Agenda item

An issues paper prepared by the Opposition Group is attached for the consideration of Council.

 

The Council rules relating to Opposition Business are also attached for information.   

Councillor Neville introduced the Opposition Business Paper:

 

The issues highlighted were as follows:

 

1.          The paper set out instances which the opposition felt cumulatively add up to the paper's headline.

 

2.          The opposition felt they had good examples but most obvious and most striking was Cycle Enfield. Councillor Neville stated residents, businesses, bus operators in fact all have made adverse comments but none have been listened to, still less properly responded to. The opposition felt that Implementation of the scheme had inflicted untold harm and inconvenience to residents and businesses alike.

 

3.          Reference was made to the A105 and the 3km (linear) barriers between The Triangle and Bush Hill Road junction being there over one month with very little work, he stated that traders had undeniably suffered serious losses and that in his view Councillor Anderson couldn’t even be bothered to meet them - accounts produced, were dismissed with the arrogance of a third world dictator whose regard for the truth leaves much to be desired, to say nothing of his grasp of facts

 

4.          Councillor Neville continued, the contract started September 16, six months on very little has been completed but he told The Standard that the scheme was one third completed. In fact a dashcam survey done last week showed less than 8% completed and operational. And for those Labour members not familiar with problem of the AI05, have I got news for you. All this is about to be repeated in the even more difficult carriageway of the Hertford Road.  Councillor Neville went on to say that at a recent Hertford Road call-in Councillor Anderson repeated the misstatement to his own members on OSC that the scheme was a TfL scheme. If any doubt "it's always the best policy to speak the truth unless of course you are an exceptionally good liar" but can't even acknowledge his wrong doing when residents who were there write to him after the event.

 

5.          The opposition felt that the Council has an obligation to listen and respect the views of its residents. One resident woke up as did many others to find her road turned into one way working, not just for a couple of days but now coming up 6 weeks, and without any prior notification. Councillor Neville expressed his view that on present form, her letter emailed to all members will go either unanswered or be dismissed as just another opponent of the scheme.

 

6.          The final issue raised on opposition business was regarding repairs to highways, and what is seen by the opposition as a lack of budget provision in capital, but a press comment issued claiming that £6m had been allocated from revenue and £1.7 from capital allocated for highway maintenance.

 

7.          Councillor Achilleas Georgiou Deputy leader responded to the issues paper highlighting the following:

 

8.          Majority group members hold ward surgeries every Saturday across the borough where residents can just turn up, how do you contact a conservative Councillor?  We hold ward forums and Enfield Lock hold surgeries in the Park this is representative of how we run this Council.  The Budget we set reflects what the residents want.

 

9.          In the issue paper highway maintenance is mentioned, the author has his facts wrong, therefore this is dismissed straight away, Parks, he argues against himself, for PTCG, again the author needs to get his facts right, the majority party have opened up the group to reach out to everybody, not just individual groups.

 

10.       Shades of a soviet regime? The majority party Cabinet members are democratically elected by the labour group, not appointed by their leader, shades of a soviet regime reflect the party opposite.

 

11.       Other issues highlighted during the debate were as follows:

 

12.       Highlighted by members of the Opposition Group:

 

13.       The opposition party stated that the labour group stifle opinion and have selected hearing, they don’t want to listen to a different opinion and that it was failing residents.

 

14.       The issues highlighted by members of the Majority Group:

 

15.       The majority party read out an extract from a letter from Councillor Laban to the mayor of London, supporting the Cycle Enfield proposals.

 

16.       Cllr laban raised point 14:13 personal explanation.  There was cross party support on the funding but the criticism the opposition have is  around public consultation.

 

17.       At the end of the debate Councillor Neville summed up on behalf of the Opposition Group and Councillor Taylor summed up his groups response to the opposition paper recommendations which were not accepted or agreed by the majority party.

 

18.       Following the debate, the issue was put to the vote, Councillor Alessandro Georgiou requested a roll call vote and 12 opposition councillors stood up.  Councillor Erbil at this point requested that his vote is recorded as it didn’t appear in the last set of minutes.  Members were asked to vote on whether to approve the Majority Groups response.

 

For:  33

Councillor Abdul Abdullahi

Councillor Daniel Anderson

Councillor Yasemin Brett

Councillor Alev Cazimoglu

Councillor Bambos Charalambous

Councillor Katherine Chibah

Councillor Guney Dogan

Councillor Sarah Doyle

Councillor Christiana During

Councillor Pat Ekechi

Councillor Nesimi Erbil

Councillor Turgut Esendagli

Councillor Krystle Fonyonga

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou 

Councillor Christine Hamilton

Councillor Ahmet Hassan

Councillor Jansev Jemal

Councillor Doris Jiagge

Councillor Adeline Kepez

Councillor Dino Lemonides

Councillor Derek Levy

Councillor Mary Maguire

Councillor Don Mcgowan

Councillor Ayfer Orhan

Councillor Ahmet Oykener

Councillor Vicki Pite

Councillor George Savva

Councillor Toby Simon

Councillor Alan Sitkin

Councillor Andrew Stafford

Councillor Claire Stewart

Councillor Doug Taylor

Councillor Haydar Ulus

 

Against:  17

 

Councillor Erin Celebi

Councillor Lee Chamberlain

Councillor Jason Charalambous

Councillor Dogan Delman

Councillor Nick Dines

Councillor Peter Fallart

Councillor Alessandro Georgiou

Councillor Elaine Hayward

Councillor Robert Hayward

Councillor Ertan Hurer

Councillor Joanne Laban

Councillor Andy Milne

Councillor Terry Neville

Councillor Anne Marie Pearce

Councillor Daniel Pearce

Councillor Mike Rye

Councillor Edward Smith

 

Abstentions:  0