In March of this year, Councillor Duncan Kerr, an Oswestry Green Party representative, boldly challenged his Conservative counterparts on their plans for a splash pad in Cae Glas Park. However, this decision is anything but democratic. With an estimated cost exceeding £500,000, it’s crucial to scrutinize the fiscal naivety of the Green Party.
During the meeting, Cllr Les Maguire voiced his increasing reservations about the project, citing rising costs and public concerns. He emphasized the lack of public input and the need for more transparency. Yet, Cllr Kerr retaliated, accusing the Conservatives of failing to present alternative proposals for the money. He claimed that the funds had been devalued due to diminishing interest rates since 2014, conveniently ignoring the fiscal reality of saving for the future, with his only ambition to spend the Windfall before he is kicked out at the next election.
Let’s examine the facts. Cllr Kerr made several unfounded assertions, including the devaluation of the £4,000,000 Morrisons Windfall. A simple calculation disproves this claim, showing that if left untouched, the amount would have grown to nearly £6,000,000 based on Kerr’s base date of 2014. It seems that Cllr Kerr’s green world is more focused on creating captivating stories than acknowledging reality.
Even taking a more arbitrary date of 2019 into account, the unspent windfall would still have amounted to nearly £5,000,000, considering inflation. However, after almost three years in control, the Green-dominated council has burdened citizens with an 8% increase in the Council Tax precept. Furthermore, doubling car park charges has deterred visitors and shoppers, negatively impacting the town’s economy.
The Town Council’s staffing has ballooned since 2019, with no explanation or justification provided. In addition to the 14 permanent full-time staff and 4 part-time staff in 2019, a recent meeting disclosed the hiring of a public relations expert. How much will this new manager cost, and what purpose will they serve?
Surprisingly, there has been no public consultation regarding the Windfall expenditure or the splash pad project. The town experienced a car park consultation last year, only to retain the widely criticized pay and display system without a public explanation. Furthermore, delays in the Edinburgh Woollen Mill works resulted in the loss of a beneficial commercial interest for the town. Instead, the Green Party boasts about a bicycle repair shop’s success without providing evidence to support their claim.
The mishandling of contracts for the Horsemarket ramp, Ice Cream in the park, the new toilet block, and the splash pad has triggered numerous criticisms on social media, further exposing the lack of competence in the Green Party’s decision-making.
By highlighting these alarming issues, it becomes evident that democracy is being undermined by the extreme fiscal naivety of the Green Party. It is high time for a re-evaluation of their priorities and a return to accountable governance that truly represents the will of the people.
It is important for local councils to be transparent and available to meet electors. Sadly, under this Green leadership, the long-established committee structure that allowed the public a regular opportunity to question the council face-to-face has been scrapped. Now, just one meeting a month is held, which will simply be a rubber stamp for Green decisions already made behind closed doors. It is impossible for the amount of business that this council transacts to be confined to two hours a month and a 15-minute public question time. Ironically, before the election, the Greens demanded public consultation on most issues. Consultation is something that now rarely happens. This year, they have increased the council tax precept by nearly 8% but did not consult first and have yet to tell the community the reasons.
A perfectly reasonable request to visually record all meetings was rejected by this Green Council. We live in a modern digital world where the use of modern communication methods such as filming enhances the openness and transparency of local government. This ensures we have a strong democracy that is accountable to local people.
What is this Green Council trying to hide?
The Alternative Council 