Biggleswade Town Council Elections 5th May 2011

I have now seen the election flyers for most of national party candidates for election to the Town Council and the one thing that strikes me is that none of the existing Councillors are claiming to have done anything for the town. Most politicians bore you to death with all of the wonderful things they have done for you or to you for your own good, but not this lot. Many of those  who are standing for re-election, eleven are existing councillors, and have been town councillors for some time and you would have thought that they would have been shouting about their achievements.

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There is one statement claiming success:

"The achievement of your Conservative Town Council over the past four years has been outstanding"

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This is a selection of the statements included in the election documents from the candidates:

ensure growth is managed with the minimum of disruption

to improve transport links with better roads

to retain adequate green space

fight for a centrally located health centre accessible to all the towns residents

endeavour to reduce the Town Council share of the council tax

strive to ensure that Central Bedfordshire maintains their promise of allowing Biggleswade Town Council to have more control into running of the town and that they listen and take into serious consideration the views of Town Councillors and residents

interested in facilities for children in the town and the transport infrastructure

improved public transport and improved cycleways throughout the town.

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Are these the things that are important to you?

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I know they have spent nearly £60,000 of our money without any authority being minuted on a planning application for an out of town health centre on land outside the development envelope. It was always doomed to fail. I am still pursuing the auditor about this. This was against the wishes of the majority of the people of Biggleswade who expressed an opinion.

I have sat at a council meeting when a long standing councillor got quite annoyed when it was suggested a public consultation exercise was organised by the council. "We are the elected representatives and we make the decisions", she said.  Another councillor from the "opposition" then said "there's too much consultation, its become a buzzword". I think they forget you are sitting there.

On the question of Biggleswade becoming a Fairtrade town another long term town councillor was reported to have said "over my dead body". Link to Fairtrade Association Biggleswade: http://www.fabweb.org.uk/

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Remember when you come to vote that the existing Biggleswade Town Council Councillors signed up to the statement below and if you recognise that as the way they have operated over the last four years, then you should have no problem in voting for more of the same.

The Governance Framework

• The Council identifies its visions as part of its programme setting process and communicates its intentions and intended outcomes to its citizens and service users via its web site, local news leaflet and press releases.
• The Council has clear channels of communication with all sectors including public sessions before its meetings, regular surveys of users and local residents needs and views and encourages the public to give to the Council their views upon all aspects of the Council services provided.

Review of Effectiveness.

Biggleswade Town Council has responsibility for conducting, at least annually, a review of the effectiveness of its governance framework...............