I thought you may enjoy this video I shot at the Town Hall today, of a resident called Mr Scott asking a few questions about the Pinkham way incenerator. There were a 100 or so residents outside. The Leader of the Council, Lynne Hillan was not present for the Cabinet Meeting (she gets £35,000 a year to attend these), neither was her Deputy, Andrew Harper (He only gets £27,000 as deputy) so Councillor John Dan Thomas chaired the meeting.
I asked a question about the Library project. Because I didn't foam at the mouth or call Councillor Ramsbottom a twat, he congratulated me on my conversion to the One Barnet religion (it is without doubt a religion as you have to believe all of the figures. There are no actual facts to back up any of the theories they postulate or the schemes they propose). I suggest young Ramsbum visit the ENT centre (if he can find a hospital the Tories aren't shutting) as he clearly didn't hear the bit where I congratulated the Council Officers and pointed out that the report was far better than any produced by Future Shape Consultants. I asked if he planned to keep the Save Barnets Libraries campaign informed of any changes to the strategy. It was a fairly easy question, but beyond Ramsbum's pay grade to actually answer it, so he said "We will consult with residents" Whatever that means.
As you can see and hear from the video, it was a fairly lively event. I was asked to stop filming. As I was off at 7.45 anyway (had a recording session) I couldn't be bothered to argue with Councillor Thomas. One day I will. That will be fun. What was interesting was the blind faith that Barnet Cabinet have in the rather dodgy scientific data about the incinerator. I wonder if any of them live in the fallout zone?
I asked a question about the Library project. Because I didn't foam at the mouth or call Councillor Rams
As you can see and hear from the video, it was a fairly lively event. I was asked to stop filming. As I was off at 7.45 anyway (had a recording session) I couldn't be bothered to argue with Councillor Thomas. One day I will. That will be fun. What was interesting was the blind faith that Barnet Cabinet have in the rather dodgy scientific data about the incinerator. I wonder if any of them live in the fallout zone?
9 comments:
well done Rog: great bit of reporting - love watching the body language of certain councillors, speaks volumes ...
Mr Reasonable's web site points out that TONIGHT, the General Functions Committee is considering whether it should allow bloggers and tweeters to film council meetings.
Residents may like to go along and quietly, but openly, video procedings. They will note that officers are unwilling to act unlawfully and force people to stop videoing, that legal opinion is on your side, and that Barnet Police has stated publicly that it is not a breach of the peace (neither, by the way is "shouting", but best not to do both).
Politicians' remarks on such behaviour (videoing, not necessarily shouting) can be silently totally ignored.
The difficulty with challenging planning permissions for waste management facilities is that a year or two before planning permission is applied for an area plan is produced and quietly consulted on, which suggests 3 or 4 possible sites. Local residents pay no attention to it, generally because no letters are sent out and you have to either obsessively check with the planning department or happen to be in there, flick through and notice you are affected.
Once passed as policy it is much more difficult to challenge. If I remember rightly one of the proposed sites was NBLP.
I think local residents near all potential sites ought to be alerted by letter from their Council when the policy is first being consulted on, when it is easier to raise objections.
RogT where is the footage of you being told to stop filming?
Good question Dan. Actually, I'd run out of space on the disk in the camera, if you must know. I was just thinking about formatting a new one when Thomas said I couldn't do it.
-notice someone is rather bored- well i suppose if the usual opportunites are not available to be rude, rant, talk over, not listen, patronise, and be generally disparaging and dismissive about the views, needs etc of your employers, then i guess for himself it was boring.... but my Gran used to say that bored people are bored, because they are boring.....
ainelivia,
.... but my Gran used to say that bored people are bored, because they are boring.....
no doubt she was referring to her grad-daughter
Great piece of reporting. But, did you notice the crop haired person on the left - who actually gets this done on behalf of Coleman and his jolly pals - sitting there silent and sphinx-like. he's the one that prepared all the answers for barnet's Councillors. Old Nick I believe he is.
AdamStrange
A facility like this should not be set up in an area of high density residential area, with all its schools, homes, etc. No amount of safeguards can prevent long term health problems - by the time a link to diseases is made, 10-20 years down the line, it will be too late for the victims of respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other myriad diseases. Recent history is littered with examples of how gradual, but certain long term chemical pollution has damaged public health; there can never be enough safeguards against a giant facility like that in the midst of a residential area. And children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable people to pollution like this
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