Standards and Cabinet

The Gazette reported last week that the TDC Standards Chair Robin Hill is calling for a truce in the problems between the groups in Thanet Council. I applaud his attempt to get this resolved, if only to cut down his Committee’s workload. There’s no need to remind you of all the recrimination between the various Groups in Thanet but unfortunately I have to say, I don’t expect Mr Hills appeal to work.

For all the possibility of Cllrs settling down to business, TIG can’t let this happen, because that removes their power. As we’ve seen with gay marriage and with the discipline issues in the Council, TIG thrives on having this to use against the main parties. This is why the protest at the last Full Council meeting went ahead despite TIG withdrawing their Standards motion. It would also explain another complaint against Simon Moores. Come on now, its just sad. You'd think with all those Council meetings and the ward work to which they were elected to do, they'd have very little time to be launching complaint after complaint like this...

Onto the Cabinet agenda, where most of these items will go through with little to say for them. Pierremont Park comes back with an indicative set of plans and some financial details including the £600k offered TDC contribution along with an expected 25yr lease. Strange how Labour is talking about how the problem was because of the trees. I recall it was because of the "financial burden", according to my notes from the January Cabinet meeting.

As far as the Budget outturn is concerned, while its clear that there was indeed a £1.2m underspend last year, its difficult to see where that has come from. We have our categories of which departments and the general term of “efficiencies”, but what does it mean in practice? Have they gone too far in cutting back – it’s not easy to tell.  There’s also a bit of a concern about the capital programme and the delays in asset sales. That said, it could be a whole lot worse.

One thing I’d like to hear more about is the Parking Fees Debate Part II. All Ive seen is an appeal to use the free parking in the various car parks, rather an than admittance that perhaps they got it wrong. It was brought up very early on in the process that it was leading to big rises in some parts.  The argument that its all to do with Government cuts will not make things better, or provide reassurance to those having to pay more. Part of the problem here came from the political splits Ive talked about before, making any sort of coherent and sensible package impossible. Perhaps a second bite at this one, with the added incentive of actually doing it right and avoiding public frustration, might focus minds. My fingers are crossed...