LETTER: Disappointed at attacks on Brierfield Town Council

I REFER to the letter last week from Mr Michael Sutcliff attacking Brierfield Town Council. I and a number of fellow town councillors are disappointed at this unprovoked attack by Mr Sutcliff who it appears is feeling bitter at not being involved in running Brierfield in his own style which many Brierfielders know only too well did not serve our town well for the last four years.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Feb 2012, 14:50 BST

I would like to make it categorically clear Brierfield Town Councillors only have the interest of Brierfield at heart and I would ask Mr Sutcliff about his record of achievement during his term as a town councillor. The good people of Brierfield realised his lack of achievement and sent him a clear message via the ballot box in May, 2011.

I am rather surprised at his comments about the town council working in partnership with Pendle Council and local residents in improving one of town’s front streets. The improvements that have been carried out were instigated by Pendle Council’s Brierfield and Reedley Committee. Both Pendle and Brierfield Councils were fully cognisant of the fact the street is unadopted. Because of that, Brierfield Town Council insisted on a contribution by the householders towards the cost of the improvements and obtained legal undertakings from them that any future improvements must be at the expense of residents.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Brierfield Town Council and the residents of Hartington Street contributed towards the cost with Pendle Council’s Brierfield and Reedley Committee paying the major share. The results have been the removal of a “grot spot” and alleviation of major parking problems outside the adjoining health centre in Arthur Street. Also Mr Sutcliff needs to get his facts straight; Brierfield Town Council has in the past carried out improvements to un-adopted streets, which had become major problems and causing the residents major concerns. Other neighbouring town councils have also undertaken similar improvements to unadopted streets.

Mr Sutcliff seems to think the abolition of the council’s Finance and Administration Committee is something sinister. This is nonsense. Upon taking office, the group of councillors came up with new ideas which challenged the status quo, one of which was the duplication of a Finance Committee and the recommendations it took which could clearly be overturned by the full council.

The replacement body is merely a working group will carry out much of the “donkey work” entailed in budgetary matters. All financial decisions have been and will continue to be made by open meetings of the council.

Past mayors like the late Frank Chadwick, Sean Hunt and Azhar Ali not only started these street programmes but rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in. They did not sit around feeling sorry for themselves plotting and carping from newspaper columns.

COUN. MOHAMMED ALTAF

Mayor of Brierfield

Related topics:BrierfieldPendle Council