Renewing Democracy in Adur
Posted by Ricky in Opinion under Adur | Council Watch | on Apr 22 2010
We have to renew local democracy in Adur so that the many communities can be sure that their views will be listened to and acted upon.
The present Council is almost entirely from one political party, elected by scarcely 15% of the electorate. Unless we can greatly increase the community’s involvement, no council, of whatever political party, will have sufficient legitimacy.
We need to elect councillors from different viewpoints.
The Council is pressing ahead with an ‘ever closer union’ with Worthing Borough Council, without convincing evidence that this is acceptable to the community.
Residents must win much greater control over what is done in their name.
Major infrastructure schemes, especially one involving valuable community facilities, should be subject to a local referendum, with a minimum level of participation to be valid.
It is vital that any scheme for the redevelopment of the Pond Road site, involving the Shoreham Centre, the Library and the Medical Centre - core, essential elements of our town - should be directly agreed by the community.
Conservation of our historic town is a high priority. The surest way to ensure it is to sustain and support our local economy, especially our small and medium size businesses.
A vibrant and forward looking local economy will also help greatly with the other basic responsibilities of local government which are to address the social imbalances, the inadequate and scarce housing, that lead to:
► poverty of ambition
► poor educational achievement
► high unemployement
► support-dependancy
► dysfunctional family life, criminality and disorder
Some services can best be provided through local government such as the integrated child care and family support offered by the Sure Start Centres.
There’s a promising future for Participatory Budgeting, where community groups bid directly for funds to develop the programs and services most adapted to their local needs, with a minimum of interference from local bureaucracy, which will be more efficient, more flexible, and more democratic.
Smaller not bigger: there is a strong case for the distinct communities in Adur to be given much more responsibility for their affairs. Shoreham used to have its own Town Council. We are a proud and ancient town. We do not deserve to be standardised out of existence by the emerging Worthing/Adur ‘super-authority’.
