West End letters: Panel | David Bieda, Dean Street | canvassing support | Audrey Lewis

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 18 September 2009

Panel point

AT the moment there is a by-election in the West End Ward and understandably the Conservatives were busy last Saturday canvassing support.
On October 14 there is to be a scrutiny panel on Soho at City Hall, chaired by Councillor Audrey Lewis.
I find it odd that Cllr Lewis was organising the canvassing but has been unable to organise advance consultation or local notification of her panel which is to “do” Soho in one evening..
Panels, if dealing with a neighbourhood such as Soho should:
a) be locally advertised and evidence invited in advance of the agenda being drawn up;
b) there should be a well-advertised public meeting held well before the panel meets or sets its final agenda;
c) this panel should meet in Soho not City Hall.
It’s not acceptable for either the panel or its chair or officers to be judge, jury, prosecution and defence, and thus control all the evidence.
If residents are fit for canvassing they are also fit for prior consultation and input into a panel looking into where we live.
David Bieda
Dean Street, Soho

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: