Council parties row over delivery of petition
A ROW has broken out between the city council's Labour group and its Liberal Democrat leadership after a councillor was prevented from delivering a petition to a private meeting.
Councillor Ranjit Banwait wanted to give council leader Hilary Jones the document protesting against proposed removal of CCTV cameras from Allenton shopping centre.
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Traders with Ranjit Banwait
He was joined outside a meeting of cabinet members in the city's council house by Labour leader Chris Williamson and some of the traders who signed the petition.
But, when Mr Banwait knocked on the door, he was told he could not deliver the petition as it was a private meeting.
He continued to knock but when no-one answered he eventually decided to walk into the room and leave it on a table.
The council has said that the document has now been delivered to the correct department.
Mr Banwait, who represents Boulton ward, said: "By doing this not only has the cabinet shown contempt towards me, but they have also shown contempt towards the traders and the people that signed the petition."
Mrs Jones said Mr Banwait had not followed the correct procedure for delivering the petition.
She added that the Labour councillor could have arranged a time for himself and the traders to meet her yesterday afternoon but that he did not attempt to do this.
Mr Banwait said he spoke to Mrs Jones' assistant last week to ask if they could hand in the petition at yesterday's meeting but he did not receive a reply.
Eight cameras are currently in place in Allenton shopping centre, but the council is considering taking away two as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
The petition was set up by Mr Banwait and backed by Allenton Traders' Association.
The association's chairman John Bestwick, who owns JG Bestwick Car Spares, said removing the CCTV cameras sent the wrong message to criminals.
He said: "The perception of safety is at a very high level because of the cameras. They protect 50 businesses.
"If it's a case of cost-cutting, I believe money could be saved in other areas."
Surjit Dhadli, owner of Allenton Food Store in the centre, said he believed the two CCTV cameras could be moved to other places in the area.
He said: "I have had gangs causing trouble in my shop. Why couldn't they move one of the CCTV cameras outside?"
Mrs Jones said the areas overlooked by the two CCTV cameras were covered by the six that would remain.
She said: "The cameras are part of the overall review of CCTV operations.
"Now the petition has been handed in it will be dealt with by the relevant neighbourhood forum."
The city council has told the Derby Telegraph that neither of the two cameras had recorded a crime and £20,000 could be saved by removing them.
3 Comments
by John, Allenton
Friday, July 10 2009, 11:52AM
“When the Allenton Shopping Centre camera system was installed it was designed for optimum coverage to adequately protect the centre and its community.The funding was helped by the SRB5 government scheme to regenerate and protect communities in need of investment. Allenton fell within this criteria. It is astonishing that the council wish to remove part of this system so soon after it was commissioned! The Traders totally oppose the proposal to de commission and remove our modern cameras. It is the Council's opinion that cameras can be "safely" removed and not the opinion of the majority of the population.The system is a pro active deterrent against crime and it works very well. Just because statistics might show that a certain camera hasn't detected a crime doesnt mean that it is not maintaining a worthwhile pro active deterrent. Not as tangible as "statistics" but still of paramount importantance. If the physical presence of a camera deters a serious robbery or an assualt can a £20,000 cost saving (quoted by the Council) be justified?The system protects nearly 50 businesses and thousands of shoppers a day. With regard to how or to whom a petition should be delivered - there is NOTHING to say that it CANNOT be delivered to the leader of the Council for her consideration. It was felt necessary to do this to illustrate the depth of public feeling on the matter, which of course is our democratic right to do. It is not correct that this is just a local issue and that the petition should be delivered to our local Neighbourhood Forum.This is a City wide issue concerning a shopping centre that is used by the City wide population. It is astonishing and dissapointing that an argument has ensued about the correct procedure when all that would have been necessary would have been for Hilary Jones to spare a couple of minutes to accept a petition illustrating the feeling of shoppers in Allenton. Is'nt that what democracy is all about? Obviously not.”
by Res.Derby, Derby
Thursday, July 09 2009, 11:56AM
“Perhaps if Hilary Jones had had the courtesy to respond to Cllr Banwait¿s request for a meeting this situation could have been avoided. Whatever the ¿private¿ meeting was, surely the Lib Dem so-called Leader of Derby City Council could spare two minutes from it to receive a petition from traders who felt so strongly that they had given up valuable business time to come and present it and not be treated with such contempt. Obviously the tradesmen and residents of Allenton are of no importance to the Lib Dem administration. This is yet another example of disregard and cost cutting by the Lib Dems in Derby South. I bet all the cameras in Derby North remain in place, or at least until Cllr Care is elected to Parliament !!”
by Taxpayer, Mickleover
Thursday, July 09 2009, 11:36AM
“Mr Banwait, who represents Boulton ward, said: "By doing this not only has the cabinet shown contempt towards me, but they have also shown contempt towards the traders and the people that signed the petition."
I would have said the opposite as it is the protestors who have shown contempt by barging into a private meeting. What right do they have to do that. I'm sure Mr Williamson and Mr Banwait would be the first to complain if the Liberal Democrats tried to interupt one of their private meetings.
If there is a proper procedure for the acceptance of petitions they should have followed that.
All this has done is expose the 'bully boy' tactics of the Labour Party”