MAYOR FAILS TO TAKE ACTION FOR MOST VULNERABLE

11.31.20am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st Jul 2010

Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader Steve Darling has expressed outrage over the failure by Conservative Mayor Nick Bye to follow up on a decision that would have resulted in the newly formed Economic Development Company focusing far more on the most vulnerable in Torbay.

At a Full Council meeting in September last year the formation of the Economic Development was discussed. Mayor Nick Bye and his Conservative Councillors accepted an amendment from Liberal Democrat Councillors strengthening its commitment to Torbay's deprived areas, and which also called for a report to go to a Council meeting before June 2010 outlining how this would happen.

Councillor Darling has written to Mayor Nick Bye asking why no report has been forthcoming. His letter says:

"Please find enclosed a page from the minutes of the Council meeting in September that relates to the Economic Development Company.

As I am sure you will recall, and the minute's record, the Liberal Democrat Group tabled an amendment calling for the EDC to strengthen its commitment to communities of deprivation in Torbay. The amendment called for the Environment Commissioner to bring a report to a Council meeting before June 2010 to outline "what other functions could be included in the company, so that community development and help for deprived communities is a core function of the new organisation." Your Conservative colleagues and yourself accepted the amendment and the minutes show that the amendment was declared carried. However, it is now July and no such report has come to a meeting of the Council.

It appears that, like the letter to the Government about post offices, your lack of attention to detail has resulted in there being no action in this vital area despite a decision being made. I fear that the failure to take any action on this amendment, which is designed to help the most deprived areas in Torbay, is either due to incompetence, or that your support for the amendment was all for show and not really meant.

I look forward to your response as to why this has happened, and what actions you are going to take to ensure that a report comes swiftly to the next council meeting.

Commenting on his letter Councillor Darling said, "I am shocked that no report has come forward outlining how the new Economic Development Company can focus its activities to help the most deprived areas in Torbay. It appears that the Mayor will pull out all the stops if a decision is made about a Mayoral Vision Project, but if a decision involves helping our communities then decisions drift. First we had the post offices, when the mayor failed to write to the Government urging them to let post offices provide more services as he agreed to do, and now we have this.

"The Mayor seems proud of his claim that he does not do detail, but unfortunately this can have serious consequences."