HAD Tory Cllr Phil Taylor turned up on time at the Save Ealing Centre (SEC) "Ealing in Crisis" question time he would have known that the Green Party candidate for Ealing Central and Acton, Sarah Edwards, could not attend due to an illness. He would also have known that I had made a statement at the event on her behalf.
In his inimitable style he chose instead, to cast her in a bad light in his blog by stating in his opening words that she "failed to turn up" without any words of explanation. Even Labour had the decency to explain why she couldn't make it in their comments on what Cllr Phil Taylor described as a "fantasy planning session".
Cllr Phil Taylor must surely know that this sort of language and these attacks are what put people off politics. I am sure the SEC put a lot of effort into arranging this worthwhile event and for him to question their accountability is absurd. It states on their web page that the SEC represents several Ealing resident associations. Aren't councillors also supposed to represent the residents of Ealing?
That evening everyone searched for the "big idea" to solve Ealing's problems but it became clear that an undercurrent of feeling existed throughout: The lack of trust in our politicians and in local democracy.
This was evident from recent events such as the Gunnersbury Park campaign which I was involved in, the Arcadia development flop, the Dickens yard debacle and the Southall Biofuels plant proposal which was overwhelmingly rejected by the council and people in Ealing and which, against our wishes, we find back again in the current appeal.
If we elect councillors and politicians shouldn't they listen to us? Cllr David Millican's response to questions on the Arcadia development, which he supported, was: "We are listening". The audience were not convinced, given the plan was rejected.
How do we move on from here? How can trust be rebuilt?
Perhaps councillors could start by heeding residents and by challenging some of the assumptions behind development; such as the presumption that the population growth forecasts in the local plans are inevitable, without questioning what is optimal or practical; such as the idea that new homes are the only solution, while many properties lie empty; such as the idea that private developers should dominate planning policy; such as the notion that consumerism and additional retail outlets are the answer to our wellbeing; such as the idea that developers and experts know best etc.Councillors could also open their minds to alternative ideas, such as the transport inter-change at Ealing Broadway, and explore ways to finance them before rejecting them out of hand, such an Ealing Credit Union where our savings will stay invested within the local community like in Leeds; such as developing a local energy industry like in Woking where they have their own local electricity grid; such as free insulation for homes like in Kirklees; such as a new centre for repairing household items like that run by Islington Council; such as retaining waste within the borough to produce energy from anerobic digestion etc.
Developments such as these would create more local jobs and save money.
Ealing can have a brighter future if our elected leaders take the initiative and work hand in hand with residents.
CONRAD BRYAN Ealing Representative Federation of London Green Parties
