Ashford Borough Council fails consultation test

6.00.00pm GMT Fri 9th Dec 2005

Consultation? Hardly

Amid speculation that local services will be cut or council tax will rocket, Tory run Ashford Borough Council has thus far failed to consult the public over the next council budget.

In neighbouring Canterbury a draft budget has been published on the city website, parish councils and local residents have been able to request copies of the budget for comment whilst the leader of the council has been in the local press warning of tax rises.

Heuch "let us be part of the consultation process"

In Ashford we are still in the dark. The budget is virtually impossible to get hold of, either as a resident or as part of a parish council. Members of the Liberal Democrat even team phoned the council for a copy of the budget. They were directed to a broken link on the borough council website.

Commenting on this mess Jon Heuch, leader of Charing Liberal Democrats, said "the Tory council are making decisions that affect all of us - can they therefore let us be part of the 'consultation' process?"