Decision delayed over creating Finham Parish Council

[dutchman]

A decision over creating a new parish council for Finham has been delayed by Coventry council's ruling Labour councillors.

They faced Tory opposition accusations of undemocratically ripping up the council's rules, or constitution, when voting to put a key decision back until January.

Finham residents attending today's full council meeting had expected a decision on whether Coventry City Council would recommend the go-ahead to create a Finham Parish Council, which has been years in the making.

It follows a recent ballot of residents in the area which returned a 73 per cent 'Yes' vote from a 38 per cent turnout among 3,850 voters eligible to vote.

The ballot was triggered after more than 700 people signed a petition in favour of creating the new parish council, which could have responsibility for anything from cutting grass verges, to street cleaning, parking and noise abatement.

The law requires a ballot and a public consultation before a council in the wider area decides whether or not to recommend the parish council be created.

A full Coventry council meeting in June had appeared to vote in favour of proceedures set out in a report which would require a second public consultation following any recommendation by the council.

But the council's Labour deputy leader Phil Townshend said the report had not been correct, because the law only required a second consultation if the council recommended creating a parish council.

He said holding a new public consultation before January, in which the correct procedures were made clear, was now advised by council lawyers.

Council lawyer Christine Forde told the council that, following concerns raised by opposition councillor Tim Sawdon about the June report's wording, she advised the council should effectively revoke June's decision. She added the council's constitution permitted such a move.

Tories cried foul, claiming it was anti-democratic in ripping up council rules, or "standing orders", which made some previous council decisions binding.

Conservative councillor Tim Sawdon said: "There is little point in having standing roders if the controlling group can just dismiss them when they like it."

Former Tory council leader Ken Taylor told the Labour majority: "Democracy in this council is going out the window. There's going to be a point when we in the opposition won't need to turn up because you can do it all beforehand."

Coun Townshend accused Tory Tim Sawdon of making a "pre-election protest." He added: "We haven't got the report right.

"We are admitting that and we're saying we need to put it right. We all approved the constitution."

He added: "When the council makes its decision I want it to be clearly understood what the process is."

The area which would be covered by the new parish council is bordered by Green Lanes, the A45 Stonebridge Highway, Gretna Road and Howes Lane. It covers two polling districts in Coventry council's Conservative-held Wainbody ward.

[rebbonk]

Ken Taylor...: "Democracy in this council is going out the window.

Tell us something we don't know Ken old chap.

It is time that this council was reigned in and made to do the job that it's paid to do, democratically. - There ought be no decisions taken behind closed doors; the tax payers are entitled to know exactly how their money is being spent, and have the right to voice objections.

[dutchman]

Finham to get its own parish council after Coventry council vote

Finham is set to get its own parish council after councillors voted through the move at a meeting today.

An extra layer of local government is set to be introduced in the area after a formal vote by Labour and Conservative councillors at a meeting of the full council this afternoon.

It comes after 711 of 3,851 people living in the area signed a petition requesting the establishment of a parish council in the Finham area.

The petition caused a review into the issue, which senior Labour figures had previously objected to on the basis of the £4,000 cost.

A total of 1,461 Finham residents then voted on the issue with 73 per cent of people saying they would support the creation of a parish council.

Now Coventry City Council has backed residents’ calls and Finham will join Keresley and Allesley as an area with its own parish council.

It will cost taxpayers about £13,000 to set up the parish council with the cost of elections for council members estimated between £4,000 and £6,000 a time.

Residents in Finham will now also receive a hike in their council tax in order to finance the ongoing running costs of the parish council. Based on similar figures in Allesley and Keresley, residents can expect about £10 extra on their annual council tax bill.

The parish council will have two main roles – community representation and local administration. Crucially, they are also consulted on planning applications in their area and can develop neighbourhood plans.

That means controversial plans in the area such as development on the King’s Hill Triangle and the Coventry Gateway scheme near the airport could face more organised opposition.

Finham Parish Council will cover the area bordered by Gretna Road, the A45, Howes Lane and Green Lane and will have a total of 10 elected councillors.

Responsibilities of the parish council might also include things such as cutting grass verges, looking after local footpaths and clearing gullies.

Residents could also be given greater control over street lighting, parking, road safety and street cleaning.

The Conservative opposition have been campaigning for the creation of a parish council in Finham and a decision on whether to form the parish council was due at the last full council meeting of 2014. But, following a technical change, the controlling Labour voted to delay the decision until today.