I FEAR for our county.

Just two months into the new administration and two things have already occurred that should concern us all.

First, the decision by the council’s new cabinet to consider changing the decision made to move the library into Maylords.

The Government’s £3m for this is in the council’s bank account and the council’s contribution of £0.5m has been used in developing designs and so forth.

The decision to invest in Maylords was made after several rounds of consultation and without any objection from any party.

It was a decision made to help to rejuvenate the city centre so badly affected by the last Tory administration flipping the plans for a cultural hub at the Old Market to become a retail shopping centre – how ironic!

And just before anyone mentions it, this is nothing like the western bypass where the money simply was not there.

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Second, the way this decision was made. It was pushed through using urgency powers, and was made without the cabinet member bothering either to read up on the planned project or giving the slightest consideration to the views of opposition councillors – the council’s Youtube recording provides clear evidence of this.

What has not yet been reported is that the cabinet member also failed to consult with the council’s finance director about the financial consequences of the decision for the council as the accountable body for the whole £25m Stronger Towns project.

Tory past failures to consult and to follow due process corrupted the tender process for the southern relief road.

How quickly our hard work to bring transparency and sound practice to the council is undone. A sign of things to come?

What is behind this action? Do the new administration want Maylords to fail so they can sell it off to a Tory party donor developer?

COUNCILLOR DAVID HITCHINER 

Deputy leader, Independents for Herefordshire

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