Gordon Hook

Liberal Democrat District Councillor for Buckland and Milber Learn more

Which would you Prefer? More Council PR/media or Litter Cleared???

by admin on 22 February, 2017

It was the annual budget day at Teignbridge yesterday. As Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition it falls to me to make a speech and present alternatives to the Conservative budget.
Since being a councillor ( originally in East Sussex) I have seen the Media and Public Relations Departments of Councils grow from nothing ( in the “good old days” no such thing existed) to the current day.
Teignbridge originally started with one, and very good they were too.
The role grew slowly and the proposal for next year is for a 4 person department. I have no doubt but that they are very good at their jobs, but costing a little under £200,000 pa I have to wonder if it is the best use of public money.
Therefore I proposed cutting that budget in half and using the money saved on a “Litter Hit Squad”, to clear our roads of litter, remove graffiti wherever it is found and take the weeds from our gutters. Now IMO this is a real “no brainer”, hence the question in the title, but you can probably guess what the Conservatives ( and Independents) voted for…you got it…more PR and Media. I accept we need some, but nothing like as much as we have. In my book clean and tidy streets come some way above PR in importance. I would like to know the publics reaction….

   3 Comments

3 Responses

  1. Tom Keen says:

    I find it difficult to understand the kind of thinking that believes PR is more important to people than clean streets. It is obviously more important to defensive politicians, but to ordinary people? This seems clear evidence that most councillors think their image matters more than the town they supposedly serve.

  2. gordonhook says:

    Quite so. Things must change…..but for that to happen we need to win back control of local councils….it’s a hard slog….

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