WARRINGTON Borough Council Leader Cllr Russ Bowden has again committed to dealing with community questions and issues head-on by announcing two new forum dates – with more to be announced.
Cllr Bowden started his leader’s forums at the start of 2019 and has since spoken with hundreds of residents at his open, relaxed and informal evening sessions across Warrington.
The forums are an ideal opportunity to press the Leader on a variety of important community issues away from the sometimes rigid setting of formal council meetings.
The next two forum meetings are:
• 22 January, 6.30pm-7.45pm – Woolston Community Primary School, Rixton and Woolston, WA1 4NW
• 17 February 6.30pm-7.45pm – The Club, Burtonwood, Phipps Lane, WA5 4HQ
Cllr Bowden said: “The leader’s forums are the best opportunity to speak to me about the key issues that matter to you.
“Nothing is off the table, it is a chance for you to ask me anything and present your thoughts and ideas. The forums provide the space for some of the tough questions to be put to me directly about the council’s performance and its ambition.
“I want to have in-depth, open discussion with residents about the council and how we operate. We work for, and are accountable to, the people of Warrington – so it’s only right you have a chance to speak to me about decisions the council makes.”
1 Comment
Well, I attended the Woolston event. I wanted to ask Cllr Bowden about the Redwood Bank deal.
I framed my questions respectfully – all I wanted to know was, with the deal looking so bad, what were the mitigations? I wasn’t satisfied with the responses I received.
Cllr Bowden wouldn’t tell me how things are looking now, claiming commercial confidentiality.He seemed unaware that at the time of the Council’s commitment to invest £30 million, Redwood didn’t have a banking licence – he seemed genuinely surprised when I corrected him on that point, even though all the information is in the public domain.
The only mitigation which he offered for the deal was that the private investors had ‘taken on the risk’ of gaining a banking licence. I pointed out that there was no risk, since we were underwriting the whole venture. No response.
There were 5 citizens present, plus Cllr Bowden and Steve Park in the hot seat, plus two council staff taking notes. I was surprised there weren’t more citizens present, tbh.