Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
|Home
Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
This website has been partly paid for from the funds made available to every MP to assist them in communicating with and representing their constituents.
Printed and hosted by Pipex Communications UK Ltd, Humber Buildings, Humber Rd, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2ET. Published and promoted by Norman Baker MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 1AA. The views expressed are those of Norman Baker, not of the service provider.
2003 (and previous) press releases
Government Tears Into County Council Transport Strategy
- £165,000 held back by government
- £600,000 lost for improvements to Newhaven Town Centre
- Council one of few to miss out on performance reward funding
- Overall performance described as "weak"
An official letter from the Government Office for the South-East (GOSE) to East Sussex County Council has heavily criticised the council's Transport Strategy in language unprecedented for a document of this sort.
The letter, from GOSE Area Director Andrew Roberts to Chief Executive Cheryl Miller, tears into the Conservative council's Annual Progress Review in uncompromising terms, describing the performance as "weak" and imposing a six-figure financial penalty on the council as a result. In addition, vital funding for Newhaven Town Centre improvements has been lost, at least for the foreseeable future.
Local MP Norman Baker has now written to Cheryl Miller to ask her to carry out an investigation to find out why things have gone so badly wrong, and to take urgent steps to rectify matters.
He says:
"This official government letter is uncompromising and unprecedented in its stark and heavy criticism of the county council. The picture it paints of the way the transport function is being delivered is extremely worrying. Local people have the right to expect far better than this.
"I am particularly dismayed that vital funding for Newhaven is not now coming to the town. I cannot help thinking that that money could have been secured for the town if only the county had approached this exercise in a more competent manner. Not only does the County want to dump an incinerator on the town, it cannot even secure consolation prize funding from the government to help the town centre.
"If the transport department spent less time arguing for pie-in-the-sky blockbuster roads across the South Downs and more time dealing with the day-to-day nuts and bolts, it wouldn't be in the mess it clearly is. I feel sorry for the ordinary employees in the transport department who do a good job for our area, but who have once again been let down by those higher up the chain.
"The criticisms from GOSE in this official letter are so trenchant and basic that I believe that the Chief Executive should institute an immediate investigation into this matter, to identify those responsible and to ensure such a performance cannot happen again."
Some of the comments to be found in the letter are these:
"Your APR this year was at times a little frustrating with crucial parts of the guidance either interpreted incorrectly or not addressed." (page 1)
"Some of the targets…are poorly defined and there are few explanations as to why targets and objectives are not on track nor what plans are being put in place to get progress back on track." (page 1)
"Your APR mark this year was lower than both your authority and GOSE would have expected or hoped for." (page 2)
"We have assessed your transport performance as 'weak'." (page 3)
"Reflecting your performance to date we will hold back £165,000 until you are able to produce satisfactory evidence that your performance will improve in future years." (page 3)
The letter also states that the bid for £600,000 for Newhaven town centre will not be agreed to.