Ealing Liberal Democrats are calling on Labour-run Ealing Council to re-introduce ward forums alongside town forums which they say will “enable a better engagement with residents across different wards in a town.”
Local ward forums were axed in 2020 with plans to replace them with larger town forums for each of Ealing’s seven towns.
According to the LibDems, the council has spent more than £70,000 on consultant fees for the forums and claims not enough is being done to support residents.
In a statement, LibDems said: “The Council has taken over four years but still has little to show in its plans to replace ward forums. The ward forum money that could have been spent in our communities has been kept or spent centrally without any transparency or openness.”
According to the LibDems, its plans include maintaining ward forums for local issues and introducing town forums for more general issues, have the meetings both in person and online and money to be devolved to both the ward and town forums from planning monies.
Opposition group motion debate 16 April 2024 on ward and town forums
Liberal Democrat Councillor Connie Hersch, opposition spokesperson for crime, communities and town centres, said: “After many years Labour Ealing have neither had ward forums nor the promised new town forums. Expensive strategies have been developed at a cost of £70,000 for consultants, various meetings and training sessions but it is still not clear how these town forums will work.”
Councillor Hersch added: “What is the role of Councillors and residents, who leads, contributes and organises, what are the objectives and targets? How do we decide what a certain budget can be spent on. Clear answers are still needed. We have been for many years without ward forums and many roads safety schemes have not been implemented. We want these to be reinstated to discuss with local residents and councillors how Council monies should be spent in their wards.”
Leader of Ealing Liberal Democrats, Councillor Gary Malcolm, added: “Labour Councillors seem to be totally afraid of being in front of the public to face criticism. The Liberal Democrats want to see a more developed process where residents at both ward and town level can discuss either local ward ideas or strategic town topics, whilst the money for many environmental projects can be developed at the lowest appropriate level. Labour’s ‘top down’ approach is their way to spend our taxes without wanting to hear people’s ideas.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We will be working very closely with residents in each of the borough’s 7 towns to help them create town forums which meet their needs, and which reflect each of their unique identities.
“A one size fits all approach to engaging with and empowering local people doesn’t work as we have seen when reflecting on the Ward Forums. After engaging with multiple stakeholders and local people, we found that many felt that ward forums spaces where the same voices were heard over and over again.”
The spokesperson added: “Ward forums were also unrepresentative of the communities that they were supposed to serve and did not consider the needs or priorities of all residents. Our ambition for town forums is far more ambitious. We want to support and empower residents to connect with each other, and to make decisions that impact and shape their neighbourhoods.
“Residents understand their communities and where they live best. Town forums will build on all the brilliant community work that already happens and will create a way for people to come together to decide on local priorities. Town forums will also ensure that all voices are heard and listened to.”
