A COLLECTIVE sigh of relief went around the city last week, particularly among those whose livelihoods depend on tourism, when the City Council finally backed down on a very controversial decision to move the tourist office to the Shopmobility site.

A 6,000 plus petition had reinforced the point that residents were not prepared to lose a well-run and effective tourist office in the right place, to save a small amount of money. While councillors should have been concentrating on supporting the city, they were distracted by the need to defend or attack a decision, described by one businessman as barmy.

What caused an administration which swept into power in May 2017, claiming that they knew what the people wanted, to become so out of touch?

A major reason was the refusal of the administration to allow opposition councillors any involvement with the working groups which plan the strategies which the council will adopt. This meant that there was no one to put forward an alternative view or even point out the weaknesses of any plan. Only when the council put forward its plans at public meetings were opposition councillors aware of what was being proposed.

This approach has been modified very recently, but not in time to save the city and it’s residents from a worrying summer, when everyone had more than enough to contend with.

It does call into question the suitability of the current leader to unify a bruised city and take it forward...

John Walsh

Councillor, Fisherton and Bemerton Village ward