News reaches VB that apparently some very strange goings-on happened at County Hall last Friday afternoon.
We heard that all members were called to a Highways PFI meeting, at which PFI Project Manager, Jay Jayasundara gave a presentation bringing everyone up to date on what’s happening with the scheme.
His presentation was described by one of those attending as intelligent, straightforward and easy to follow.
Question time raises debate
After the presentation, the floor was opened up for questions.
Cllr Lumley queried the £8.3m ‘annual subscription’, asking for the last five years expenditure on Highways. VB has been told that these figures weren’t forthcoming, despite having been requested for some time.
VB was also told that Cllr Churchman pointed out that the council’s annual payment of £8.3 million included CCTV, lighting, verges etc. and wasn’t just intended for roads.
Further questions were asked by Cllrs Richards, Whittle and Barry.
Angry outburst by Cllr Brown
It was said that all questions were perfectly reasonable ones to ask, but what happened next gave the impression that Cllr George Brown didn’t agree.
Cllr Brown stood up in an angry outburst, VB was told, and said that the Highways PFI team were doing a wonderful job and that the ‘opposition’ were intent on destroying this PFI opportunity.
Brown and Pugh walk out of meeting
A couple of other questions were asked (one by Cllr Richards) and, before they were answered, Cllr Brown followed by Cllr Pugh got up and walked out of the meeting.
We’re told that, not surprisingly, Cllr Richards was pretty unhappy about the senior councillors leaving before his questions were answered and commented on the what he thought was the rudeness of the Cabinet Members.
Cllr Stuart Dyer was then reported to have followed the Cabinet members out of the room and was overheard saying that he was not ‘opposition’ but a Councillor working for his Ward.
IWC Director furious with outburst
Apparently, Environments and Neighbourhoods Director, Stuart Love, then addressed those left in the meeting, making it clear that he and his officers would not get involved in politics.
Those who spoke to VB said he showed signs of being irritated by Cllr Brown’s outburst in front of his staff.
Cllr Brown has always struck VB as being as ‘cool as a cucumber’, so we were pretty surprised to hear this too.
