LETTER: Decision is not about politics

Nick Hollington (Observer letters, Sep 30) eloquently set out how the forthcoming Community Governance Review (CRG) came about and the justifiable concerns that Rother District Council cannot be trusted to conduct the review in an open, impartial and non-political manner.

The CGR is about democracy, not politics. The 4,000 residents who signed the petition calling for the review did so because they believe that Bexhill should be governed solely by councillors elected by Bexhill electors, not by a council half of whose members were elected to represent the residents of Salehurst, Rye, Brede, Etchingham, Battle and other parts of the district.

This review is not about which political party should be in control of the council. It is about Bexhill people being given the same rights as the residents of Battle and Rye, both of whom have town councils and elect councillors whose sole responsibility is to their respective towns.

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We need to put aside our individual political beliefs and think about how we want Bexhill to be governed. We can continue to be governed by a council with 50 per cent of the councillors from outside the town or by a council that is comprised 100 per cent of councillors elected by Bexhill residents.

If we blindly follow our individual political beliefs then we will end up with what Rother District Council wants – no change from the present unfair and undemocratic situation. If we want change then we must tell our ward councillors that we expect them to ensure the review is open and impartial and that if it delivers a recommendation for a town council or area committee that we will expect them to support it.

Once we have our own town council or area committee then we can decide at the ballot box which party we want to run it but we won’t get to that position unless we first put democracy before politics.

Brian Cope

Pages Lane

Bexhill

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