Published at 06:12, Friday, 26 February 2010

AFTER a series of justified criticisms of the way in which the Lib Dems are letting us down in the muddle-along approach that they have to running the county council, I feel that the ill-informed comments from Coun. Jeff Reid (Courant Letters, January 22) about me personally do need a reply.

It is a shame he is not aware of what is going on within the council.

I have been chairman of the scrutiny function of Northumberland County Council for the last seven months during which members from all parties have been making a very positive contribution to the well-being of all residents.

In terms of clearing up the mess left by Labour, it is not just my impression, but the considered opinion of the Audit Commission, that the financial management or ‘use of resources’ has not been any better over the last two years of Lib Dem control.

The record of the old districts that were run by the Conservatives was better than that.

During the latest weather crisis the work done by council staff has been magnificent and we are all in their debt. But it is the lack of sufficient strategic planning that has bothered my group. It took my call for this to be treated as an emergency.

But now we have the aftermath of the extreme weather and, now that the snow has mainly gone, everyone can see the damage all over the county that has been done to our roads and pavements. There are potholes all over the county that are both dangerous and damaging.

I am asking for nothing more than a credible plan to be put into place to deal with this urgent problem.

I have actually put forward a programme of actions to allow the council to manage the roads in a more effective, planned way rather than the make do and mend situation that we are experiencing at the moment.

Through constructive dialogue and through facing up to problems together we can improve the way the council operates for the good of everyone in the county.

COUN. PETER JACKSON,

Leader of Northumberland Conservatives

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk