Town Council becoming a farce

12.01.53pm GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Liberal Democrats, Cllr David Foster said that the recently formed Darwen Town Council was in danger of becoming a farce, following their recent meeting to set the budget for the coming year.

Cllr. Foster explained, some of the councillors only found out about the meeting a couple of days in advance and others only the day before. The agenda for the meeting was only emailed out a few hours before the meeting. At the meeting a budget in excess of £100,000 was set, but no written report was presented. The Council has not debated what the money will be used for. The Development Committee, which should be important in deciding the plans for next year has not met.

As far as I am aware the budget for next year has not been discussed by the Finance Committee and no report was presented to the full Council by that committee.

While we opposed the setting up of the Town Council we want it to work well for the good of local people, but despite advice from the Liberal Democrats on Darwen Town Council the For Darwen Party seem to ride rough shod over normal procedures.