Report on Full Council -of 14th October - News from Camden Conservative Councillors
1 In Memorium - Roger Robinson
2 Debate on South End Green buses
3 Unison Power Grab
4 Themed debate on private renters and council tenants
5 Camden Council Leaders Speech
6 Update on Fly posting and Ebikes
7 Camden New Journal - They reviewed our performance
8 Contact your Councillors
1 In Memorium - Roger Robinson
The meeting started with heartfelt tributes to Roger Robinson who died recently. Roger had been a founder member of Camden Council, a stalwart of Labour, and had served in many roles including Mayor, since 1964; a strong socialist and a fine man. We joined in celebrating his life. At moments such as this, the chamber is totally connected and dedicated to public service.
2 Debate on South End Green buses
Deputations were then heard from a resident in South End Close, who was very concerned about the new traffic proposals around the bus terminus there and the safety issues that would follow. His written piece heavily criticized Camden’s consultation on the matter. More on that later.
I pressed the point that the sheer number of TfL buses resting at this location at any one time was the root of many of the problems. The deputee agreed. Why can’t the Mayor of London get a grip and keep buses on the road carrying passengers, not resting at tea break stops?
To break off here’s an early Christmas cracker poser:
What is both leading and misleading? *
*See below for answer.
3 Unison Power Grab
Unison brought a deputation on the evils of private contractors and need for everything to be brought in house. Their blithe confidence that public workers can be managed to perform better and for less is somewhat overoptimistic. Perhaps the fact that their union would prefer to deal with Camden as employer rather than “money grabbing” businesses, may lie behind this “utopian dream”.
Interlude for gallery protest. We retired to the Mayoral Chamber.
4 Themed debate on private renters and council tenants
The themed debate on private renters in Camden was yet again set up as an opportunity for Tory and business bashing. This time it was landlords in the crosshairs. Five representatives of support bodies made the case for the new Renters Rights Bill claiming that this was a super new piece of legislation that the Labour Government had delivered. In fact, this is a work in progress starting, as it did, as the Renters Reform Bill White Paper in June 2022.
Never let the truth…..etc.
It has long been accepted in the country that fault-free evictions are a bad thing. It’s just irksome that political ownership of this improvement has been hijacked so blatantly.
With over a third of Camden’s population housed in private rental properties, this is a vital sector. The suggestion of one Labour Councillor, that things won’t be right until all private rental properties are gone and everyone is housed by Camden was a re-play of the old “all property is theft” mantra.
Equally the various mentions of damp and mould in rental properties and poor-quality repairs, is a little rich given that Camden’s own housing stock is hardly free of these problems.
We gently put the point that there are good landlords as well as bad. One of the deputees agreed with this and added that there
are repeat offenders in the landlord sector and the main issue was that it was a lottery as to if you rented from one. A realistic, if depressing assessment and we thoroughly agree this must be clamped down on. Let’s hope that the government produce a reasonable working Bill, don’t drive everyone out for the rental business and that Camden can use new powers to target the wrong’uns.
5 Camden Council Leaders Speech
Having lost some time at the meeting earlier all we really had remaining time for was the Leader’s Speech, responses from the leaders of the other groups and Members’ questions.
Richard Olszewski, the leader of the Council sang the praises of Kier Starmer’s government and skipped over any recent embarrassments that have befallen them. He was also gracious in his repeated offer for opposition leaders to attend Cabinet meetings and thanked me for contributing to the most recent one.
In response, I made a light point on the perspicacity of Rosie Duffield in her resignation letter to the Prime Minister and pressed the point on the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance, which to be fair the Lib Dems had also mentioned.
6 Update on Fly posting and Ebikes
4 I also returned to our very local issues of Fly posting (improvement in the last months, could it be we were heard?), E-bikes (still a menace and no change) and most recently poor consultations; the consultation problem being the topic of our Motion which predictably, again, was not reached.
Here it is for your information:
“The Council notes that the public’s faith in the method of Camden Council’s consultation on various issues has diminished and seeks to repair this.
The requirement to embark on engagement with residents cannot be met by the imposition of stilted consultation actions.
The Council resolves to return to true, open consultation without pre-judgment, without leading questions and with an open mind and the intent of respecting the stated opinions of residents and not selecting to note only those responses that suit the designs of the council.”
Unsurprisingly, this was amended by Labour anyway and would have read…
“Camden consultations are great, we don’t need to change anything!”
Or something like that. Sigh.
In my recent discussions with residents in Frognal, Dartmouth Park, South End Green and Gospel Oak, I have been continually told that the consultation process has been one-sided, presumptuous and infuriating. It’s amazing that this message has not been heard by the Town Hall.
Anyway, altogether another night on the benches.
Dogma 4 – Democracy 1
Oh, and the answer to the poser?
* What is both leading and misleading? Why, it’s a Camden Consultation Question, of course!!
7 Camden New Journal - Meeting Revue
The Camden New Journal reviewed the meeting. Read more about our performance at full council here.
The CNJ Headline was 'Lime hire bike problems won't be solved by a ban, says council leader'
Tories demand 'decisive' warning in footsteps of Brent Council'
8 Contact your Councillors
Cllr Stephen Stark Hampstead Town [email protected]
Cllr Steve Adams Frognal [email protected]
Cllr Andrew Parkinson Frognal [email protected]
