Chipping Barnet residents’ forum
Last night I attended the Chipping Barnet Residents’ forum. The format for the forums does not work. There is either no one there with the knowledge to answer residents questions or the written answer does not actually answer the question that was put. it is also far to easy for one person to dominate proceeding to the detriment of others. My solution would be to change the way the forums operate. Instead of generic forums have specific forums to cover a particular topic. For example. If we had a Highways forum then all the senior Highways officers could attend. If we had a planning forum then the senior planning officers could attend. There would be enough specialist knowledge to adequately answer questions. The forum could also be broken into smaller groups to allow single issue items to be discussed and this would also prevent the meeting being dominated by any individual.
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And how would you deal with the geographical challanges faced by LBB.
Or would you ask an East Barnet resident to travel to Childs Hill to discuss a single issue subject?
You wouldn’t because the Chipping Barnet forum deals with Chipping Barnet. There are already seperate forums for Hendon and Finchley and Golders Green. I would suggest that those operate in the same manner
Wrong Answer Duncan, I’d deal with the geographical challenges faced by LBB by building the Brent Cross Railway. Wouldn’t necessarily make East Barnet to Childs Hill easier, but certainly would help lots of other journeys.
Tanni,
As to your question – visit the TFL website, that will tell you
Childs Hill / Castle
Take the Route Bus 82 from Stop: L
towards North Finchley/Tally Ho Co
Dollis Park
Take the Route Bus 326 from Stop: E
towards Barnet/Spires Shopping Centre
Journey Time 52 minutes.
So does that mean you’d have the first forum on Highways; three months later, the second, on street crime; three months later, the third, on education; three months later, the forth and final of the year, on the housing and dangerous fences?
Rog
But it’s even better not to have to travel. We already have three area forums covering the three constituencies in the borough. I’m talking about revising the way they work, not amalgamating them.
Tannishtha
Yes in general terms that is what I would do. It’s not a new idea. They already do it in some Councils.
So Rog T thinks it’s acceptable to ask residents to spend 52 minutes travelling each way. I guess that’s what Labour consider acceptable – but I don’t.
So Duncan, you’d have only one opportunity per year for residents to speak to Highways officers, etc?
Tannishtha
That would be better that what currently happens. For example at the meeting before last there was no one from planning present. This meant that people came to the meeting unnecessarily. It would be far better to come knowing that there will be enough people who are senior enough to be able to answer the question.
If an item is urgent then a resident can still contact the department directly or go through their ward councillor (as is often the case).
“Anonymous Tannishtha Chatterjee said…
So Rog T thinks it’s acceptable to ask residents to spend 52 minutes travelling each way. I guess that’s what Labour consider acceptable – but I don’t.”
Well actually, if I wanted to attend something, yes I do consider it acceptable. My job entails watching lots of live bands and consuming copious quantities of alcohol in the process and I often spend far longer than 52 minutes on public transport.
I’d suggest that if you think this sort of journey is unacceptable, you have a sterile and boring life.
This completely explains your lack of sense.
Oh and taking journeys on public transport is not “A Labour thing”. On Sunday I will be making a 7 hour round trip on public transport with a good mate of mine who is a very senior figure in a South London Conservative Party to watch Manchester City play Liverpool at Anfield and hopefully trounce them.
My message – take the bus, you may learn something about life in London !
Good to see the usual abusive postings from Rog T, surprising to see that the LibDems are happy to allow a debate of principles turn into a triade of personal abuse.
So Duncan why if I say a journey is too long, are you prepared to post personal abuse against me?
Will you remove the abusive posting from Rog T?
Tannishtha
If you don’t like Rog T’s comments then I suggest you don’t post on this blog. You will get far worse on some other blogs.
Duncan, your true colours are revealed.
Rog T, get yourself a designated driver, get a taxi, get a car, get some self respect.
Dear Tannishtha Chatterjee,
All I can really say is that if you think my postings on this blog are abusive, you really should get out a bit more.
I seem to recall a recent Council meeting where the Tory Mayor of Barnet told the Ex Mayor (Mrs Braun) that if councillors stopped calling other councillors stupid we should all go home. You should develop some backbone my friend, if you want to start posting cobblers.
Tannishtha Chatterjee,
By the way, if you check my blog, 31% of my readers are Tories, second only to LibDems, so it seems that most of your friends are rather more robust than your good self !!!!
When you can no longer debate the point, you turn to attacking the person.
You cheapen your argument.
When the moderator allows such behaviour to be published on his blog he reveals the base nature of his politics.
This is supposed to be an arena to talk about the issues affecting High Barnet.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
Have you ever read any tory blogs? If not I suggest you check out some of the comments on Iain Dale’s blog.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
Calls me a Lunatic, says I have no self respect and then complains when I tell him off?
Unlike him, I don’t cry to Duncan that it’s not fair. It’s called free speech and if you don’t like it don’t start hurling mud.
So Duncan, because Iain Dale’s blog behaves like that – it makes it all ok then does it?
