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Conservatives Continue 'Retreat to Guildhall'
November 29, 2007 11:06 AM
The Conservative 'retreat to the Guildhall' continued unabated at Council last Thursday night as the Tories pushed through a number of controversial votes with support from the Labour and Independent Groups.
Licensing
The Liberal Democrat Group voted against the Council's 'Statement of Licensing Policy" as there are a number of clear contradictions within it: particularly the new Conservative Saturation Policy which conflicts with and 'out-ranks' the law requiring all licensing applications to be considered on their own merits.
Councillor Tim Ball (Twerton, Lib Dem) who leads on Licensing for the Lib Dems, warned that this policy could leave the Council open to costly legal appeals on licensing decisions. He said:
"This policy is not understandable; it contains contradictions; it will cost the Council money. In short, the paper is not tenable and will leave the Council exposed to risk."
Councillor Tim Warren, the Conservative Chair of the Licensing Committee, made some startling statements during the course of the debate. He said: [Licensing policy is] "not supposed to be easy for the chap in the street to understand" and suggested that licence applicants would need solicitors to help them.
Cllr Warren added: "Licensing policy isn't going to stop trouble in the streets; Cumulative Impact policy isn't going to stop trouble in the streets" - this raises the inevitable question: what is the Saturation Policy for then?
Planning
Following the break, the Council looked at proposed new arrangements for the Council's Development Control Committee. The Liberal Democrat Group had earlier won concessions meaning there will be further consultations with Ward Members, Parish and Town Councillors on the new arrangements. However the Tories, Labour and Independents voted down a Lib Dem amendment which called for wider consultation and for the final decision to be taken by Council. The final decision will now be taken by the Conservative-dominated Development Control Committee.
Councillor Andy Furse (Kingsmead, Lib Dem), who spoke in favour of the amendment, said:
"In voting against this amendment, the Conservative, Labour and Independent Groups are effectively voting against engaging with residents - for example residents' associations - who don't happen to live in an area with a Parish or Town Council."
Other Lib Dem Councillors expressed surprise that even those Conservative Councillors with wards in Bath (where there are no Parish Councils) voted against the Lib Dem amendment.
Finance
The final item on the Council's agenda was a report entitled "Highways Maintenance Contract Claim". The Liberal Democrats voted for this report to be heard in public, reasoning that if it relates to a large sum of public money which has been spent, it should be heard in public. Unfortunately the other Groups disagreed and voted for Council to go into private session.
Fortunately, a Lib Dem amendment which called for the report to be referred to the Corporate Audit Committee was accepted by the other Groups. Councillor Tim Ball proposed the amendment and said:
"We need to find out what has gone wrong in the system which has led to this contract claim. I am glad the other Groups accepted my amendment - the public has a right to expect a thorough investigation of whatever mistakes have been made."
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