Unsurprisingly Labour disagrees
A row has broken out between the main political parties over Hounslow Council's Corporate Plan.
“Labour’s Corporate Plan 2012-2015 for Hounslow is farcical and full of self-delusion,” says Councillor Liz Mammatt, Conservative Deputy Group Leader.
She adds, “Under 'Values: Listening and Responding,' one reads 'We talk non-stop to residents and businesses to understand if they are satisfied with our services.' Why then was a £20.00 administrative charge slipped through in July to take effect from 1/10/2012 under the Lead Member’s Delegated Powers for residents applying at the Civic Centre for certain parking permits? Why did the unexpected consultation on library strategy suddenly appear during the summer holidays and Olympics? Why has Hounslow Chamber of Commerce persuaded the Council to re-consult on the redevelopment of the Town Centre owing to the short time and limitations of the previous exercise?"
"To state that “we talk non-stop to residents and businesses” is clearly a travesty of the reality otherwise these examples would not have occurred,” accused Liz.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Jagdish Sharma, said:“Perhaps Cllr Mammatt should take the time to read the Corporate Plan before making sweeping statements that are very much out of context. If she did, she would know that we have been open in saying that the values are something we aspire to, and while we may not currently be living them, we want to quickly get to the point where they are embedded in everything we do, underlining their importance to both staff and councillors.
“All our consultations and the resulting decisions have been well publicised, and Cllr Mammatt contradicts her own argument with her comment on the town centre redevelopment, as the next round of consultation will be on changes made as a result of feedback from residents and other stakeholders. This clearly demonstrates that we are already listening and responding to our residents and businesses, and it is something we fully intend to improve further.”
August 31, 2012