Chichester recovery task force idea rejected

The suggestion was tabled by Adrian Moss, leader of the Lib Dems, during a virtual meeting on Tuesday (May 19).

The idea was to work on the recovery with experts from the business community, retail, hospitality, horticulture, tourism, culture, and education, as well as the city, town and parish councils.

As well as economic recovery, the task force would also focus on the long-term environmental impact of any plans made by the council.

Mr Moss said: “Once the worst of the short-term health impacts are over, the council needs a plan to drive and promote economic recovery in changed circumstances.

“The success of this strategy will be crucial to the wellbeing of our residents and all our communities now and in the years and decades to come.”

Chichester is expected to lose some £8m of income in 2020/21, having to draw on its reserves to balance the budget – so economic recovery is high on its list of priorities.

While all members were thinking along the same lines when it came to the need for a recovery plan, Mr Moss’s proposal was branded ‘unnecessary’, ‘premature’ and ‘political’ by members of the controlling Conservatives.

Leader Eileen Lintill told the meeting that officers were already working on a plan to assess the council’s business and community priorities going forward, with a report expected in July.

Focussing on issues such as economic recovery, communities and environmental protection, Mrs Lintill said the environment and climate change would be ‘a golden thread that runs through all these things’.

Alan Sutton (Con, Fittleworth) called the motion ‘absolute nonsense’ and insisted the co-operation called for by Mr Moss was part and parcel of the work being carried out by officers.

He said: “Nobody is suggesting that there is no co-operation.”

Susan Taylor (Con, The Witterings) added: “We all want a happy, prosperous Chichester. We’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us, as indeed the whole country has.

“There will be engagement with the community, with other political parties. We just want to ensure that any task force is set up at the appropriate time to achieve the best results.”

After the meeting, Mr Moss called the Conservative response ‘acrimonious, arrogant, divisive and patronising’.

Kevin Hughes, leader of the Labour group, felt the Tories had missed an opportunity for cross-party unity, with the motion dismissed ‘with the flimsiest of excuses’.

He added: “In rejecting our attempt to offer support and guidance to hard-pressed officers, the Tories have proven once again that for them political control freakery comes before the public good.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.