Does that mean you have the same standards as Ian Dale or the Tory Blogs?
Rog T, I said your politics belong to the Lunatic Fringe – I did not make any comments about you as a person – a subtle difference….
PS Free Speech is no excuse for discourteous behaviour.
Tannishtha
If you post on this or virtually any other blog I can think of then you are likely to be robustly challenged if people disagree with you. If you don’t like it then don’t post. Simple.
There is a difference between robustly challenging a point and robustly attacking a person.
Tannishtha Chatterjee said…
“Rog T adds to prove my point that only the lunatic fringe think you’re any good.”
Your comment sayS nothing about my politics. You called me the lunatic fringe. Fair enough, I don’t care, but I do object to you lying about what you said to try and make me look dishonest.
Pathetic really.
This is my last comment on this.
No one knows who you are so if someone attacks you it can hardly be a personal attack. If you choose to post on my blog then expect other posters to challenge you if they don’t agree with you. If you don’t like the manner of their challenge for whatever reason then don’t post. End of story.
So Duncan is prepared to condone a robust attack on a person if somebody does not like their expressed views. He’s obviously very Liberal.
This was a discussion on the merits of an idea to have single issue Residents’ Forums. But then Rog T started ‘Robustly’ attacking the individuals involved in the discussion, Duncan allowed him to do this, and the inital subject of discussion was lost.
I don’t think that this would be anyway to run a Council.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
You could :-
a) Start your own blog and moderate it as you wish
b) Stand for council against Duncan MacDonald
If you don’t like the way he acts as a councillor or a blogmaster.
Mind you, as you are anonymous, for all we know You already have. Maybe it’s paid for at the public expense?
As I understand it Liberal means tolerant of other views. As he’s posted all of your comments, no matter how stupid, I’d say he’s pretty liberal.
As has been pointed out to you and you are too gutless to acknoweldge, you have been very insulting to me and unlike me you’ve hidden behind a cloak of anonymity.
Someone who thinks that a bus journey of less than 1 hour is something only people with no self respect would undertake is clearly a rather odd individual.
Or we could debate the subject of single issue residents area forums.
Without the personal attacks.
What do you think Rog T, are you able to hold a debate just on the issues?
Tannishtha Chatterjee said…
I’ll tell you what. I’ll post a blog on my site about single issue residents forums. If you come over and post sensible comments without calling me a lunatic or questioning my level of self respect, I will be perfectly civil to you, just as I am to other Tories such as David Miller and Daniel Hope.
I can’t say fairer than that can I. If you check the first response from me to your comment, it was a perfectly reasonable one detailing the public transport from Childs Hill to East Barnet. You then tried to suggest that what constitues a reasonable bus journey was a party political issue, which I thought was a ridiculous point to make, given that I know many Tories who make bus journeys. Anyway as Duncan has had enough of this thread and your comments, let me know and I’ll let you say whatever you like ! You could be the Barnet Eye’s first guest blogger.
And if that isn’t a reasonable offer, I really don’t know what is.
One other point I will make. The hurling of insults at political opponents is a perfectly normal part of the British political process. Former Liberal MP and arguably the Greatest British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill was possibly the finest and most celebrated proponent of this art.
Rog T, thanks for the offer which I must respectfully decline.
[you shouldn't compare yourself to Churchill - people might be eating]
Now, I don’t think that Single Issue Forums are a good idea because, in my opinion, one single public forum per year on a subject of public interest is unreasonable.
I think the Chief Exec should ensure that a high level rep from all the major council departments each area forum. [12 meetings per year is not too much to ask - ask any School Governor]
And a neutral chairman should rule the audience with a rod of iron – just like an experienced trade union convenor.
What do you think?
A neutral Chairman would be very good thing. The problem is that Cllrs are getting paid allowances to chair these meetings. I don’t see them giving that up anytime soon!
So what we are really asking for from the Council is a commitment to participatory democracy.
Within easy reach of residents’ homes and as a regular occurrence.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
You said :-
“So what we are really asking for from the Council is a commitment to participatory democracy.
Within easy reach of residents’ homes and as a regular occurrence.”
I’d say that I’d completely agree with this. I would say that there should be single issue forums as well. With the internet, it should be possible to allow residents to select a topic from a list so that maybe every six months you could have a special forum on a subject chosen by popular vote. The council could then make sure the right people were there to answer the questions. A mix of general and specialised meetings would seem a good way to go.
I didn’t compare myself to the former MP for Oldham. I just pointed out that he was rather good at hurling insults in the finest British tradition. I’m flattered that you drew that conclusion though,
So what we need is for a determined Councillor to propose a motion along the lines of:
“the Chief Executive is to provide
1. a Director and senior manager from Planning, Highways, Housing and Education at Residents’ Forums in each of the Constituencies four times per year
2. a strong experienced Convener to assist the Councillor Chairman and to run the moment to moment business of the area forums
3. an open forum on the website for residents to raise specialist issues in public with a commitment of responses from the highest levels.
Will Duncan pledge to make such a motion at the next Council meeting?
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