Talk to Central Beds Council? - Why Bother!

6.32.00pm GMT Sat 6th Feb 2010

Mid Bedsl Lib Dem activists have long feared that Tory promises are not worth much. Now their fears are being realised. The Tory lead Central Beds Council's Community Engagement Strategy promises to put 'citizens at the heart of everything we do'and to give 'more people more opportunities to influence decisions'. So why are Silsoe's residents being ignored when they rightly oppose dramatically increased traffic congestion in the High Street? So why are Shillington's residents being ignored, when they have opposed the council-chosen (and ill-chosen) development site in Shillington - not once, but three times? And just how precarious is Stondon's development site?

'These promises are just so much hot air,' says Alison Graham, MidBeds LibDem Chairman . 'The much-hyped Parish Plans which this Council promised would help us protect our villages, I have been told 'have no statutory power' - according to Tory councillors, they 'raise unrealistic expectations' - have become 'something of a nightmare!'. So how can we trust yet another newly-hyped strategy? Local 'involvement' will be accepted only if it agrees with the council's strategy. It's your Lib Dem councillors who actually ask you for your views - and act on them!'