Council refuse to hear petitions from residents, says conservatives

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Local Conservatives condemned the attitude towards the views of local residents by the Labour Council in Hammersmith & Fulham, when they refused to hear two petitions.

Petitioners had wanted to present their petitions at the Full Council meeting last Wednesday 21 September, however the Labour administration refused to let them do so.

The two petitions, which contained thousands of signatures between them, demonstrated the strength of local opposition to the proposed Congestion Charge extension and called on the Council to install CCTV on Shepherds Bush Road respectively.

The organiser of the Congestion Charge petition, non-party political resident David Tarsh, had even attended the meeting hoping to speak.

In the end, Conservative Group Leader, Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh, who was outraged at the Council’s refusal to listen to the views of local residents, used time available to him during the meeting to present the petitions.

Commenting, Councillor Greenhalgh said: “Labour’s refusal to suspend Standing Orders and let local residents present these petitions, for which there is a clear precedent, is a sad reflection upon how out of touch they have become.

“These petitions, which have earned the support of thousands of local people, reflect the views of our community on two very significant issues, yet Labour didn’t want to listen.”

 

September 26, 2005