Letter: A Council In Crisis – Five Things They Should Do

Published on: 24 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 24 Sep, 2012

From Gordon Bridger

Hon Alderman

I do not think that many residents or readers are aware of the appalling mess that the Executive of Guildford Borough Council has landed us in.

Not only must they have wasted hundreds of thousand of pounds on consultants fees and staff time but the damage to its reputation as a council planning authority will discourage investors for many years.

Under the circumstances it was an honourable decision of Cllr Rooth to resign. One presumes that our Chief Executive will also do the honourable thing.

The situation gives our councillors a once in lifetime opportunity to:

1. Elect a Leader who is capable of listening to staff and residents and  seeing beyond immediate  short term gain and  consider the indirect and long term consequences of decisions
2. Go go back to the committee system which would allow them to examine proposals before they go to the Executive and therefore be able to make positive and critical comments on them
3. Insist that members of the Executive are elected by councillors and not by the Leader
4. Set up an investigatory committee to determine whether the planning process was maladministered
5. Set up a committee to work with staff to see how management/staff relations could be improved

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