Time for new leadership?

The saying ‘It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good’ comes to mind when one considers the situation the Tory West Sussex County Council (WSCC) found itself in this time last year and shortly before our first lockdown.

In January last year you reported that WSCC paid £4million to an unsuccessful highways contract bidder (Amey) after it narrowly failed to win a lucrative highways contract from

West Sussex County Council. However any fuss over this gross mismanagement was soon drowned out by the upcoming Covid pandemic.

What could WSCC have done with this £4million of our money it paid to Amey? If one looks at just the last WSCC meeting in February this year one can see that just £0.55million was needed to reverse the proposed closures of children and family centres, youth and find it out centres.

Just think what could be done with the remainder £3.45million in terms of fighting climate change, reducing our horrendous fatalities on our highways or even simply making sure our fire services have the wherewithal to provide a safe and effective service.

The one ray of light are the county council elections on May 6 this year. Many good and well run businesses have gone to the wall this year because of the lockdown (one thinks of the cathedral tea rooms and the Scotch wool shop just in Chichester).

Perhaps it’s time for the Tory West Sussex County Council to join them and let younger and fresher faces take over? One lives in hope!

JOSEPH O’SULLIVAN Mill Gardens, East Wittering