Councillors in Beverley to learn from cobbles controversy
COUNCILLORS in Beverley are pledging to look again at how they gauge public opinion.
The furore over the plan to remove the cobbles from Saturday Market has raised questions over how effectively the council communicates with people.
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Big plans: Councillor David Elvidge looks at the Beverley Integrated Transport Plan at the Treasure House in Beverley. Picture: Peter Harbour
With contractors already on site, the authority this week performed a U-turn and agree to the stone setts being retained as part of a £2,650,000 revamp of the market place.
Councillor David Elvidge, representing Minster and Woodmansey ward, said: "No one wants to see this sort of thing again.
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"There are formal consultation processes but there is no reason we can't review what we do and how we do it. I think it's an issue for all the ward councillors."
The authority actually began publicising the market scheme well in advance.
But critics said the consultation was inadequate.
Problems for the council started after more than 500 people attended a public meeting in December at Toll Gavel Church, with retaining the cobbles at the top of the agenda.
After crunch talks on Thursday, the authority said it had reached an agreement with Beverley Civic Society, the principal objector.
Instead of removing the setts, contractors will now take them up by hand and re-lay most of them.
It means, as well as costing an extra £150,000, the market revamp will also take ten weeks longer than planned.
It will run into next year, with a break over Christmas so the work does not interfere with the busy shopping period.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of East Riding Council, said: "This council has and continues to take great care when it comes to consultation and, following the gatherings and correspondences in support of retaining the setts, I felt, as leader of the council, it was important to allow extra time for further discussions to take place."
The revisions to the scheme will be reviewed by Beverley Area Community Partnership, of which Cllr Elvidge is chairman.
He said: "Our primary concern is the users of the market.
"A separate thing will be a review of how we consult with these groups and I'm hoping Beverley Community Partnership can be involved in that in some way.
"I think the ward councillors should have been involved at an earlier stage."
With so many changes planned in Beverley, including the £27m integrated plan and proposals to expand the town with more houses, thorough consultation will be vital.
18 Comments
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by Clem_
Sunday, January 27 2013, 12:19PM
“Between you and me we messed up again" said the councillor. "What we need to do is to cobble together some sort of public relations strategy.”
by TheMarketX
Sunday, January 27 2013, 8:34AM
“David Nivea, you are-as usual, full of the brown stuff.”
by TheMarketX
Sunday, January 27 2013, 8:33AM
“Ah, they've finally woken up to the fact that we won't be walked all over....Good.”
by Dave_Best
Saturday, January 26 2013, 6:29PM
“David_Nivea Absolutely spot on!!!!”
by Helloitsme
Saturday, January 26 2013, 6:17PM
“East Riding Council's 'consultations' usually take place mid-week during working hours. If it really wished to gauge public opinion it would consult over a weekend. In my view, the fact consultations for major schemes do not take place over at the weekend speaks volumes for ERYC's attitude towards consultation - to go through the motions but to exclude a large proportion of the working population.”
by democracy_now
Saturday, January 26 2013, 5:05PM
“Do not be fooled by these fools, get rid of them at the next local election!”
by glen1954
Saturday, January 26 2013, 3:30PM
“I could not stop laughing after reading this story,COUNCILLORS in Beverley are pledging to look again at how they gauge public opinion.H ahaha .I thought this Parnaby chap said taking the cobbles up was what the people wanted ,did he make that up then ? The good people of Beverley need to vote him out.”
by AdPotentia
Saturday, January 26 2013, 2:12PM
“Utter - cobblers !
It wasn't that they didn't listen- they WOULDN'T listen. It took English heritage and half the countries press to force an ignorant bunch of councillors led by one of the worst (Parnaby) to make the change. Then it cost us ALL another £150,000 from the highways maintainance budget. Take it from the greedy over paid non listening councillors and their greedy overpaid allowances and exprenses.
Sham on them all for wasting public money. If this was a private company they would have been dismissed for GROSS MISCONDUCT.”
by ColonelKurtz
Saturday, January 26 2013, 1:49PM
“If the Beverley residents don't want the money spending on the town then leave it as it is and use it to improve other towns.”
by bevman
Saturday, January 26 2013, 1:43PM
“So councillors are to look at how they gauge public opinion! How about street surgeries, attending parish meetings, knocking on publics doors, telephone canvassing! Oh wait a minute they only do that to gauge how you are you vote at elections. Once they have their snout in the trough they ignore these basics. When was the last time you saw one of your councillors conducting a survey, posting a leaflet through your door? Pearson is to old to leaflet, chalis doesn't live in Beverley, eaired is to timid, Harold to keen on holidays and pies, peacock is away with the fairies!”