A valuable insight from seat in the public gallery

8:58am Monday 17th March 2008

I sat in the public gallery at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday.

I had never been to a council meeting before. It gave me a valuable insight into how the council conducts its business.

I attended as I wanted to hear the councillors' questions regarding the proposed changes to the dog by-laws which will ban dogs from all the city's beaches during the high summer season, although dog ownership is not seasonal, as well as restrict them elsewhere such as Hollingbury golf course.

What I found most shocking was the way in which the Conservative councillor Geoffrey Theobald vehemently defended the council handling of the public consultation process.

Councillor Theobald shook his hands in the air and said: "I want an end to this."

He then went on to say the council should be commended for its openness in the way it had conducted its "public consultation".

He said: "We even took out a full page advert in City News."

Surely the council should also be putting up signs in the places this affects to communicate directly with the people this will affect.

It is also alarming that the signs stating your dog must be on a lead have already gone up on Hollingbury golf course, even before the public consultation has finished.

Are councillors interested in the public's views or have they already made up their minds?

Even if this issue with dogs does not affect or interest you, it is a wake-up call to all of us regarding the council's interpretation of what is a well-handled public consultation.

What else do they have in store for us?

I cannot see how the council has followed government guidelines correctly on carrying out a public consultation.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has any legal knowledge of how to challenge a council's "wellhandled public consultation".

• Jason Parks, Edburton Avenue Brighton

Editor's Choice