, a corresponding increase in secrecy able to support them.
the proposal to adopt the ‘Leader and resistance to public scrutiny. The issues of council leadership,
and Cabinet’ method of governance Far from delivering better de- local governance, spending, compe-
mocracy and encouraging public tence, accountability, transparency
D & L Blinds engagement with it, the council and public engagement are insepa-
executive - the leadership - is now
rable and local democracy cannot
Rollers • Verticals • Venetians so secretive that few backbench reach its full potential for the public
Pleated Blinds • VELUX councillors or members of the public 106’ developer contributions from good if any of them are suppressed
®
Conservatory Blinds know how millions of pounds of the building in their area has been or controlled for political gain.
Made-to-Measure Curtains public cash is spent, lent or wasted. slipped quietly south, depriving The coalition government in-
In 2009 the leadership became North Swindon of facilities that structed Swindon Borough Council
QUALITY BLINDS AT planner, developer and fi nancier of should have been provided. to take another look at its leadership
AFFORDABLE PRICES the Wichelstowe development after Swindon remains fascinated model, including whether the leader
Fast and reliable service its development partner ended a by the on-going wi-fi debacle, in should enjoy a ‘fi xed term’ of four
All blinds fi tted free ‘collaboration’ deal with the council. which the leadership secretly lent years. Predictably, our councillors
The leadership is now fund-
£150,000 of public money to a start- have, with the notable exception of
Choose from a wide range ing over £100 million worth of up business with no track record or coun Steve Wakefi eld in West Swin-
of fabrics from the comfort infrastructure works directly from credit history. As widely predicted, don, completely avoided discussing
of your own home council bank accounts. Where’s the the project ran into trouble almost this with the electorate.
Contact Paul on 01793 619428 money coming from? North Swin- immediately forcing the council to The governance changes were
www.dandlblinds.co.uk don residents will be dismayed to ‘vary’ its progress measures to make nodded through council as quietly
FREE QUOTES NO OBLIGATION learn that several £million of ‘section it appear successful to justify lending as they were in 2001, the political
it another £250,000. One year on the status quo maintained and most of
project appears stalled, Swindon has Swindon’s 140,000+ voters remain
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST PRICES IN 2010 no ‘free’ wi-fi , and the public loan unable to hold the council leader-
ship properly accountable.
remains unpaid.
In January 2010 the leadership Now the question is whether the
changed Swindon Commercial new council constitution will hold
Services into an ‘Arms Length Man- the ‘strong leader’ in check.
agement Organisation’ and lent it £4 • If you have things to say about
million of public money. This short Swindon, contribute your views
term loan of public money remained at: www.talkswindon.org
outstanding on its due date.
‘Austerity’ is upon us and the Section 106 in North
leadership wants to cut £45,000,000
See the carpet or fl oor (£45 million) by losing jobs and mak- Swindon - where is it?
covering of your choice, ing ‘effi ciency savings.’ Is it morally
where it will be enjoyed, next right that colossal sums are being When giving planning permission
to your other furnishings. secretively spent on development to build, local councils are able to
agree with developers a contribu-
Home Choose Carpets - the projects while council workers are tion to community infrastructure
family run business with over being made redundant, services like schools and community facili-
30 year’s experience of serving reduced and assets are being readied ties, called Section 106 money.
for sell off?
customers in the Swindon area. It is strange that while the public The total amount agreed is a
Free estimates. Luxury underlay, can now use the internet to fi nd mystery, but in the case of the
development of over 10,000 homes
all accessories and installation out what our council is doing, the in North Swindon, it’s huge.
included in the price! council increasingly makes the Now former Swindon councillor
No hidden extras; no information it publishes diffi cult to and Oakhurst resident Stephanie
understand or place in a meaningful
obligation - just great service context. If the intention is to exclude Exell wants the borough council
Appointments to suit you: the public from council business it to explain how much has been
agreed with developers over the
day, evening or weekend is almost as effective as barring the years, what money has been spent
doors to the council chamber. The
Call Trevor Salter on irony is obvious when the leader and where.
It’s a topic The Link has wanted
01793 812995 of the council says: “This is about to know more about for a long
or 07860 882588 people who will end up suffering time and after discussion with her,
when the money isn’t there. We want
or email: a partnership with Government but Stephanie submitted a Freedom
[email protected] we’re not even invited to the table.” of Information request to Swindon
www.carpetsswindon.co.uk Leaving aside the leader’s com- Council in November. We eagerly
plaint about exclusion, council await the response.

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