Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • July 2011
THE COMPLETE Is Swindon’s reorganisation more than
CURTAIN SERVICE shifting the deckchairs?

CURTAINS TO SATISFY Des Morgan has been dissecting One Swindon, a report produced by Swindon Council about how it can
EVERY REQUIREMENT engage more effectively with people and become more transparent and accountable to the taxpayer.
•Free estimating, design & advice
•Home visits by appointment Having last month outlined the of the people themselves. duce demand for services. For the
•Make-up and fi tting service proposals for how services will be It is generally thought that coun- paying taxpayer the future will be
BLINDS OF ALL KINDS provided by the council we now cillors have power and infl uence. stark, for under the guise of localism
•Wooden •Venetian move to discuss what the report re- Sadly this is far from true unless there will be a seismic shift for the
•New linen •Roman fers to as organisational structure. one happens to be a cabinet member. responsibility of service delivery -
•Verticals •Roller This recognises a need to align Backbench councillors are often less from the council and more from
•New Eastern materials
the council’s management structure ignored and frequently left in the the voluntary and community sec-
FREE PARKING OUTSIDE THE SHOWROOM to its changing role as a commis- dark, limiting their knowledge of tor. Monitoring will replace ‘doing’
at 252 CRICKLADE ROAD
Open Mon to Thurs 9am - 3.30pm; Fri & Sat 9am - 12pm sioning agent. The changes must events and issues, making it very as services are commissioned from
Call Tracey or Amanda on 01793 611051 or go further and include the role of diffi cult for them to have an effec- others as opposed to being provided
[email protected] councillors, who are elected repre- tive participation in debates. directly by the council.
www.completecurtainservice.co.uk sentatives and allow for the input This disconnect between back- Central government talks about
bench councillors and the cabinet devolving power and responsibil-
leads to a very real ‘them and us’ ity to local government, who will
D & L Blinds Tailor-made situation, to the point that people turn to parish councils, voluntary
groups, agencies
may be less inclined
Rollers • Verticals • Venetians to perform civic du- and communities for
Pleated Blinds • VELUX by SueLynn ties in the future. support. What I be-
®
Conservatory Blinds Curtains Partnership is a lieve we can be sure
Made-to-Measure Curtains Pelmets key element of the of is that provider
QUALITY BLINDS AT Roman blinds council’s strategy partners will plead
for more resources
for the future. To
AFFORDABLE PRICES Swags & tails date the emphasis to implement pro-
Fast and reliable service Cushion covers has been on secur- posals.
All blinds fi tted free ing the agreement There is another
Choose from a wide range Fitting service available and participation of great truth promoted
in the report that dif-
the service provid-
of fabrics from the comfort No job too small ers, dare one say, to fi cult decisions will
of your own home For further information call the exclusion of the still need to be made.
Contact Paul on 01793 619428 Sue: 01793 870451 or group which really counts - the We look forward to reading the
www.dandlblinds.co.uk people. This is surely a case of the Chief Executive’s proposals for
FREE QUOTES NO OBLIGATION Lynn: on 01793 330595 ‘tail wagging the dog’ with pro- change. However, if the exercise
viders telling the council what is culminates in nothing more than
needed for them to fulfi l their role. a move of bureaucracy from West-
Self interest is perpetuated under minster to Swindon we shall be
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST PRICES IN 2011 the guise of laudable concepts - unimpressed.
One Swindon and the New Ways • In the August Link Swindon
of Working programme. Even Council Chief Executive Gavin
though One Swindon is not clearly Jones will explain what One
understood by the public, it is being Swindon means to the population
presented as a success. Indeed the and how people can contribute
council appears to have ignored the
public in their efforts to ‘sign up’ City Swindon
support, relying on the relation-
ship they have with their other bid is not on
See the carpet or fl oor partners - organisations wedded
covering of your choice, to the importance of meetings, mis- In one of its more sensible recent
where it will be enjoyed, next sion statements, working groups, decisions Swindon Council has
to your other furnishings. implementations and outcomes. decided not to participate in a com-
Home Choose Carpets - the There is a need to exercise care in petition to be awarded city status to
mark the Queen's diamond jubilee
family run business with over the creation of a new model way of in 2012.
30 year’s experience of serving doing things. Just as leaving things Swindon has been here before -
as they are might not be an option, it
customers in the Swindon area. might be best not to make changes in the run up to the millennium and
Free estimates. Luxury underlay, for change sake, or more explicitly again for the golden jubilee in 2002.
all accessories and installation for the purpose of being seen to be The Link was the only local me-
included in the price! doing something. One only has to dia to say the time was not right.
Ordinary people were not involved
No hidden extras; no attend a council committee meet- in either of the bids and the majority
ing to understand and appreciate
obligation - just great service the number of people required to of Swindonians thought the idea of
Appointments to suit you: support decision making within becoming a city a joke.
day, evening or weekend the council. We took the view that it was
Reports point to savings in senior more important to become a suc-
Call Trevor Salter on management costs, such savings are cessful town than aspire to become
01793 812995 welcome but are they enough? The something that the town clearly was
not ready for.
or 07860 882588 Chief Executive might think so, but So its good to see that the focus
does the public?
or email: The council certainly faces a is on the long running struggle
[email protected] dilemma. On the one hand they to regenerate the town centre
www.carpetsswindon.co.uk want to deliver the best outcomes and connect the council with its
while on the other they seek to re- electorate.

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