Disillusioned with councillors

I am most disappointed, disillusioned and disgusted with manyofourcity’s councillors.

I believe they are shortsighted and irresponsible, making decisions which suit them, including awarding themselves a pay increase.

Unfortunately, this is not the first error of judgment by the current leader of Peterborough City Council (PCC), Mr John Holdich, and his colleagues.

Peterborough has now beendrawntotheverybottom of the most recent SATs stats. Mr Holdich’s response is poor to say the least, and as your columnist states, smacked of either complacency or an organisation in institutional denial. Indeed, I believe Mr Holdich, andhisConservative colleagues in particular, are in complete institutional denial of all problems caused. Such as the bed-blocking in the City Hospital, where patients cannot bereleased until adequate care is arranged. What happened to the PCC care homes where elderly and infirm patientscouldbereleasedimmediately, to go to rest? Sold off. Whatremainsofthem? HousesinVawserCrescent, bearing the name of one of the closed carehomes. Similarly, MrHoldich and his colleagues failed to foresee the influx of people into this city, and insisted upon 3 and 4-bedroomed houses being constructed at Vawser Crescent, along Midland Road and elsewhere in thecity. Perhapsifmoresmaller two-bedroomed houses had been constructed, more places would have been available. If more houses had been plannedandconstructed, PCC could have avoided the recent f i asco whereby homeless people housed at Travelodge could have been housed in vacant properties in the city. Instead, they allowed a third party to purchase 74 homes at St Michael’s Gate, which were already occupied. As if these fiascos were not bad enough, Mr Holdich voted at a council meeting, along with other Conservative colleagues, to award themselves a pay increase.

Theuttercheekofit. Andin addition, Mr Holdich had the contempt to claim he didn’t agree with the motion. Does he think we are all stupid? Does he think he can get away with this whenincreasing the Council Tax for 2016-17? For these reasons, amongst many others, I have absolutely no faith in Mr Holdich and his PCCcabinet. Theyhave clearly demonstratedthattheyrepresent noonebutthemselves, andshoulddothehonourable thing and stand down, Alan Gasparutti

Peterborough