Democratic Pilot Disbanded by Ruling Tories

9.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th May 2007

One of the first decisions of the new Conservative Group, now running Bath and North East Somerset Council, has been to dissolve the pilot Bath South Area Committee. This move has sparked indignation and dismay amongst Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Councillor Nigel Roberts (Lib Dem, Odd Down), who moved an amendment calling for the Council to recognise the success of the Bath South Area Committee and set up similar area working bodies across the whole authority, said:

"The Conservative administration has lost no time in cutting back on democratic mechanisms in the Council. It has reduced the number of Overview and Scrutiny panels which have the power to examine Executive decision-making, and is seeking to centralise power into the hands of the Executive by ruling out principle of devolution of power to local committees.

"All of the feedback we got from residents, officially carried out by the Council and in unofficial conversations, showed the Bath South Area Committee was very popular. It brought together Councillors and Council officers, local businesses, and other bodies with local residents, many of whom will be disappointed to lose the opportunity of discussing important issues in an open forum.

"It is a shame that power is being centralised in so few people's hands. With a Council that is not popular, it's not a surprise that campaigns such as 'Back to Bath' carry so much weight in residents' minds."