Dear Sir,

YOUR report of the question about Church Langley at Thursday’s council meeting is incomplete, as will be evident to viewers of the YouTube video.

The answer is factually incorrect in that I did not agree to the work plan put forward by the Council in response to Mrs Purse’s petition.  There was also ambiguity around when work would commence, with the Cabinet member saying one thing and the report saying another.

In essence, the answer to the question about how much has been spent is nothing.

This is typical of the institutional apathy Church Langley has suffered under this council.  The work plan was doomed to failure from the start as there is no-one to actually undertake the research and preparation.  

The post of Landscape Officer is only filled two days a week, which is not even enough to cover the town, let alone the detailed research to resolve ownership issues.  In conversations with officers prior to the petition it was suggested the Council take on temporary staff, funded from the Church Langley reserve, but nothing has been done about it.

A review of the Church Langley fund was put on the Scrutiny Committee on 25 July 2017, three years ago, in an effort to find out what was happening with the money.  Bizarrely, the issue disappeared from the committee work plan at the meeting on 6 February 2018 without authority from the Committee.  Requests to obtain any answers were left in abeyance and ignored.

The Church Langley fund can only be spent in Church Langley.  It does not form part of the Council Tax and is not affected by financial pressure.  So what is the problem about spending it on much needed safety work in Church Langley?

Cllr Simon Carter

Church Langley ward

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Comments

Jenny Titmuss

All of us need the answers please – NOW

Partrick McGuinness

Simon Carter is spot on.
Also there is a lack of desire to get CL pathways safe, there is overturned brickwork that prevents a hazard to all, accidents that have happened and will happen.
It seems like the responsibility of DUTY OF CARE has been left at the roadside and no one willing to take responsibility.
I hope residents take this into account when voting in there next councillor. There probably trip over if they visit Church Langley