Brighton Council Election Results

[Gwylan]

As it stands the council has to make or save £100m to cover the funding gap over the next five years.

Which is precisely why there will be no change to any of the traffic schemes (even if we ignore the fact that all the cycle lanes were implemented with cross-party support). Replacing the Lewes Road scheme would cost the best part of £12m (the cost of resurfacing plus the grants that would have to be returned), Don't think it's going to an easy time for the administration over the next few years as there are going to be some serious cuts

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Which is precisely why there will be no change to any of the traffic schemes (even if we ignore the fact that all the cycle lanes were implemented with cross-party support). Replacing the Lewes Road scheme would cost the best part of £12m (the cost of resurfacing plus the grants that would have to be returned), Don't think it's going to an easy time for the administration over the next few years as there are going to be some serious cuts

I'm sure members of the travelling community could come up with a cheaper quote to re-tarmac Lewes Road.

 

[symyjym]

Not sure I agree: all significant decisions are made by councillor votes at committees - the most powerful of which is the Policy and Resources Committee chaired by the Leader of the Council. Officers advise and present recommendations to these committees and obviously take political soundings / steer before doing so - they don't and can't dictate policy unless the councillors let them. The CEO as head of paid service is responsible for officer performance and changes in council control often sees turn over at a senior level but their performance is largely determined by what councillors want and are willing to endorse them to undertake.

Officers selectively advise and recommend. You have to bear in mind that the officers already have a direction and plans in place before a new council takes over. When the new council turn up on their first week in office they will be rushed around the appropriate departments by the officers who will overwhelm and then manipulate them. After that they will choose to let the officers get on with it. The council officers play councillors and parties off each other and they depend on personality and political clashes.

The council use the officers as a first line of defense to filter out public input to their advantage even if it has the backing from their local councillor. They are more influential than we are led to believe and “Yes Minister” was based on the truth.

 

[symyjym]

Which is precisely why there will be no change to any of the traffic schemes (even if we ignore the fact that all the cycle lanes were implemented with cross-party support). Replacing the Lewes Road scheme would cost the best part of £12m (the cost of resurfacing plus the grants that would have to be returned), Don't think it's going to an easy time for the administration over the next few years as there are going to be some serious cuts

I must admit I don't have a problem with most of the road development and they would have been done the same under any administration, 20mph included. I liked the old seven dials and Lewes Road, but I also like the new one, either way it’s just a refurbishment. Changing them again would be daft.

 

[Tarpon]

Officers selectively advise and recommend. You have to bear in mind that the officers already have a direction and plans in place before a new council takes over. When the new council turn up on their first week in office they will be rushed around the appropriate departments by the officers who will overwhelm and then manipulate them. After that they will choose to let the officers get on with it. The council officers play councillors and parties off each other and they depend on personality and political clashes.

The council use the officers as a first line of defense to filter out public input to their advantage even if it has the backing from their local councillor. They are more influential than we are led to believe and “Yes Minister” was based on the truth.

Well if councillors are not going to do the job they were elected to do and are easily overwhelmed and manipulated then officers will wield more influence. In the absence of direction officers have to make reccomendations since the budget will not balance itself + the last thing any officer wants is Mr Pickles' driver warming his engine for a trip to the coast. You get the council your councillors deliver to you have and unless a decision has already been passed at committee a new administration can pause and change officer plans if they want to do so.

 

[symyjym]

Well if councillors are not going to do the job they were elected to do and are easily overwhelmed and manipulated then officers will wield more influence. In the absence of direction officers have to make reccomendations since the budget will not balance itself + the last thing any officer wants is Mr Pickles' driver warming his engine for a trip to the coast. You get the council your councillors deliver to you have and unless a decision has already been passed at committee a new administration can pause and change officer plans if they want to do so.

In an ideal world the new councillor would do a good job. But if an officer has held their job for more than a decade they know how to work the system to their advantage. There have been councillors, in good positions, in the last two administrations who have been weak and just go with the flow. The old King Alfred, Black Rock, Preston Barracks and more recently Matsim (behind Hove Station) schemes were massive failures and cost the developers £millions in the planning process. But then again failed planning applications make the council money so a good job is being done. Failed planning is its own economy.

 

[Tarpon]

In an ideal world they would do a good job. If an officer has held the job for more than a decade they know how to work the system to their advantage. There have been councillors, in good positions, in the last two administrations who have been weak and just go with the flow. The old King Alfred, Black Rock, Preston Barracks and more recently Matsim (behind Hove Station) schemes were massive failures and cost the developers £millions in the planning process. But then again failed planning applications make the council money so a good job is being done. Failed planning is its own economy.

What advantage are officers working the system for? Unless it is corruption I'm struggling to see what they personally have to gain (excepting job preservation) from something like failed planning applications.

If councillors are weak then we have no one to blame but ourselves. The lack of engagement with local politics and council decision making is quite striking - plenty of seats in the public gallery available and few if any petitions or representations are submitted. Bottom line appears to be that few are interested but don't mind a moan after the event. The officers are an easy target in my view.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I'd be interested to here what folk feel the % of registered students who vote Green are. I have the 2011 polling returns, the height of Green popularity.

