Democracy in decline in Mole Valley

8.08.00pm GMT Thu 3rd Dec 2009

Pippbrook - less transparent decision-making

The Conservatives on Mole Valley Council tightened their grip on control at the September Council meeting by amending standing orders to further exclude non-Conservative Councillors and the public from participating in the decision making process. The changes included exclusion of some Councillors from membership of any decision-making committee and refusing to permit members of the public to address Council meetings on issues of importance to them.

Meanwhile Mole Valley D.C. has started consultation on a move to centralise its authority in the hands of a single person - either a "strong leader" elected by the Council or a mayor elected directly by residents. A Government Act passed in 2007 requires all Executive-run councils to make this change. Mole Valley moved to being run by Executive in 2008.

Liberal Democrat councillor Iain Murdoch comments: "I find it remarkable that we were not informed about this during the so-called 'consultation' before the move to control by Executive. When the Tories imposed an Executive last year, council committees lost their power to influence decisions. Now we are faced with the prospect of even less transparent decision-making and our elected councillors being cut out of the process."