By Staff Reporter
A SENIOR councillor has said ‘unfair and biased decision making days are over’ within local government as he welcomed plans for an upgrade to a local playpark.
The Island View playpark in Greyabbey is to be upgraded from a tier three facility to tier one as part of an independent review of play facilities in the borough.
Ards peninsula councillor Joe Boyle said it is ‘great news’ for the village which has been approved by the council after an ‘independent structured system’ made its recommendation.
As part of the council’s 10-year play strategy, each year an independent review of play facilities makes recommendations on which play areas should be upgraded that year. However, there has been friction within Ards and North Down Council recently when some councillors have pushed for upgrades to play facilities in their areas which are at odds with the independent review.
Councillor Boyle has welcomed the move to raise the playpark from a tier three to a tier one facility which is the top grading awarded by Ards and North Down Council.
The Portaferry councillor said the independent review system is one he fully supports and which he is keen to ‘keep pursuing to deliver fairness and transparency for all locations’.
“It takes the decision making and lobbying out of individual elected members who do not have to lobby, as they’ve all agreed to the independent assessment and outcome as the process to deliver future facilities for all our ratepayers,” he said.
“It is also a process under which no area or community will be left behind as it is based on need, openness and transparency and not a ‘ hands in the air ‘ vote or one to one lobbying with officers and importantly only involves elected members and officers of the council.
Mr Boyle said the agreed, independent structure is one that can be defended amid criticism from constituents as ‘honouring and protecting an independent structure, previously agreed upon, over a structure of pushing pet projects through by some, presenting direct wish lists made on a hands in the air decision voting basis.
“That style of local government within local councils was always wrong and yet operated ruthlessly within historic local government decision making within some councils,” he continued. “Whilst perhaps still not totally eradicated from some councils, those unfair and biased decision making days are over. Thankfully with protections in place there is a system more difficult to abuse.
“It has to be about respecting agreed structures and processes, following them through with equality for everyone in all communities by decision makers involved with recommendations and delivery.”
He concluded: “Whether it is internal funding or outsourced funding depending on criteria, as a council we should not deviate from a structure of fairness and equality. I am keen that as a council, we respect independence and transparency whenever and wherever we deliver our services and resources.”