Not massive, if you say their are 30,000 students, not all are bothered by politics, say 20% thats 6,000.

They now have to resister themselves on the electoral register, some will others will just stay on parents role while at college, that will lower the figure, they then have to be in a particular ward, so some Kemptown, some Hove, some Pavillion etc etc

The ones who vote will then be split over 6 or more political parties. Living in central Brighton we have pockets of students but on our estate their are 187 flats, half are privately owned and of that only half a dozen are rented by students. Of those only one has a Re Elect Lucas poster in the window.

So while it may add say a 1000 or so votes on, would this not be the same for Labour etc.

Most the votes are from people that live and work in the city that has neatly 275,000 residents

 

[symyjym]

What advantage are officers working the system for? Unless it is corruption I'm struggling to see what they personally have to gain (excepting job preservation) from something like failed planning applications.

If councillors are weak then we have no one to blame but ourselves. The lack of engagement with local politics and council decision making is quite striking - plenty of seats in the public gallery available and few if any petitions or representations are submitted. Bottom line appears to be that few are interested but don't mind a moan after the event. The officers are an easy target in my view.

As far as corruption goes I wouldn’t be able to say. But their main advantages are making it easy for themselves until they retire on a golden pension. Ego and power is also a factor, a bit like being a traffic warden and an unwillingness to think outside the box, keeping within their comfort zone and lying if necessary.

Brighton has a really bad reputation for major projects and that isn't a coincidence. I can't go into specifics but I know a councillor who is also very frustrated with the way the council works in certain departments.

 

[Eeyore]

Not massive, if you say their are 30,000 students, not all are bothered by politics, say 20% thats 6,000.

They now have to resister themselves on the electoral register, some will others will just stay on parents role while at college, that will lower the figure, they then have to be in a particular ward, so some Kemptown, some Hove, some Pavillion etc etc

The ones who vote will then be split over 6 or more political parties. Living in central Brighton we have pockets of students but on our estate their are 187 flats, half are privately owned and of that only half a dozen are rented by students. Of those only one has a Re Elect Lucas poster in the window.

So while it may add say a 1000 or so votes on, would this not be the same for Labour etc.

Most the votes are from people that live and work in the city that has neatly 275,000 residents

In 2011, it was believed that the Greens had about 45% of the student vote. That was the optimistic return. But as you say, only a number of those would have been registered in Brighton, and also across various wards, polarizing the vote. Those who make the claim that Lucas re-election was down to the students (including thinly veiled attacks from Warren Morgan who's party actively courted the student votes went Brighton first went Labour), are doing so in ignorance.

 

[Tarpon]

As far as corruption goes I wouldn’t be able to say. But their main advantages are making it easy for themselves until they retire on a golden pension. Ego and power is also a factor, a bit like being a traffic warden and an unwillingness to think outside the box, keeping within their comfort zone and lying if necessary.

Brighton has a really bad reputation for major projects and that isn't a coincidence. I can't go into specifics but I know a councillor who is also very frustrated with the way the council works in certain departments.

If officers are misleading councillors then frankly that's pretty easy to deal with if there is evidence and the willingness to confront it. Senior Officers have exited many councils in the past because when they have lost the confidence of the administration (although not necessarily sacked...)

I'd agree with the major projects reputation but have only limited insight to the details. Funnily enough I can't go into specifics either but know of officers who have been exasperated by the indecision, fudging and politically driven short term thinking of some councillors who do not appear to have will or wit to drive meaningful change. Of course having a minority administration does not help in this respect. I also understand, entirely coincidently, that the Head of Planning is leaving the council this month.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

No more cycle lanes?

 

[symyjym]

If officers are misleading councillors then frankly that's pretty easy to deal with if there is evidence and the willingness to confront it. Senior Officers have exited many councils in the past because when they have lost the confidence of the administration (although not necessarily sacked...)

I'd agree with the major projects reputation but have only limited insight to the details. Funnily enough I can't go into specifics either but know of officers who have been exasperated by the indecision, fudging and politically driven short term thinking of some councillors who do not appear to have will or wit to drive meaningful change. Of course having a minority administration does not help in this respect. I also understand, entirely coincidently, that the Head of Planning is leaving the council this month.

I guess it is more misinformation than misleading so it can always be mitigated easily to the point of he says she says, so it’s hard for councillors to find the will to confront especially if they are not in the party in office.

I could prove that an officer deliberately lied in what they wanted me to believe but I eventually found out the truth, but all they would have to say as an excuse is they believed it to be true at the time. In fact the officer was a repeat offender and made up his own rules and red herrings to delay possible progress. His philosophy was if he can’t beat you he will hinder and stall you.

You couldn’t convince this chap that ears make perfect sense, and he would argue at the suggestion of locating one each side of your head.

 

[Eeyore]

No more cycle lanes?

They were around long before the Greens.