Denzil Coulson

I was flabbergasted at tonight’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee when I heard a Tory councillor suggest that “if everyone had a private dentist, it might be cheaper” than using the NHS. Tory Cllr Simon Bellord made this comment to a representative of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau objecting to their campaign for more NHS dentists in Woking. He also objected to the CAB’s equalities objectives stating that they were in accordance with European law to which he has serious objections.

So he not only objects to NHS dentists but also to European legislation ensuring equality and fairness in our society.

The fact that thousands of people in Woking do not have a dentist because they are prohibitively expensive demonstrates the need for more NHS dentists. This is not only a Woking problem but also a UK-wide problem as reported in The Sun newspaper on 31 October 2007, which funnily enough, endorses the Conservatives. They may wish to rethink their endorsement if they heard these comments that we heard tonight. The map above also shows how widespread the shortage of NHS dentists is across the UK. The comparative prices for private and NHS practices can be found here. 

The CAB was right to campaign for more NHS dentists, which has borne fruit in that one more dentist advertised in the Woking News and Mail recently for NHS patients in Woking.

Following tonight’s comments by Cllr Bellord and the recent statement made by Tory MEP Daniel Hannan in August this year stating that the “NHS was a 60-year mistake”, I do not believe that the NHS is safe under a Tory Government.

PHOTOS SHOW BEFORE AND AFTER THE VEGETATION WAS CLEARED 

After struggling for just over 18 months, the Council finally cleared the overgrown vegetation behind Muirfield residents’ homes. After sensitive negotiations between myself, Mrs Smith of 9 Muirfield Road, Persimmons (the landowners), SERCO and the neighbourhood officer, agreement was reached and the vegetation was cleared.

It should not take the council and Persimmons over 18 months to clear overgrown vegetation. It took me tireless hours of persuasion and working with all parties concerned to get this job done. I pay tribute to the Neighbourhood officer, Nick Roach, working under extremely trying conditions and with little money to get this job done for Muirfield residents. This issue proves that Tory financial incompetence has reduced the quality of our council services.

I reported damaged fencing and fly-tipping in Huntingdon Road to the Council over two months ago. Still nothing has been done to sort out the mess. The fence is ruined and the footpath behind Huntingdon Road houses is almost completely blocked by rubbish and fly-tipping. There is also a great deal of fly-tipped rubbish behind the fence leaning over.

This is yet more evidence of the Tories running council services down to the point that staff have no money or capacity to clear up the mess. I wrote to Tory Cllr Richard Wilson today demanding that this problem be resolved. His answer in an e-mail was and I quote:

“I’ve been giving both (Serco and Repair Services) a hard time for nearly 3 months now to get the pavilion in WB recreation ground repaired, still not done. You just have to keep bashing away unfortunately as a councillor sometimes! Following my August tour of Sheerwater I actioned a clean-up of some of the disgusting rear yards of the shops there under the flats. Was told all to be done. Cllr Ali tells me zilch was done! So it goes on and on.”

If the Tory Portfolio Holder cannot get a grip on this with his overworked and under-resourced council officers, what hope do we have under Tory control locally and nationally?

Tonight at Full Council, the Tories ignored Lib Dem appeals for a pilot scheme to test the efficacy of residents having to pay for an £8 membership card to use our community centres. We argued that applying such a scheme only raises an estimated £11 000 to £15 000 and the costs of implications of running such a scheme may offset the perceived benefits.

People, especially on low incomes, may be put off using our community centres because of the cost of a membership card thus decreasing the community centre usage as a whole. We also stated that it would make far more sense to use the income generated from the 5 000 residents who have bought green wheelie bin subscriptions, which is far higher than the estimate anticipated before the scheme was started. There the extra £11 000 can easily be found instead of applying a “stealth tax” for a community membership card on the largely least well-off residents in Woking. But to no avail. Tories don’t listen despite their pretensions of wanting cross-party co-operation.

But what was even more outrageous was Council Leader, John Kingsbury’s personal attack on me for a quote that was mentioned in the News and Mail today and I quote what was printed from my press release:

“It is wrong to expect volunteers to have to pay for a membership card to help out with the use of the facilities at our community centres. Where is the incentive for them to help out when they are expected to pay an annual £8 fee?”

What the News and Mail neglected to mention was that I made specific reference to the fact that volunteers would have to carry a membership card if they used the facilities, which was clearly stated to us by John Kingsbury at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 14 September 2009. I stated and I quote from my press release of 22 September:

“…Lib Dem councillors found out that the Conservative-controlled Executive will require volunteers to pay the annual £8 membership card to help out at our community centres in Woking, if they also use the facilities.”

This part was not printed in the newspaper.

Then on 24 September, John Kingsbury released a briefing paper for last night’s Full Council stating that volunteers would not have to carry a membership card provided that they are there in their volunteering capacity. However, they will have to carry a card outside of their volunteering responsibilities if they wish to use the community centre facilities. This was two days after my press release was issued.

As a Council Leader, John Kingsbury, could have picked up the phone and checked the facts with me before having a go at me publicly in a personal tirade. I do hope that an apology is forthcoming as the Mayor did request him to withdraw his remarks for accusing me for the Woking News and Mail’s editorial licence. He refused to do so, which is unbecoming behaviour for a Council Leader, in my view. I have since e-mailed him the press release I sent out. I may yet receive a formal apology.