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Barnet Borough Liberal DemocratsCampaigning in Chipping Barnet, Finchley and Golders Green and Hendon |
Unusual Going Ons
November 20, 2008 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times
By Cllr Jack Cohen in Hendon Times
Off I went to the Finchley and Golders Green Area Planning sub Committee, on Tuesday evening.
A lot of Councillors steer well clear of planning.
I think it's great.
Its hands on, challenging and you learn a lot about human behaviour.
Meetings are currently held at Barnet House in Whetstone.
This is because the Town Hall at Hendon is being refurbished. Apparently we will be getting state of the art facilities when the Town Hall reopens.
As long as we get a proper loudspeaker system so the public can follow what is going on. I say.
Back to Tuesday night, unusually both the Chairman and Vice Chairman sent apologies, because of ill health and family bereavement respectively.
The Barnet Constitution ( trusty as ever) provides that the Chief Executive's representative takes the Chair and then calls for nominations.
On the few occasions this has happened in the past, we opposition Councillors mischievously grab the Chair (because we are in the majority on this sub committee).
As an aside The Conservatives insist on being addressed at Chairman, not Chair.
Some of them get quite prickly if you call them Chair.
Unusually this time none of us appeared over keen to volunteer.
So what would happen?
Luckily The Constitution also provides for the Chief Executive's representative to preside for the full meeting if there are no nominations.
Tempting as this was, and would we call her Chairman or Chair?
Eventually a Conservative Councillor was prevailed upon to take the Chair.
I a Liberal Democrat nominated him and a Labour Member seconded.
Who says Barnet Politicians are Tribal?
This was to be no normal Planning Committee.
Normally there are a dozen or so applications and the same number of residents wishing to speak and normally a full public gallery.
Often the meeting can go on until well after 9pm.
Well unusually there were only four applications, two for the same property, one application was then withdrawn.
No public speakers, a handful of people in the public gallery.
We finished at 7.15pm, all over in fifteen minutes!
I wasn't complaining, a nice stroll home in time to catch up with the Barnet FA Cup 1st round replay at Rochdale.
The Bees 2-0 up at half time; Full time score 3-2 to Rochdale.
Nothing unusual there then!
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