Ealing Council has announced a new consultation asking residents where they want to see additional cycle storage across the borough, but in a series of tweets, council leader Councillor Peter Mason has been accused of not delivering on its mandate.
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, cabinet member for climate action of the Labour-run council said: “Our hangars are a brilliant and cost-effective way to safely store a bike near your home. We want to expand the number of these hangars across our seven towns to support the rapidly growing number of cyclists in the borough.”
Councillor Costigan added: “50 hangars will be installed in the next year, and this is just the beginning. We want to take this to a total of at least 150 by 2026 – an ambitious target, but one that our residents deserve. And we need your help to do this. That is why we have launched a consultation so local people can tell us exactly where these new hangars would be useful to those who need them most.”
Residents can comment on where they want to see storage located, by clicking here. The consultation is open until 6 January 2023.
Responding to the announcement by Ealing Council on Twitter, Ali Mullaley commented: “Just get ON with it! You have a massive mandate. All this stuff is in your manifesto. Stop prevaricating. Consultations are wasting time!! You can’t declare a climate emergency & then spend years consulting on things. Action NOW please.”
Emergencies require quick & decisive leadership & action. Endless consultations about the smallest things are at complete odds with that – whichever way you try & spin it.
— Ali Mullaley 🐝 🦅💙 (@alimullaley) December 9, 2022
Replying back, Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason said: “Our majority is being used to deliver active travel plans in precisely the way we said we’d deliver them. That’s the approach that was endorsed in every postcode area of the borough.”
Ali Mullaley replied: “Emergencies require quick & decisive leadership & action. Endless consultations about the smallest things are at complete odds with that – whichever way you try & spin it.”
Councillor Mason, in a response said: “If they agree with you, they’ll expect you to be a dictator. When they don’t, they’ll call you a tyrant.” You can’t build harmonious & sustainable communities if you can’t take people with you. We said we’d be open, inclusive & transparent. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Commenting on Twitter, Andy Hillier said: “A year on, nothing has happened. No drawings. No deadlines set. Instead, we just have YouTube videos with empty promises.”
Other residents across Ealing expressed their concerns over the tone that Councillor Mason used.
Sue, @LondonFoodFinds tweeted: “To me this looks like an administration whose first priority is to stay in power, as opposed to one that wants to lead and deliver positive change. Endless surveys aren’t “harmonious and stable” but operating at lowest common denominator level and wasting lots of public money.
Neil Reynolds, leader of Ealing Greens told EALING.NEWS: “The council has a lot to be defensive about. Not one bike hangar has been delivered since the election, despite having a huge waiting list that they could simply email, the council is asking residents to fill out second survey on the matter after the council spent thousands on focus groups. Actions speak louder than words, they should just go get on with it!”
Ealing Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Gary Malcolm told EALING.NEWS: “Liberal Democrats say that it is most important to consult residents but also ensure that there are cycle hangars that can store cargo bikes which are going to be more prominent in the future.”
