Frustrating times at the Council meeting (but thankfully no singing)

Today saw an eventful council meeting.

The good news was that the rumoured singing of Trelawney will not be taking place until the December meeting (if ever).

The major problem was the non-attendance of three of the Cabinet members. Full Council is the main opportunity for ordinary councillors to hold the Cabinet to account. If Cabinet members are not present then question after question is responded to with the Leader saying that someone will get back to us.

I know that at least one, if not two, of the absentees were on other council business, but I would argue that Full Council should be top of their agenda. The only real excuse for absence should be illness. It appears that at least one of the Cabinet members simply couldn't be bothered to turn up.

I raised the urgent question of the Ridgegrove Estate play areas. These are the responsibility of the Housing Department and so transferred from NCDC to Cornwall Council. Back in May they were very run down and covered in broken glass and dog mess. I wrote to the Council asking that something be done. After I was elected in June I wrote again to repeat my call. To date I have had a letter of acknowledgement but no substantive reply.

Yet the Council appears to have been very busy on the estate. They have decided that the area is so run down that the play equipment is unsafe and has to be removed. Neither I not any local resident appears to have been consulted or told about this. It was just decided.

So today I asked why and what action would be taken to replace the play equipment. I was told 'that someone would get back to me'...