If any right minded journalist was following the actions of local government in Denbighshire recently, they would have enough material to keep them in clover until well past Christmas. They would arguably have enough content upon which to base several major conferences to boot.
It has been surreal to watch one group point the finger at Westminster for inflicting the cuts to public services while another group points the finger at Cardiff. Surreal because nobody seems willing to point their fingers a little closer to home. When the areas for cuts were first announced last autumn, large groups of local people expressed dismay at what lay on the table. It was as though a challenge had been laid down to see how many vulnerable people could be punished in a single calendar year.
On Monday, 120 people turned out for a public meeting to oppose plans to transfer Dolwen in to private sector care with an emphasis on elderly mental health. I chaired that meeting and it was upsetting to have to witness grown men and women in tears at the prospect of having such a vital community resource taken away from them. County Councillors from both the Labour party and Plaid Cymru looked on while a procession of local people gave full vent to their feelings. It was humbling to witness and I was proud that my home town of Denbigh came out in such large numbers to get behind their Care Home.
Prior to that meeting, I had been told in no uncertain terms by Denbighshire County Council (DCC) that they were not prepared to provide consultation forms for this meeting under the premise that it hadn't been organised by themselves. I printed off 30 in Welsh and 30 English and we ran out in no time. This though was just yet another example of the lack of engagement by DCC. To be fair, 120 local people engaged but it was a real shame that their local council didn't match that commitment as they ought to have done. The stated aim of DCC is to be "Dynamic, delightful and different". I don't seek to mock that aspiration per se but if any organisation puts such aspirations in to words, they have to expect to be judged accordingly. Dynamic? We saw no evidence on Monday night in Denbigh although to their credit four County Councillors did attend - albeit two were not from Denbigh and three Denbigh County Councillors were not present. Delightful? That would be an inappropriate description. Different? Well, yes, depending on your definition.
The next day, the Cabinet met to decide the fate of local primary schools even if campaigners feared that it was just another fait accompli. Sadly, their fears were borne out amid an appalling display. Reports from that meeting were published in the local press and alluded to a late intervention by the Chief Executive Officer who pronounced that there were "too many Church in England schools in Denbighshire". Putting aside his geographical faux pas, the central point was that he offered a personal opinion when it was clearly not his place to do so. He also praised the Cabinet for having made the right decision. Once again, he exceeded his remit. Given the gravity of these decisions and their obvious implications for the communities involved, it is hard to believe such abuse of position can go unpunished. Outside that meeting, hundreds of local people demonstrated on behalf of their highly valued local schools. The sound-proofing must have been excellent that day.
But back to Dolwen. In the public meeting on Monday, reference was made to the minuted comments of the current Mayor of Denbigh at a recent town council meeting. He is also a Town Councillor and County Councillor. He has also been appointed to the Task and Finish group of five County Councillors who will ultimately advise the Cabinet on whether to proceed with the existing plans for our cherished local Care Homes in Denbigh, Ruthin, Corwen and Rhyl. In that meeting, he had said that both the staff and the trade unions at Dolwen were happy with the proposed plans for Dolwen. Had he attended the public meeting on Monday, he would have found found plenty of evidence to the contrary. Once again, I can't understand how he can remain in public office without a formal public apology.
Democracy dates from the times of the ancient Greeks but I am increasingly of the belief that they had a much greater grasp of the concept. If DCC really does want to be "Dynamic, delightful and different", they will be judged on how they respond to recent misdemeanours over the next few days and weeks. For the sake of the most vulnerable in our communities, I certainly hope so.
It has been surreal to watch one group point the finger at Westminster for inflicting the cuts to public services while another group points the finger at Cardiff. Surreal because nobody seems willing to point their fingers a little closer to home. When the areas for cuts were first announced last autumn, large groups of local people expressed dismay at what lay on the table. It was as though a challenge had been laid down to see how many vulnerable people could be punished in a single calendar year.
On Monday, 120 people turned out for a public meeting to oppose plans to transfer Dolwen in to private sector care with an emphasis on elderly mental health. I chaired that meeting and it was upsetting to have to witness grown men and women in tears at the prospect of having such a vital community resource taken away from them. County Councillors from both the Labour party and Plaid Cymru looked on while a procession of local people gave full vent to their feelings. It was humbling to witness and I was proud that my home town of Denbigh came out in such large numbers to get behind their Care Home.
Prior to that meeting, I had been told in no uncertain terms by Denbighshire County Council (DCC) that they were not prepared to provide consultation forms for this meeting under the premise that it hadn't been organised by themselves. I printed off 30 in Welsh and 30 English and we ran out in no time. This though was just yet another example of the lack of engagement by DCC. To be fair, 120 local people engaged but it was a real shame that their local council didn't match that commitment as they ought to have done. The stated aim of DCC is to be "Dynamic, delightful and different". I don't seek to mock that aspiration per se but if any organisation puts such aspirations in to words, they have to expect to be judged accordingly. Dynamic? We saw no evidence on Monday night in Denbigh although to their credit four County Councillors did attend - albeit two were not from Denbigh and three Denbigh County Councillors were not present. Delightful? That would be an inappropriate description. Different? Well, yes, depending on your definition.
The next day, the Cabinet met to decide the fate of local primary schools even if campaigners feared that it was just another fait accompli. Sadly, their fears were borne out amid an appalling display. Reports from that meeting were published in the local press and alluded to a late intervention by the Chief Executive Officer who pronounced that there were "too many Church in England schools in Denbighshire". Putting aside his geographical faux pas, the central point was that he offered a personal opinion when it was clearly not his place to do so. He also praised the Cabinet for having made the right decision. Once again, he exceeded his remit. Given the gravity of these decisions and their obvious implications for the communities involved, it is hard to believe such abuse of position can go unpunished. Outside that meeting, hundreds of local people demonstrated on behalf of their highly valued local schools. The sound-proofing must have been excellent that day.
But back to Dolwen. In the public meeting on Monday, reference was made to the minuted comments of the current Mayor of Denbigh at a recent town council meeting. He is also a Town Councillor and County Councillor. He has also been appointed to the Task and Finish group of five County Councillors who will ultimately advise the Cabinet on whether to proceed with the existing plans for our cherished local Care Homes in Denbigh, Ruthin, Corwen and Rhyl. In that meeting, he had said that both the staff and the trade unions at Dolwen were happy with the proposed plans for Dolwen. Had he attended the public meeting on Monday, he would have found found plenty of evidence to the contrary. Once again, I can't understand how he can remain in public office without a formal public apology.
Democracy dates from the times of the ancient Greeks but I am increasingly of the belief that they had a much greater grasp of the concept. If DCC really does want to be "Dynamic, delightful and different", they will be judged on how they respond to recent misdemeanours over the next few days and weeks. For the sake of the most vulnerable in our communities, I certainly hope so.
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