Political infighting alive and kicking

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IT would appear the political in fighting with in the Labour group on Warrington Borough Council is alive and kicking and that lessons have not been learned from the past.
The latest fall out within the group has resulted in the suspension of cabinet member Hitesh Patel pending an investigation by the North West regional office.
The row, which has been reported widely on warrington-worldwide, is said to involve a “political dispute” between Cllr Patel and his Labour colleague Cllr Chris Vobe.
While I fully understand it is difficult for everyone to get on all of the time, as we can all have differences of opinion, I can not understand why members of the Labour
group continue to do their dirty washing in public, via leaked emails.
I have said it in the past and I will say it again – all elected members of the council have a duty to represent the people of Warrington – this should include putting all inner squabbles and differences of opinion to one side and using their energies and resources for the good of our town.
It would appear some members of the Labour group have short memories.
Meanwhile could some elected member tell me who had the bright idea of changing the traffic lanes outside the Academy on Bridge Foot – it was confusing before but now no one seems to have a clue which lane they should be in when crossing over Bridge Foot?
It is an accident waiting to happen!


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9 Comments

  1. What makes you think any elected members had anything to do with changing the traffic lanes outside the Academy on Bridge Foot? Most decisions seem to be taken by officers who are supposed to advise members. But as has been the norm for far too long in this borough the officers tell the members what they have decided to do.

  2. I’ve just used the road on my way back home (A49 South) from the Town Hall, and will be taking the matter of the road markings up with the Assistant Director as I was confused.

  3. Further to my earlier post, I emailed the Assistant Director a few minutes after I made the post, and within minutes he responded to say that this morning he would be checking to ensure that they have been marked out correctly by the contractor. I am aware that other Councillors have also taken this matter up.

  4. I don't think it is so much whether the contractor has done the markings correctly – The question should be

    1.Why was there a need to make a change?

    2.How come there are no large warning signs alerting approaching motorists that major changes have been made to the markings?

  5. I am not saying elected members had anything to do with it – although surely they should know what actions are being taken by their own officers?

    I am asking them to reveal who had the bright idea of making the changes!

  6. Totally agree, and that is going to part of the review that is going on as I type. I will be meeting with the Executive Director this afternoon and this matter will be on my agenda.

  7. In full agreement with you Ed. It beggars belief no one considered prior warnings in the press were necessary or that motorists should be warned of the changes with local signs as they approached them. It is also surprising a check had to be made to ensure the contractor had correctly applied the markings. Was the contractor left to his own devices without supervision as worked progressed? If so why? Who are the Assistant Director and Executive Directors responsible? It would be interesting to see the traffic survey figures used to justify the changes. Judging by the comments, in another place, from the more frequent users of Bridgefoot they do not seem to be valid. None of this should surprise most people in the borough. It is symptomatic of how our dysfunctional council has operated for most of the 12+ years I have lived here. Officers take the decisions and our elected members are left to pick up the pieces.

  8. I thought I had these new markings sorted in my head. I found myself smug in the middle lane at the lights outside Mr Smiths. The lane was marked A49, I thought it would take me to the lane with the riverside retail park/knutsford rd and the A49 south. I thought this would have made sense leaving a lane for the bulk of traffic in rush hour that goes down Chester Road.

    I was so wrong. I am amazed they have two lanes focused on going A49N up Mersey Street.

    I have never known the original markings to be a problem, why the change.

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