Skipp think the majority of people back their views clearly the way the elections went they do not, the party that are actually bringing changes GOOD changes to Southend re-gained control with an INCREASED MAJORITY.

Have you actually read the Section106 agreement?

“public consultations are balanced and allow the public to truly express their opinions and shape the future development of our town”

But your comment above suggests that you don’t believe public consultations work because the negative responses are simply buried? Which is it?
The airport consulation was fair and honest. You and your friends at SAEN just don’t want to accept its what people want.

“Additionally there’s the issue of the new cycle lane, where the lack of separation between the carriageway and cycle lane has lead to an extremely dangerous situation where motorists parking beside the lane are forced to open their doors into the path of cyclists.”

In your opinion. Alot of cycle lanes pass alongside parking areas or the edge of a busy road.. I have used the new cycle lanes on the seafront many times and think its great.
I know there are parked cars and ensure that I ride with the appropriate care. Its still safer than being on the road itself. The biggest problem at the moment is the missing cycle lane between the Kursal and Adventure island.

Your ‘Committee; shouted about knocking the Council out during the election and a big revolution. It’s become clear that in fact people are largely pleased with whats happening around Southend at the moment.
If you had nothing to protest about you would protest about that.

I will a council tax payer,

I do not want to see my council tax put up to fund another quango that will for a lot of the time be siting on its arse doing nothing.

You cant expect them to deliberate every planning aplication from the large “capital” projects to Joe Bloggs next door wanting to add a dormer window in his roof.

These capital projects are few and far between so there is no point having a special independent consultation group on the books drawing funds when there is no money in the kitty.

So what happend with the staff in the current planning department, sack em all, re-deploy them have them as the independent consultation group separate from the council.

Another question who pays them, if it the council then people will just say that they are not separate they are not independent from the council.

To be truley independent they would need to be funded by an outside body or central government.

The whole process is loaded in such a way as to ensure the responses will inevitably favour the Councils preferred option. Where this loading does not work, such as in the case of the expansion of Southend Airport, the negative responses are simply buried in the bureaucratic system, and ignored.

The classic example of this flawed and bias system in action was the consultation for the Saxon King museum. This offered no alternative to the Councils pipe dream of a hugely expensive seafront museum and was therefore always going to deliver the positive response the council desired. If however, a real and credible alternative had been offered then the outcome may well have been in opposition to the Councils preferred option.

The appointment of an independent body to oversee, and report on public consultation is essential in order to ensure that in future ,public consultations are balanced and allow the public to truly express their opinions and shape the future development of our town. Rather than being a waste of money as suggested by some individuals, it would in actual fact save money in the long term by ensuring that the Council is not permitted to waste money on ill-conceived and unpopular schemes.

For example, if a fair and honest consultation has taken place, it is hard to believe that the seafront traders have agreed to the Seafront being dug up just prior to the tourist season? Additionally there’s the issue of the new cycle lane, where the lack of separation between the carriageway and cycle lane has lead to an extremely dangerous situation where motorists parking beside the lane are forced to open their doors into the path of cyclists.

The SKIPP Committee

Did people not moan and wine on about the council employing independent consultation as a waste of money.

Now we have Skipp demanding that the council go and employ more spending more money that could be far better spent on the Cliffs museum.