DESPITE assurances of public participation, the Willow Court Working Party appears set to hold its first meeting in private tonight. People who volunteered for the committee received a written notice of meeting last week, but the meeting does not appear to have been publicly advertised as promised.
The working party was formed at the suggestion of Derwent Valley Council general manager Stephen Mackey in response to an earlier suggestion by New Norfolk resident Wayne Shoobridge that the council re-establish its Willow Court Redevelopment Committee. Mr Mackey suggested a working party of eight to 10 members, with its meetings to be advertised in order for any other interested persons to come along.
Instead, letters appear to have gone out to those who put their names down for the working party, with no public advertising. The group will meet at the Derwent Valley Community House, Willow Court, at 7pm tonight (Monday). The New Norfolk News understands the letters were sent from the Community House, not the Derwent Valley Council.
Hi all
ReplyDeleteI'm a member of the working party and I can assure you that I will not be keeping things private. I will be giving updates via my Willow Court Facebook group or at my livejournal site: http://royal-derwent.livejournal.com/
I do not know why the meeting wasn't advertised; I don't know whose job it would be to make sure it was advertised as this will be our initial meeting. It may be good for those who are rightly concerned to come along and see what it’s all about, or raise it as a query at the next community forum.
Nick J
I don't mind where they have the meetings as long as anyone can attend but seems the working party has nothing to do with the DVC employees and Councillors (and that's a good thing too I reckon) - who's paid for the postage of the letters?
ReplyDeleteHope the working party comes up with some good ideas to put to the next community forum but I note that the Councillors are still hiding in their own little world and not initiating anything - where's the leadership??? They should not be sitting back and waiting for the working party to save them!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jennie
Just another mistake in the many made by council really.
ReplyDeleteSince the forum there have been rumours around the town that the current Mayor will not stand for re election.
Can NN News shed any light on this?
To be fair anyone was allowed and had the opportunity to join the working party there was no restrictions, so if people were that passionate and wanted to attend they should have stepped up to the plate!!! I don't think a working party is going to be effective at trying to achieve positive outcomes for Willow Court if they have an audience at each meeting, just my opinion. I would strongly encourage the people who want to attend Working Party Meetings put there opinions forward at the next Community Forum.
ReplyDeleteThe Willow Court Working Party met last night and have formed sub-working parties to investigate and suggest possible solutions to the main issues raised at the public forum.
ReplyDeleteThe sub-working groups will me reporting back to the working party in around a fortnight and it is proposed to have a Puiblic Forum on Monday 19th October (date to be confirmed). The ideas and information gathered will be dissemminated to the public at this meeting.
The Working Party was not designed to replicate the public forum and as such had to have some meeting procedures to follow in order to be productive and worthwhile.
Simon
Good comment Simon, be interested to know what the main issues that the formed sub-groups are looking at tho? Unfortunately I am unable to participate due to disability but am keen for the working party to come up with some good clear ideas. Who is doing what as I would like to contact an appropriate person to put an idea I have forward please?
ReplyDeleteMal
I am reading with interest the meeting outcomes. The committee or working group currently established is a good idea to provide a new life into ideas for the future of Willow Court. The sad fact is that there is very little funding left in the kitty (see todays Gazette)and we are currently working on some if's. The horse has bolted and what we should be now looking at is using what funds are left to secure properly the left overs and then shut the project down till either:1. We can come up with a viable plan (The working group could help here.) Or 2: We look for a suitable developer who understands and is sympathethetic to the site and can create a suitable future. If 2. is the outcome I beleive council should step back from the project and give the marketing to the professionals. The council is not and should not be in the Real Estate business. their dealings so far have resulted in this unmitigated mess. The elections are now close and all should consider very seriously about who of the candidates has the time, the commercial and business experience and a can do attitude to bring things under control. A new broom sweeps clean.
ReplyDeleteHaving just logged on to the DVC's website - which is perfectly dreadful, everything blurred into headers, print too small etc etc - attempting to find the documents that Tim Morris asked at the community forum be available on the website, I really am surprised that there is nothing. There has been more than enough time to put these up, so what's the excuse or is it more incompetence? And for goodness sake, fix up that website - tourists and property investors look at such things so it does need to be much more professional.
ReplyDeleteHelen