Hartlepool Borough Council Constitution

[jeffh]

Like Paul Thompson I also enjoy browsing the Constitution of HBC.

In view of the "Hot Topics" of tonight's meeting it may be worth looking at Section 2 part 1.03 of Articles of the Constitution, which outlines its purpose.  Compare that to what is happening in our town we should be worried that this is being allowed to happen, alongside wholesale changes to the Constitution to make it watertight.

1.03 Purpose of the Constitution

The purpose of the Constitution is to:

i) Enable the Council to exercise its function as a statutory body;

ii) Enable the Council to provide clear leadership to the community in partnership with people, businesses and other organisations;

iii) Support the active involvement of people in the process of Local Authority decision-making;

iv) Help Councillors represent their constituents more effectively;

v) Enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively;

vi) Provide a powerful and effective means of holding decision-makers to public account;

vii) Ensure that no one will review or scrutinise a decision in which they were directly involved;

viii) Ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions; and

ix) Provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the community

In view of recent events at Seaton Carew I would suggest that Councillor James was constitutionally incorrect (1.03 viii) when she refused to meet with Seaton residents, referring all communications to the Town Solicitor.

To me the most important part of this section is part vi, which we are now bearing witness to its total dismantling.  How can the public hold decision makers to account, when all means of effective questioning is being eroded by a ruling group that doesn't seem to want to engage with the public, during their term of office, but when it comes to election time they are falling over themselves dishing out freebies with OUR money - I can't remember the last time my Ward (or my previous one) held events for the children or took away "white goods" free of charge (following my spring clean).

As I've said before I'm only new to this and I'm sure that many of you can look at the Purpose of the Constitution and come up with instances where our council - YES I did say OUR council - are not working in the interests of the people of Hartlepool.

[akarjl]

I WISH I was not offshore I would have gone to meeting- I hope the place is rammed full and there is uproar. .....and ackers-belcher demands the doors are held open for him as he enters the chamber.

[kevplumb]

I WISH I was not offshore I would have gone to meeting- I hope the place is rammed full and there is uproar. .....and ackers-belcher demands the doors are held open for him as he enters the chamber.

cwissy was surprisingly quiet tonight  cant think why 

[Heknocks68]

Like Paul Thompson I also enjoy browsing the Constitution of HBC.

In view of the "Hot Topics" of tonight's meeting it may be worth looking at Section 2 part 1.03 of Articles of the Constitution, which outlines its purpose.  Compare that to what is happening in our town we should be worried that this is being allowed to happen, alongside wholesale changes to the Constitution to make it watertight.

1.03 Purpose of the Constitution

The purpose of the Constitution is to:

i) Enable the Council to exercise its function as a statutory body;

ii) Enable the Council to provide clear leadership to the community in partnership with people, businesses and other organisations;

iii) Support the active involvement of people in the process of Local Authority decision-making;

iv) Help Councillors represent their constituents more effectively;

v) Enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively;

vi) Provide a powerful and effective means of holding decision-makers to public account;

vii) Ensure that no one will review or scrutinise a decision in which they were directly involved;

viii) Ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions; and

ix) Provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the community

In view of recent events at Seaton Carew I would suggest that Councillor James was constitutionally incorrect (1.03 viii) when she refused to meet with Seaton residents, referring all communications to the Town Solicitor.

To me the most important part of this section is part vi, which we are now bearing witness to its total dismantling.  How can the public hold decision makers to account, when all means of effective questioning is being eroded by a ruling group that doesn't seem to want to engage with the public, during their term of office, but when it comes to election time they are falling over themselves dishing out freebies with OUR money - I can't remember the last time my Ward (or my previous one) held events for the children or took away "white goods" free of charge (following my spring clean).

As I've said before I'm only new to this and I'm sure that many of you can look at the Purpose of the Constitution and come up with instances where our council - YES I did say OUR council - are not working in the interests of the people of Hartlepool.

Self first, self last, self always.

[kevplumb]

I do hope that last remark is directed in the general direction of the kremlin