“You should serve only in the public interest, and should never improperly confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person, organisation or group, or any other third party.”
Members Standards of Conduct, Bradford Council.
One of the lessons of Brexit will surely be that politicians do not give a stuff what you and I think so long as we agree with them. This arrogance filters all the way down to the mysterious world of local politics where accountability is even harder to challenge especially given the decline of local newspapers.
My home village of Idle, large parts populated by beautiful old buildings, has been on an upward curve of late. The drivers of this have been local entrepreneurs, investing, taking risks and breathing new life into the village. This resurgence was evidenced at the weekend by a fantastic community turnout for the Christmas lights, funded by the same local businesses.
The Idle Coffee Lounge opened in 2016 and filled a yawning gap in the village; it was followed soon after by another, Miss Butterfingers, further into the village centre. Add in micro-pub The Idle Draper plus the transformation of The Symposium into The Idle Beerhouse all on the same road and the place is now vibrant.
So you would have thought local councillors would be banging the drum in support? Here follows a tale which typifies why many of us so mistrust politicians.
Whose Community Interest?
In 2017 the old Idle Library building, adjacent to the coffee lounge, came up for disposal by Bradford Council, the library having relocated to the nearby Wright Watson Centre, run by Inspired Neighbourhoods CIC (Community Interest Company) a body I have written extensively about. Chairperson of IN at the time (resigned October 2018) was local councillor Jeanette Sunderland.
The local paper reported a plan by IN – see here – to purchase the old library with the intention of opening a greengrocer’s shop to train out of work youngsters to presumably become out of work greengrocers.
“Cllr Sunderland declined to say how much their bid would be worth but she said she hoped Bradford Council would consider the community value offered by all bidders before deciding who to sell to.” In other words, on the cheap please.
IN failed and Richard Brame bought the building as a natural extension to the coffee lounge where real sustainable jobs had been created and more would be, all through private not public money. How ironic then, having cut the ribbon to welcome The Idle Coffee Lounge to the village, Cllr Sunderland now appears frothy?
Sour Grapes?
The planning application for the extension – see here – shows numerous supporting comments and only one objection…from Cllr Sunderland.
She lists 11 points set out below in Appendix 1. Note point (5) where she seems to suggest the introduction of double yellow lines on Albion Road, co-incidentally where the coffee lounge sits. There is a clear statutory process governing this – see Appendix 2.
Aside from the commercially damaging impact of yellow lines on a small village on the up, the irony of the existence of the Wright Watson Centre, which rents out office space only 100 yards away, seems strangely lost on her having been instrumental in its conception several years ago.
Above the coffee lounge is a refurbished rental apartment bringing spend into the village and much needed accommodation. The councillor is objecting to this too – note (9). Given the councillor’s consistent calls for low-occupancy and affordable accommodation this is somewhat inconsistent.
Have Your Say
Yellow lines are not a rational solution to any perceived traffic flows; if there was a serious issue, surely it warrants a public meeting to discuss all options for the benefit of the village? The damaging impact of such an ill-considered move would be felt throughout the village.
So let’s see if the Councillor wishes to respond to the following:
1 – where is the public mandate for yellow lines?
2 – has consideration been given to a one-way system advocated by the owner of the local taxi firm Idleways?
3 – is there a wider plan for the village or is this an ad hoc reaction?
The village is showing real signs of prosperity and its local politicians should be fully behind those making this happen. Pursuing a campaign that looks, frankly, like a personal issue, shames the public office.
It would be lovely to have a greengrocer, indeed a butcher, baker and a candlestick maker but a couple of decent coffee shops is a great start considering where we were not long ago.
Footnote
The following information is in the public domain and freely available.
Appendix 1
Cllr Sunderland’s full list of objections.
1. The application is for substantial alterations to the internal works of a listed building. Has the listed building consent been approved as the plans show significant internal alterations to original features?
2. Are there to be any external flues etc as these are not shown on the plans and these could be a significant impact on the conservation area and impact the residential amenity of local residents and the school. The other external plans are complementary.
3.There does not appear to be any plans for the storage of trade waste or recyclable materials.
4.What plans are there for level access from the pavement as this is not clear from the plans.
5. This is a significant increase in covers where is the customer parking? There are already a number of complaints from residents, both on Albion Road and in Southcote Place, leading to the introduction of double yellow lines along Albion Road.
6. Where will the staff park?
7. Is there be a plan to sell food for consumption off the site?
8. This is a food business at the entrance to a primary school are there policy implications?
9. The upstairs flats seem to be very small are they within policy guidelines? Also concerns have been raised by parents about the overlooking of a school. What steps are being taken to prevent this?
10. Where are the fire exits from the flats?
11. Is this an over- intensification of use? All of the properties bar one on this side of the road from 20 Albion Road to 22 The Green are of a class use permitting food and drink. All shops and offices have been removed.
Appendix 2
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 – Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO)
Preliminary requirements: The authority should consult with any body specified in Regulation 6 (depending on the order, other authorities and/or emergency services) and it must publish a notice in a local newspaper. It shall ensure that adequate publicity is provided to those likely to be affected. This may include display of notices in the relevant area and distribute the same to local properties and road users (though there is no requirement to do this specifically so long as other publicity is adequate). The relevant documents must be held on deposit from the date that the notice of proposal is first published and must remain on deposit until six weeks after the proposed Order has been made (or a decision has been made by the authority not to proceed with the proposal).
Brian Kirby says
Hi Steve. Well said. Ms Sunderland talks a good story but did bugger all to stop the Idlemoor development which ironically will help provide business to the village, coffee shops et al. Only a self serving politician would try and stop this happening. Perhaps she could apply for a compulsory purchase order and have these buildings demolished so she could apply to have the road widened negating the need for double yellows? Just saying .
Steve says
In truth no councillor can stop any development at present as it is open season. Until the Council gets its house in order more green fields will go; it is a scandal and brings our Council into question.
Michael De Greasley says
Hmmmmmmm Perhaps Idle and the local Ward should be looking for Younger, Vibrant, Progressive & Visionary Councillor(s) / Representatives – Instead of those looking to build themselves Empires and half baked projects funded through the public purse and assets.
Steve says
The role used to be for people seeking to offer public service at the end of a decent career. Now we have “lifers” like Hinchcliffe, Ross Shaw etc who would never get as good a gig in the real world…so they play at being politicians. And then you get those who simply get carried away with it all. The truth is the party system makes it virtually impossible for true independent voices, as you found out in Eccleshill despite a more than worthy candidate last year.