Topic: Question for Russel?

[charlie finbow]

Russell.

  John Parker agreed your business plan was robust but needed tweaking to bring it up to date because it was a tad out of touch.   Its a fact and no slur on you because nobody else at the time could have come up with a business plan.

You say you have been involved for a decade with the project  and that Stephen Andrews (who's hard work you have acknowledged), just chaired meetings which anyone could have done , well then, why, in the past decade did you not put yourself in the frame for chairman until the past meeting, when, the work was already completed.   

Surely this was not for your own electioneering purposes.

[baldy]

Charlie
 
Obviously the business plan needed tweaking to bring it up to date after 3 years, not least because the Heritage Lottery Grant system had become more difficult to access and other grants had become easier to access in the meantime. Also, there had been the change in plan to use the former snooker rooms as the main town council offices and then use the old town council offices as rooms for hire.
 
The main problem with the Laverton Committee until 2007, in my opinion (and you know that I am sure I am right), was the colossal egos of all the former-Mayors on the committee, who tend to talk to themselves and don't really want to hear from anyone else.
 
The idea that the person actually more qualified to run the project than the rest of them put together (I am a chartered surveyor) might be chairman was obviously something that would never have entered their heads let alone something they would support.
 
Remember that John Clegg was on the committee until 2007, so that fact alone acted as a problem as he often undercut me when he thought I was gaining influence.
 
As far as I am concerned, I have always thought that the Laverton Committee was largely dysfunctional until 2007 because of the huge egos of the Mayors and ex Mayors getting in the way of actually listening to anyone other than themselves.

[Sector9]

I think my point really is, in regards to Russells comments of taking pot shots from a distance, people will chime in now and then and criticise but in reality don't do a lot to help. By making it easier for people to engage with the council will allow them to put their money where their mouth is. Better still, if they can do a better job, put themselves forward as a councillor.

That's a bit simplistic.

As a tax payer I expect the council to be working for me, not spending their time back biting. To suggest everyone who criticise the council should stand for election is daft. Some don't have the time, some are excluded for various reasons and some just don't want to do it.  Should people who criticise the police join up, people who moan about the post being late become postmen?

The council (at town level) is essentially run by volunteer members of the public (unlike Royal Mail). We are encouraged to make our views heard and I'm saying that if people have a problem with how it is run then they should indeed make their voices heard, and I believe it could be made easier for them.

As for the joining the council comment, you and I know full well that there are serial critics out there who seem to have enough time to post on these forums, turn up to meetings and continually moan, yet are too busy to run for council. All I'm saying is if you don't like it enough to moan about it on a regular basis, put yourself forward to help change it.

[Phippin]

Question for any councillor, what is the state of play with regard to improvements to the skate park.

[Mike Hawkins]

Russell,

To (almost) quote from you:

"because of the huge egos getting in the way of actually listening to anyone other than themselves"., I see no point in continuing this with you.

However, where councillors do well to represent the people of Westbury, I will publicly praise them; when they promise things there is no hope of achieving, or take action to harm the people of our town, I will publicly criticise them. Simples!!

[charlie finbow]

Couldn't have put it better myself Mike.    Also Russell, I have praised you and others when you get it right and said my mind if otherwise, please don't expect me to change, as you know well, I say what I mean and mean what I say.   I'm not as polite or as eloquent as some but what you see is what you get.............simples