Councillors should Stand up and be Counted for what they believe - 1st October 2008

From time to time councillors are reminded of their responsibility to the Council. On occasions I have been told that a councillor is like a director and has the same kind of allegiance to the council as any director of any other corporate organisation. As a consequence, we should not argue or campaign against decisions made by the Council: if we disagree, we should just say our piece at the time the decision is made and then bite our lips and accept it.

So, if the Council decides (as it did decide) not to oppose, in principle, the blocking up of land drains, the creation of new river meanders and the abandonment of flood defences, as proposed by the Environment Agency, councillors should accept the Council’s decision,  and not campaign against it.

Similarly, if the Council decides (as it did decide) to increase car park charges at an extortionate rate to the extent of deterring shoppers from shopping in Malton, we should keep quiet about it and not raise the issue again, or campaign about it, because the majority are too bored or fed up with the issue to be bothered about doing anything about it.  

So too, if the Council wishes to go into secret session to consider what options the public should be consulted upon in regard to the Local Plan (or “Local Development Framework”, as it is now called), one should not call upon the Council to have this debate in public, as one’s loyalty to the Council demands that the Council should not be expected to be be seen to be publicly accountable for considering or deciding first what the options are before the public are consulted on them – even though some of the preferred options could have severe financial consequences for the people directly affected.

Then again, if the Council produces a highly controversial plan (the Malton Town Centre Strategy), which includes a new superstore in what is now a public car park in Malton, and spends £60,000 on a public promotion of the plan before it has even been adopted by the Council, one is accused of being negative when one cries: “Foul!” And when  coach trips are arranged  for councillors to visit other towns, in order to prove such a superstore will not harm local business in Malton, and you try and point out that no, Malton is not comparable with either Hexham or Beverley, the accusation of being negative is repeated with redoubled vigour!

Councillors are elected by voters who want councillors to do what we think is right for our wards, after listening to them: we have not been appointed to sit on a board of directors by other directors or shareholders with a financial interest in a limited company. The purpose of the Council is to represent and protect the community and to provide services efficiently in a way which is helpful to the community: the purpose is not to run at a profit without regard to the impact on others.

The voters can see little reason for the whip in local politics, and they expect every councillor to do their best for their wards. This means standing up and being counted when one feels strongly about something. As regards the Malton Town Centre Strategy, I was by no means negative: I took the positive step of asking all the main stakeholders in Malton to get together (including the Estate and Boulton and Cooper) in order to enable them to come up with an alternative plan (The Malton Town Revitalisation Plan). If adopted, this should breathe new life into the town and be acceptable to local business.