24 May (Part 2) - Not good enough Eileen
Hugh Neal’s blog reports today that Bexley council’s meeting with residents concerned about the proposed
use of the former Homeleigh Care Home as temporary
accommodation for the homeless did not go well.
His informants said the meeting was not signposted so that attendees were unsure
about whether they had gone to the right place at the right time, there was no
agenda and neither the council officers not the councillors present were able to
answer simple questions.
This is not at all what I expected from my own brief conversation with the
responsible Cabinet Member Eileen Pallen when I spoke to her last Wednesday
evening. She appeared to be genuinely anxious to handle the potentially delicate
situation in a professional manner. She specifically said that she had
instructed council officers to select occupants very carefully to avoid the
unpleasant and even dangerous situations I have seen in my own street when
unsuitable people are placed in an otherwise quiet road.
Hugh’s report implies that the Cabinet Member did not attend the public meeting
which is very odd. Alex Sawyer
attended nearly all the Splash Park meetings when
he was responsible for its future.
It has
been reported that councillor David Hurt (Conservative, Barnehurst ward) was at the residents’ meeting and thought that their concerns
would be fully addressed if one of them put their case to the Planning Committee. A clearer case of dismissive
arrogance would be hard to imagine.
That resident would be given five minutes and then torn apart by aggressive councillors
before his case was rejected. It is essential that their concerns are properly considered
long before any plans are formalised and put before the Planning Committee. Badgering the
cabinet member is absolutely essential.
It is alleged that Bexley council has appointed
a property management company to
look after the premises. Their website (see image) does not inspire confidence.
Note: Homeleigh is in Northumberland Heath ward.
(Councillors Read, Reader and Seymour.)