Councillors should be held responsible for squandering cash.

I won’t lie to you; this week I am grumpy. And I’ll tell you what makes me grumpy… I am grumpy about how some people can simply abdicate all their responsibilities, fetter their decision and then either get away with it or when they get pulled up on it, throw their hands in the air and cry foul.

It was particularly highlighted by a Council in the South East that exceeded its budget for costs on defending appeals by £213,000 so far this year - a 300 per cent overspend - prompting the local MP to describe the situation as "wholly irresponsible" and call for the authority to "get a grip" on the situation. 

An ‘Appeals Progress Report’ considered at a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee last week advised members that planning inspectors had overturned 57 percent of the decisions in the 35 appeals that had been heard so far this year - by far the highest proportion in five years.

£213k could have paid for three much needed council homes there. Yes councillor, you effectively gave homes away. IS that a good way of conducting yourself in public office?

Then there is the Council (Bolton) which has failed to comply with the Regulation 9A(1) of the 2012 Fee Regulations around application fees. This regulation says that if the Council doesn’t determine the application in the agreed time frame (of course without asking for reasonable extensions or in fact any communications whatsoever at all), they are liable for refunding your planning fees. This regulation has been in place since 2013 and Bolton has basically banked all the fees. Some £450k of them and they will now have to repay them.

The applicants paid you good money… you have a responsibility as a public servant to ensure that you carry out your duties.

Then there is another council that has sat on their CiL as part of the Local Plan… for 10 years now… I won’t embarrass this council, but they do have a very large and embarrassing problem with infrastructure… Chaps, it is called the Community INFRASTRUCTURE Levy… This particular issue is now holding up c.a. 1,000 new homes from being built… 1,000 homes for people who will spend locally and pay council tax to you and your cash-strapped County Council.

This is money that you could have had to do the work. Get a bleedin move on! You have a responsibility to act in the best interest of your council and the people you represent, and you are failing abysmally!

So, Councillors, stop fettering your decision making and abdicating your responsibility at VAST expense to the poor old taxpayers. Every time you make a silly decision or don’t comply with the regulations, or you don’t implement something like CiL you are squandering money like drunk sailors on shore leave. So: Stop. Think. Act wisely.

Until next week,

Henry