Does Babergh need rejuvenating?
This question was asked at yesterday’s Council Meeting at which the issue of whether to proceed with a consultation on a constitutional review was being debated.
Currently we are a ‘fourth option council’. This means that we make decisions through a hierarchy of committees. Although we are allowed to continue in this format because of our size, any new councils that are formed are now obliged by law either to have an elected mayor and cabinet (more suitable for towns), or a leader and cabinet executive. Many Councillors, including me, think that the time has come for Babergh to adopt the latter of these alternatives.
There are diehards, particularly among the independents, who say that they see no need for change. It is clear that they fear loss of influence under what they perceive as more ‘political’ arrangements. It is certainly true that those who are not in the Cabinet may feel more excluded from what is going on than they do at present. I do think however that there are ways of combating this, by having assistant portfolio holders for example. Committees will in any event still be necessary and there will be plenty of opportunities to serve on these!
I also don’t agree that the council will become more ‘political’ since if, as now, no party has overall control, the cabinet will be drawn from across parties...or at least from parties that agree to co-operate!
The big advantage I think is that councillors who hold portfolios will be much more personally accountable for what goes on in their area of influence. At present Babergh’s officers tend to be left to get on with things once they have been decided and, as we saw with the installation of car parking machines last year, some Member involvement in implementation might have been a good idea!
A final advantage is that less of a burden will fall on the Chairman of the Strategy Committee, who at present is invariably the Member who communicates with the press when things are perceived as going wrong. Nick Ridley fulfils the function very well, and is suitably robust, but I believe it would be good if the public realised that other Councillors have talent too!
You will have the opportunity to have your say on this shortly! If anyone wants more information in order to respond to the consultation, please let me know!
