Rocke
|
This was a hectic week that wasWhat a busy one.
And off to a good start !
Tuesday morning, Licencing Committee.
The day when we have to interview some applicants for taxi driver/owner licences etc.
First applicant, takes well over 1 hour !!!
Issues over declarations of interest ( in the interest of fairness if Members know an applicant they are generally advised to 'declare an interest' and take no part in the discussion and vote ie. leave the room ).
In this case it was how well do you have to know someone eg. if the person has driven you in a taxi a few times is that enough to warrent declaring an interest ?
Then we had a legal minefield - what options do we have and what are the consequences.
For those who don't know - and who are therefore going to be given an insight (!) - Licencing and Planning are called quasi-judicial functions.
Once the council makes a decision then any appeal has to go outside, not up to an appeals committee or whatever.
Licencing decisions can only be overturned by a Magistrates Court, so you see why we need to be sure of our actions and the consequences because it could cost a fair bit if we make a decison the Court feels is wrong.
Anyway, it obviously got better from there. Next one the jury was in for about a minute ( we stay, the applicant and our Licencing offciers leave ).
I've said before that sometimes it's very satisfying.
Nice to see the look on the applicant's face when he's told he's got his licence. Out of work and now at least a chance.
His gratitude to each and every one of us was nice as well.
The next applicant didn't turn up. Waste of everyone's time.
In the afternoon we had 'our' committee, Education & Leisure that I Vice-chair.
Quite a long agenda, one of which was a report by me and some colleagues on the sustainability of the Indoor Bowls Centre ( former Leisure Centre ).
Still work to do there and not yet dead in the water.
One councillor is looking into brokering a private initiative, another has raised the prospect of transfering it into Community Ownership.
More of that at a later date hopefully.
After a full day Weds saw just one meeting - the Schools Development Working Group.
This is the working group that is wrestling with the problem of too few pupils, too many school places, repair costs, running costs and in general how we optimise and maximise the education of the children of the Borough ( albeit secondary education at this time ).
We came up with options, the public have been consulted and the last meeting we had whittled down the options to those which were practical, including taking on board public sentiment.
The consequences of the options put forward have been investigated by our professionals and we discussed their advice and the consequences of each option. ( No point in saying 'we'll do this' then not addressing what's needed to carry it out, is there ? )
A suggested course of action will now go to the Executive, the 9 more senior councillors who make the decisions.
Thursday saw Full Council.
An in-depth presentation by the Chief Constable on how the Police restructuring will affect us in Blaenau Gwent.
Looks to be a reasonable idea on paper. Like everything we'll have to try to monitor it and pass our views to our new dedicated Superintendent and Inspector(s).
Bit of argy-bargy regarding the appointment of school governors ( Labour kept putting up their preferred people ) and some pleasant astonishment from one of the opposition when a previously Labour-appointed governor was re-nominated.
My view is that we shouldn't be replacing governors just because they were nominated purely because they were card-carrying members of the party.
Times have changed and hopefully we're going to appoint people who will support their schools regardless of anything else.
One of my colleagues and I agree on this, hence another term for one particular governor.
A few meetings I couldn't attend due to work, CF and CLEAN have my apologies but as they are aware my continuing support.
Looking forward to Sat and Sunday night out to get a kicking about the state of the town again, no doubt.
Mark's written to make observations about the lack of info. that's on the boards.
Something er.... I brought up at last week's 'greater Aber' regen meeting.
I hope he gets the same answer I did !!
Cheers.
|
