9:50am Thursday 22nd November 2007
By Mike Foster
My recent comments about the future use of Worcester’s Guildhall certainly got people talking, and I’m glad of that. But will it make the city council listen?
When I heard about confidential reports being drawn up on possible future uses of the Guildhall it once again meant that the views of local people were being ignored at the beginning of the
process.
As a result of my comments to the press, it has been established that the local taxpayer has paid a consultant to produce ideas for councillors to consider. At that point, local people can
comment.
Surely it would make more sense if local people were asked first what they wanted to see – after all, it is their Guildhall. Then councillors and officers could sift through the ideas to see
what is feasible and sensible.
The way chosen by the council suggests they know best and will offer up options they want people to choose from.
In our system of representative democracy, I accept we elect people to make decisions, but it should not stop those who are elected from asking the people for their views first.
And let’s not forget, this same working party has form. Remember the fiasco in September 2005 when the front door of the Guildhall was closed to the public?
The working party had taken three years of discussions and debate to arrive at a decision that rightly angered local people. Within a few days, the council agreed to keep the doors open.
At the time, certain councillors claimed they had never agreed to the decision, and had never seen the paperwork confirming it.
So I raised a few hackles, and a few councillors got very excited. But I’ll bet when the working party meet they will dismiss every possible daft idea quickly. They will take more care and pay
greater attention to their work now they know the spotlight is on them.
Medical advice says prevention is better than cure. If my actions have prevented something terrible happening to our Guildhall, it was just what the doctor ordered.
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