Barnet Council and the stupidity of Brian Coleman who hasn't learned from the Metpro fiasco

Had a rather interesting chat with one of our rather esteemed Barnet Tory Councillors yesterday (Saturday). Bumped into him as he was procuring his weekly supply of truffles, beluga caviar and champagne (they know how to live these Tories). He's not one of my regular informants, but he's not totally devoid of humour either.

"You rather upset Brian, did you hear about it?". Now always the master of the bluff, I thought I'd better find out. "Yes, I got  a few whispers". Apparently Brian Coleman took exception to the fact that he thought one of the Tory Councillors had leaked the news to me that Leader Lynne Hillan had a suntan and threw a paddy in the Tory Councillor meeting. It seems he had a right pop at  "one of your Mill Hill Councillors".  My new informant signed off with "Mind you, I suppose you've already written a blog all about it". Well I hadn't but thanks.

Anyway hapless Mill Hill Councillors are not the only people Brian Coleman has been insulting. He's also been insulting his own Council officers. The following is a question from Lib Dem leader, Jack Cohen to Coleman for the forthcoming Council meetings :-

Question 4 Councillor Jack Cohen

At the February Council meeting, I asked you a question and a supplementary about residents
parking permits and visitor vouchers. I asked you to explain the discrepancy between the figures in
the current schedule of charges i.e. £12 per book of ten vouchers and £42 for a 1st permit and
what residents are actually charged i.e. £10.00 per book and £40.00 for the permit. When I asked
you if this meant that the Council had lost out on revenue you responded "I never knowingly
undercharge."

Can you now explain why despite the decision of the Cabinet Resources Committee
on the 23 April 2009 PARKING FEES AND CHARGES (Report of the Leader/Cabinet Member for
Resources and the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport – Agenda Item 8):

For the reasons set out in the Cabinet Member’s report
RESOLVED –
(1) That the fees and charges for the parking section, as detailed in the associated appendices of
the report be approved to take effect as soon as practically possible.
(2) That the relevant Traffic Management Orders and Variation Notices are made to reflect the
fees and charges as set out in the relevant appendices to the report.2 and whilst in the associated appendices the permits are increased to £42.00 and the vouchers increased to £12 .00 this appears not to have been implemented"

Answer by Councillor Brian Coleman
Sheer incompetence and inefficiency by Council Officers.

Of course it's never Brian Colemans fault, is it? Even though he's in charge. One of Brian Colemans pet projects is the outsourcing of parking control. UNISON rep John Burgess was told by  senior Council officer that this contract will not be referred to the scrutiny committee. Brian Coleman asked Jeff Lustig (Barnet Council Legal chief) if it was possible to  avoid scrutiny and award it without overview and Lustig said yes.

This was in the week when Barnet Council executive went into meltdown over the Metpro scandal. The whole Metpro issue was the most clear example possible that private contractors need proper oversight and control when acting on behalf of the Council. Sadly Coleman has learned nothing.  When a private army of contracted out Parking enforcement officers start fleecing residents to meet their  bonus targets, who will Coleman blame then? His rude and ignorant outburst in the Tory Councillor meeting showed his contempt for his colleagues. His attempt to circumvent scrutiny is another example. Porkychops thinks he knows best.

What Coleman doesn't understand is that his boorish behaviour demotivates staff and colleagues. It is called poor management skills. When you lack the basic skills to do the job, your staff productivity  gets worse. It isn't incompetence and inefficiency on their part, it is bad management. Of course in Brian  Colemans little world, it's never his fault. I often wonder if when Brian Coleman wakes up the second decision he makes every day is "How can I make a complete arsehole of myself today". It  seems like this week, he's excelled himself.

Oh by the way, as I parted company with our esteemed Tory friend, I commented on his shopping basket "You should have a word with Brian, maybe he could sort you out an Assett Co hamper?" He gave me a rather puzzled look. I wonder if he knows?

P.S Click on the picture for a great diet for pigs !!!!!

The scandalous destruction of Barnets Town centres by Barnets Conservatives

I asked one of Barnets leading Conservative Councillors whether they supported the Federation of Small Business  manifesto for Barnet. As a small businessman who employs 9 people, I believe that this is the best way to reinvigorate the local economy. His response :-

I don’t think it would be appropriate for the Council to be supporting any particular lobby group’s manifesto. 

