Conservative County Councillors Don't Attend
July 8, 2004 8:35 PM
By Councillor Helen Dyke
By Councillor Helen Dyke
Councillors Helen and Peter Dyke attended the meeting on Monday, June 28th, held to give a preview of the results of the Wyre Forest Schools review.
We are both school governors as well as local councillors, so attending this meeting was very important to us.
No-one can explain unless they were there what a distressing meeting it was.
Headteachers and staff had their futures dealt out to them with the aid of a lap-top computer and screen by the county council officers.
Of course, the officers were very quick to make clear it was county councillors in the cabinet at County Hall who make the ultimate decision and that is true. But what a way to hear your proposed future and the future of your school?
Heads and governors then had the unenviable job of going back to their schools next morning and breaking the news-what a job for anyone?
As far as we and other district councillors who attended could see, only one cabinet member turned up to hear the views expressed.
In fact, it appeared that there were only four county councillors present one Liberal, one Health Concern and two Liberal Democrats (one from a neighbouring area to ours).
Does this mean it was of no interest to the rest, or were they too embarrassed to face the meeting?
In fact, no Conservative County Councillors attended, even though they have the majority vote in the cabinet and will be the decision-makers in this review.
The general feeling of the meeting seemed to be that even after the consultation that had taken place, the original proposals still stood and nothing had changed, so what use was consultation?
Does this not start to feel other decisions that have been made about our area in the past after so-called consultation?
The pattern seems to be-make the decision, consult the public, then still go with the original decision made.
What would you like to do next?
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