Photo by Lee Jordan 

The Corporate Scrutiny and Performance Panel meets tonight at 6pm in Walsall Council House to bring together the results from all Scrutiny Panels following consultation on the Tory Cabinet’s Draft Budget reports Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires.

“The process of the Draft Budget doing the rounds of the Scrutiny Panels has descended into a farce” commented Ian in advance of tonight’s meeting.”The voices of opposition councillors has been drowned out by a chorus of back slapping congratulations from Tory Scrutiny chairs” continued Ian.

“My understanding of scrutiny panels is that any hint of a party whip should be declared at the start of meetings. I have to say that no such declaration took place, yet Tory chair after Tory chair began debate on the Tory Cabinet’s Draft Budget with virtually the same back slapping congratulatory statement making a nonsense of the whole process.”

On three of the scrutiny panels, Regeneration, Community Services and Children and Young People, opposition Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors tried to get resolutions through expressing concern at the effects of the proposed closure of Willenhall’s Leisure Centre would have on the respective services. Each time they were voted down by the Tory majority.

Consultation is about getting a feeling for the reaction of residents to proposals. Looking at the responses from the scrutiny panels you could be forgiven for thinking that the decision to close Willenhall’s Leisure Centre had been welcomed with open arms. Yet we all know that there is massive opposition to the idea.

“The whole process of consultation on the Draft Budget is a total farse” said Ian. “The Tories would not even consider the suggestion of scrutinising the leisure centre in the same way as was done so successfully with Bryntysilio recently. The centre should be given the chance to reduce its unit cost to the same as the other centre across the borough” he concluded.