Fair enough you may say. It is not an unreasonable position to take. Whilst I had hoped for a more positive response to a sensible set of proposals, in the dull, unimaginative world of Barnet council, it is probably to be expected. I talk to many other small businessmen in Barnet. Many run shops in our High Streets. The story I am told time and time again is that they get no support from Barnet Council. When the Barnet Lib Dems proposed changes to parking fees, making the first hour free in Mill Hill Broadway, a move supported by all of the traders, the council refused point blank on cost grounds.

Parking wardens seem to approach CPZ ticketing with a military precision. If the CPZ starts at 11am, they pounce at 11am and get as many tickets in as possible, knowing some peoples watches are a couple of minutes slow. All of this pushes shoppers away from the High Streets, towards large shopping centres such as Brent Cross, where parking is free. It has long seemed to me that Brent Cross shopping centre and the large chains which inhabit it operate under a completely different set of rules to the rest of us. Whilst I understand the need for Barnet to encourage a thriving business, such as Brent Cross, this cannot be to the exclusion of small business and small shopkeepers. The question I've often wondered is "Does Brent Cross get special treatment from Barnet Council". Until yesterday I thought that this was unlikely. Now I'm not so sure. Let me share with you a response to an FOI which I was shown.
There are no such committees.  They meet informally with the CE, Deputy CEs and Assistant CE.
 

Non-Executive Directors of Barnet Council

a) How many Non-Executive Directors does Barnet Council have?  

None in the usual sense of the term, but the executive heads of the five principal partner bodies advise the Council's Chief Executive and senior colleagues on an informal unpaid basis.  They are referred to as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), although they have none of the usual responsibilities associated with this function.

 b) Who are they?  
•    Tom Nathan, Commercial Director, Brent Cross Shopping Centre
•    Cameron Ward, Chief Executive, NHS Barnet
•    Stephen Knight, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University
•    Neil Basu, Borough Police Commander
•    Marilyn Hawkins, Principal, Barnet College
c) What organisations do they represent?

See above

d) What criteria does Barnet Council use to engage these Non-Executive Directors?

They are not "engaged" but have accepted invitations to meet with the CE and senior colleagues on an informal advisory basis, the only criterion being their posts as heads of the five principle partner bodies listed above.

e) How often do they meet?

Monthly

f)  What is the name of the Council Committee(s) in which they assemble? 

The CE of NHS Barnet attends Cabinet meetings in an advisory capacity.

g) How much are they paid to fulfil this Non-Executive Director role?

Nothing

 
h) What influence do they have on Council Policy?

The Council has a role of civic leadership amongst the above partner organisations.  The NEDs informally advise the CE and his senior colleagues in fulfilling this role.

i) How long has Barnet Council had Non-Executive Directors?

Since 2006

j) Do these non -executive Directors represent Barnet Council in any capacity on Committees outside the Borough?

No

k) Which Council Officer appoints them in their role as Non-Executive Directors?

No appointment is made - they are invited to take part in this advisory process by the Chief Executive.

l) What is their period of Office as a Non-Executive Director and how do they cease to
become a Non-Executive Director?

The arrangement is purely informal.  No period of office is stipulated.  Their  position as NEDs is consequent on their appointment as heads of their respective organisations.

As you can see, one name sticks out. Mr Tom Nathan, Commercial director of Brent Cross shopping centre. All of the other NED's are members of public bodies. The sole commercial representative is Mr Tom Nathan, from Brent Cross. As you see, this job is the gift of the CEO of Barnet, Nick Walkley. Although unpaid, Mr Nathan gets unprecedented access to the chief executive. I attended a Leader Listens business breakfast with Mr Nathan last year. He was a fine speaker and I'm sure that in many ways he's an asset have in Barnet. It's just that I can't possibly agree that letting Mr Nathan have an executive position within Barnet Council is good or healthy. Just suppose the Lib Dem proposal to allow free parking comes up before Mr Nathan in his meeting. If local shopping centres get more trade, Brent Cross gets less. How will he use his influence with the CEO? I was rather concerned about the issue of democratic scrutiny of these NED's. I asked the Leader of the Lib Dems, Jack Cohen for a comment. He was shocked. He wasn't aware of this arrangement. So it seems there is an executive arm of senior management within Barnet Council which is completely outside of Democratic control.


