Opinion: Too many decisions with life-changing consequences for local people are being made behind closed doors

The call comes in the wake of the decision to find a new home for the city’s Dementia Resource Centre at Bretton Library with the two set to share the space.

The column is also in response to Peterborough First councillor John Howard’s column in the Peterborough Telegraph on November 8 titled ‘Dark day for local democracy and decision making.’

“I think there have been numerous dark days for local democracy and decision-making in Peterborough lately.

To Peterborough’s elected representatives, it seems party politics matter more than meeting the needs of the residents who elected them.

Decisions about services, buildings and budgets that will have life-changing consequences for local people are being made behind closed doors, without consultation and, in some cases, with insufficient knowledge or understanding of their impact. We are not informed of changes in a timely manner. Nor are we consulted to ensure the negative impact of council decisions is limited.

This is not democracy. Democracy is working together through tough times to achieve positive outcomes for people that need them.

Earlier this year, the budget for dementia services in Peterborough was cut by 51% months before it was announced to staff and users, with no consultation and apparently no plan to protect the users of these services: people living with dementia and their families.

I and other people directly affected by this cut, have tried to speak out for people living with dementia at such a frightening time as some are unable to do this for themselves. Everyone deserves to have a voice. Everyone also deserves to be heard.

We have also tried to engage councillors. I have written to several to ask for their help but received no reply. How do you make your voice heard in this city? Are the people elected to have our best interests at heart hoping that eventually we’ll give up and go away? We can’t do that. Too much is at stake.

Sadly, people living with dementia in Peterborough are now not the only ones who are going to be fighting against decisions regarding cuts and closures that have already been made without consultation – the new venue for the dementia centre has been found at the expense of the library in Bretton.

It would also seem that other libraries and community centres are going to be in the same boat losing space, venues and resources. Hence this will also mean pre-schools, scout and guide groups, WI and exercise/wellbeing groups to name but a few.

Working on the basis that no community group should be made homeless seems an admirable sentiment but sadly one without substance based on past, present and now future events.

Enough is enough! It’s time to put politics to one side and start caring for your constituents whatever party you represent.”