Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Bit of a shambles ...

Well, it gets worse and worse ... at today's Education Committee, it transpired that the whole sequencing of the first round of consultations was a bit of a shambles frankly.

Have a look at the Table at Paragraph 9, bottom of page 2 ... here.

Go back and have another look - 6 of the 8 public meetings are AFTER the Committee next meets during the daytime of 24th September ... that's the Committee meeting where we were going to decide whether to keep open or shut an establishment??

Thus, on 24th September we would have decided whether to keep open or shut Grassmarket Nursery School, but the public meeting as part of the overall process is not until the evening of the 8th October.

Thankfully, and to her credit, the Convenor accepted the illogicality of the whole process and agreed to bring back these 8 proposals to the October meeting of the Committee ... all before they go, for ultimate decision, to the Full Council meeting on 22nd November (see paragraph 10 on page 3).

It's a dog's breakfast of a process, and my confidence in what is happening is diminishing instead of being strengthened. It can surely only get better ...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's be totally honest here and say that it wasn't you that picked up the blunder. In fact none of the councillors who should have read the papers thoroughly knew about it until Tina Woolnough (Spelling?) informed the committee. Let's be transparent ourselves if we are accusing others of being less than transparent.

FYI, what most of the deputations were shocked by was the total lack of questions coming from the councillors on the committee including yourself Councillor.

It does seem a bit of shambles, but on all councillor sides no matter what party.

BTW - Well done to the detail orientated Tina

Andrew said...

John

Think this is a little harsh ... I'm not claiming in this post that it was me who spotted the error? If it was Tina - all credit to her.

Also, don't know if you were in the gallery, but I did actually ask several questions of two of the deputations and spoke extensively during the subsequent debate.

... okay, I didn't ask 'Tina' a question - maybe I should have :-(

I will next time :-)

Andrew

Anonymous said...

It was really the extremely capable Bingham ladies that I was on about rather than Tina in the asking questions arena.

Andrew said...

okay John - guilty as charged. I have met them before, out at Lismore Primary School, and know how commited they are - I'll be sure to ask them a question next time.

Anonymous said...

May I gracefully suggest, a pertinent and non-party political question.