The biggest, most fundamental change to take place in the London Borough of Barnet is the Brent Cross redevelopment. There are many Borough wide issues which this impacts. Barnet Council wheeled out the Leader of the Council to support the planning application. The only senior Tory to oppose it was the Mayor, Brian Coleman, who has since been marginalised.  Do you feel comfortable in the knowledge that someone as closely associated with Brent Cross and the redevelopment as Mr Nathan has a position of executive responsibility on Barnet Council, purely by way of his job?

This whole issue is a can of worms. Is it any wonder that Town Centre regeneration is bottom of the list of priorities for Barnet Council and its Tory overlords.

Oh, one last thing on the subject of Town Centres. Please sign the petition for one hours free parking in Mill Hill Broadway -
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-free-parking-in-mill-hill-broadway.html

Barnet Council Parking Charges

Here's a little quiz question for you :-

What is the purpose of parking charges in High Streets in Barnet?

A) To raise as much money as possible so senior Council officers can get a pay rise
B) To try and regulate parking so that there is a ready supply of spaces for people wishing to park

So what is the correct answer? Well if you followed the annual budget debate at Barnet Council last week, you'd have seen that there are two possible answers. Answer A seems to be the preferred answer for the Conservative Leaders of Barnet Council. Answer B is the answer which the local Lib Dems were hoping they would get. You see they proposed an amendment to have a trial period where parking in Mill Hill Broadway would be free for the first hour. This would be to allow shoppers wishing to just dash to the shops quickly for a quick pint of milk, to pick up a presecription or some stamps, to do so without having to pay for the privelidge. The amendment would fund a trial period to see if the scheme boosted business and improved parking arrangements for local shoppers.

We did a survey of local businesses in the Broadway and they unanimously agreed that we should run the trial of the proposals. We've been collecting signatures, nearly 200 on paper and approx 50 so far to the on-line petition. The local press has picked up the story and have found that we have hit upon a very popular scheme. Please read this report in the Mill Hill and Edgware Times :-

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/5049550.Traders_back_free_parking_petition/

It has been quite interesting talking to local traders. When we mentioned the scheme, several previously staunch Tory supporting businesses stated that "It was a great idea and that the local Conservatives have lost touch with their core supporters".

There is an important message for everyone. The local Council and Parliament elections are two different things. Whether you love or hate Gordon Brown or David Cameron, they have no say over issues like parking charges in Mill Hill Broadway. That is the job of your local councillors. Too many of our local Conservative politicans have simply stood for council as a stepping stone to the Houses of Parliament. They see it as a "good tick on the CV". In short they want to make a name for themselves and are not sensitive to local concerns. As far as I know five local Barnet Conservative Councillors are standing for Parliament at the  next election (one resigned two years ago, to concentrate on the more important career aspiration - a Parliamentary seat in South London). Another stood as a Euro candidate, another as a GLA representative.

With all of these distractions is it any wonder they've taken their eye off the ball locally. Councillors have used the platform to get great photo opportunities, whilst neglecting the detail of Council operations. We need to get local politics truly local again. When you cast your vote, forget Gordon Brown, forget David Cameron. You are voting for the person who is most likely to sort out local problems, listen to local concerns and care about local issues. If you know someone has done a good job, or will do a good job locally, then consider giving them your vote, even if they don't represent the party you normally support. My advice would be to give anyone who is clearly using the position as a platform to greater things a rather wide berth. Their heart is not in the job.

Which brings us back to Mill Hill. If you agree with me and you think that we should have a 1 hour free parking period in Mill Hill Broadway, to boost business, help shoppers and keep the traffic moving, please sign our petition. Even if you don't agree with us on everything, it's the only way that anyone at Barnet will take note.One thing was clear from the vote on the amendment which the Barnet Lib Dems proposed to fund a trial of the scheme. The local Conservatives don't want to know

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-free-parking-in-mill-hill-broadway.html

By the way, the Federation of Small Business have adopted a similar policy in their manifesto for small business.