This morning I trotted off to see my local councillor at their surgery in New Barnet. A couple were already ahead of me in the queue very unhappy with the proposals to let out the parks for private hire. Cllr Evangeli spent 35 minutes with them trying to address their concerns. I couldn't hear what was being said but when they came out I got the impression they were not convinced. Now it was my turn. I came straight to the point why do the council want to build a satellite depot for bin lorries in Oakhill Park. Ah but they don't said Cllr Evangeli, "I have been reassured by the leader that it will not happen". Well that's all very interesting but I held in my hand a copy of a delegated powers report authorising an architect to prepare drawing in readiness for a planning application no later than 31 March 2012. "No it not going to happen" repeated Cllr Evangeli. Well my problem is that the Commercial Director of the Council Mr Craig Cooper has authorised the retention of an architect at a cost of £51,800 PLUS an additional allowance of £35,000 for any necessary surveys. Now Cllr Evangeli says it won't happen but Mr Cooper has just authorised a spend of £86,800 to make it happen. Talk about left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. I made it clear to Cllr Evangeli that when the Council is cutting from line services, a senior officer frittering away 86 Grand is frankly nothing short of a disgrace. I await what happens next.
We can imagine they will happily spend £86,800, because it is "authorised", and "must be spent this financial year".
ReplyDeleteOnly THEN do they bury the idea.
But any idea WHY "it won't happen"?
Does that mean they have a 'Plan B' for the contents of the current Mill Hill East depot?
Or that the replacement new housing there "will not happen", so it doesn't need to move?
I suspect that the last thing they want to do is lose votes in a conservative ward. I wonder if it will end up somewhere like east finchley?
ReplyDeleteThe firm of architects hired by Craig Cooper, have a Mr Mark Cooper listed as one of their personnel – which I am sure is just a coincidence, but with this current regime, one is never too sure.
ReplyDeleteand Para 8.4 mentions grass cutting equipment but not bin lorries, did they get overlooked being so small?
ReplyDelete