Daniel Snowdon

I attended the Cheam North and Worcester Park local committee of Sutton Council 18/12/2008. On the agenda, there was an item on the budget proposals for 2009/2010. The Council leaders wanted to give local residents who were present a chance to convey their views directly to the committee about the proposals. However, one of the members, Cllr Richard Butt requested that the item be withdrawn as he believed that it was not an issue specific to the area. Furthermore, he asserted that the budget would affect the whole of the Borough of Sutton.

I can see his point, but people very rarely have an opportunity to directly influence the decisions that could have a profound affect on them. I think that we would have had a productive session on this and that those present could have made a positive contribution to the consultation process.

What do you think? Should Borough wide issues be discussed at Local Committees or should these issues remain under the auspices of the full meeting of Local Authorities?