Opposing View: Working together for the common good

​There are several items where members of our group were intending to challenge specific points and issues, but realistically as the overall proposals were those formulated under our period in administration the outcome was not going be controversial.

The ethos of Councillors working together for the common good of our City is something the Conservative group have always championed.

Indeed it was the initiative of Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, the former Council Leader in setting up the Cross Party Financial Sustainability Working Group which ensured all voices were heard, and the principles and priorities of the Council were the responsibility of all elected members.

Whist the Conservative group has supported the proposed budget for the coming year we will remain vigilant and hold the administration to account in all areas.

A particularly challenging subject going forward is the progress of the localities review.

This exercise was initiated whist I held the relevant portfolio so is close to my heart.

It could be said the pace of the review has been slowed by the current administration in order to see difficult decisions taken the other side of the May Elections.

However I believe the important thing is for the conclusions to be in the best interests of all affected user groups and the communities they serve, even if there is an extended timescale to arrive at the correct conclusions.

The provision of a viable libraries service is a statutory requirement which means that any individual branch closures or consolidations must be undertaken with great care and involve oversight by the Department of Culture Media and Sport.

With the provision of Leisure and Community Centres it is essential the review should always reflect on the needs of the Community the locations they serve.

Each community is different and each user group is unique, and those points must be recognised in parallel with the current need to provide facilities yet reduce the ongoing costs connected with property repairs maintenance which is an ongoing challenge and often an unsustainable drain on Council budgets.

We agree that it is important for the City Council like any other business or organisation to review its property estate from time to time.

And we believe that with a review it will be able to better understand those locations that can be combined, sold or leased to user groups or moved forward as asset transfers, and in some cases disposed of and the revenue reinvested.

The original list of assets was comprehensive and it was clearly important that all users were approached and individually engaged before any decisions were published.

With the list being published Councillors in all the city’s wards are now able to engage with the users andsupport viable proposals,based on sound commercial footings, for locations to be retained, improved or consolidated.

If the administration and officers engage on a sensible programme combined with the valuable input of responsible Ward Councillors we should see an outcome where the remaining estate is in abetter place going forward, with facilities in good repair, in the right hands, financially stable and less of a burden the Council budget, and importantly with a more assured long term future; betterable to provide for users of all ages and cultures throughout the City.