Actions show they’re holding out for a Nero

The council and its administration seem hell bent on pretending that there isn’t a climate emergency, holding out Neroically against the views of RBWM residents, experts and non-Conservatives alike.

The council’s every action during the corporate plan process seemed to frustrate the consultation by issuing it late over the summer holidays, with no educative roadshows to inform the public, with a limited range of questions and no viable alternatives presented, and a late attempt to curtail scrutiny by the only politicians who seem to voice concern i.e. not-the-Tories.

It’s fair to say now, with the daily publication of damning news about the future of our planet and our children’s prosperity that Bill Clinton’s old phrase can be restated to: “It’s the Climate, stupid.”

This is a theme taken up vociferously by the majority of the 491 members of the public who were able to respond to the council’s corporate plan consultation.

Fifty per cent of the public disagreed with the expectations of the plan, which is twice as many as those who agreed with it.

The public said that the top five issues that this council is not addressing are, in order of priority to them:

1. Environment, climate and biodiversity, with an average of 174 responses

2. Democracy and decision-making, 33 responses

3. Housing, 18 responses

4. Consultation, 15 responses

5. Planning and development, 14 responses

Every decision that we take from now on and, every regulation we create has to put ‘environment, climate and biodiversity’ front, left and centre.

It’s an ethos, a new way of doing life.

Yet despite this, the revised corporate plan which was presented to the cabinet on October 28 does not reflect the overwhelming views of the public.

In short the council and the administration have stopped representing our citizens and are reneging on our responsibility to fight for future generations.

Greta Thunberg and her generation are correct in saying that ‘we need more public pressure and not summits’ or even duplicitous consultations.

I would urge the public to pressure, pressure, pressure now and remember this also in May 2023 at the next elections.

Cllr WISDOM DA COSTA West Windsor Residents Association,

Clewer & Dedworth West