On 13 November, the Executive and Resources Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee voted to proceed with the sale of the toilets at Elmers End Green. WBRA Chair, Marie Pender, spoke at the meeting, but the main discussion of the financial parts was held in private, so we do not know what was said there or what the vote was, and we were not allowed to know what the bids were for or how much was being bid.
We are obviously very disappointed at the vote in committee, but the final decision rests with Cllr Graham Arthur as portfolio holder for Resources. He is not bound to accept the committee’s recommendation – if he were, it would be the committee’s decision – not his. We hope that he will carefully consider our case and come to the right conclusion. The residents of Elmers End made their views well known to all ward councillors in their biggest post bags on any subject this year, and in an open meeting attended by over 70 people from the WBRA and CCARA on 30 October. All 6 ward councillors from Kelsey & Eden Park and Clock House wards opposed this sale and Cllr Peter Dean spoke eloquently for us, but it fell on deaf ears as the committee could not see beyond short term financial gain. If a private business owns the centre of the Green and at any time sells on or the business fails, the council will not be able to wash its hands of responsibility for the upkeep of this Urban Open Space.