A COUNCILLOR has been told to look elsewhere for answers about extended bus services to serve a new leisure centre.
Cllr Matthew Wallens raised the topic during a meeting of Lichfield District Council this week.
The Reform UK representative for Curborough ward – who also sits in the Lichfield City North seat at Staffordshire County Council – questioned why more had not been done to ensure buses served a new leisure centre being built at Stychbrook Park.
Cllr Wallens asked Cllr Doug Pullen, Conservative leader of Lichfield District Council:
“Would you agree you missed the opportunity to prioritise extending bus services while the planning application was in the works?”
But Cllr Pullen suggested that the answer to the question may lie closer to home for the Reform UK member.
He said:
“As bus services are a responsibility of the county council, upon which Cllr Wallens sits, perhaps that would be a question for his colleagues there rather than at the district council?”
The pair also locked horns over climate change at the meeting with Cllr Wallens raising concerns over environmental spending in the wake of national views from the Conservatives on the issue.
As Cllr Pullen spoke on the allocation of the £120,261 Rural England Prosperity Business Grant fund, the Reform UK representative asked:
“Why are you now approving more climate change allocations when your party’s leader is copying Reform plans to scrap all net zero initiatives?”
The local authority’s leader replied:
“Cllr Wallens, we aren’t – this is the Rural England Prosperity Business Grant Fund which isn’t aligned with net zero.”
Never has the expression “empty vessels make the most noise” been more appropriate.
How stupid is the reform uk councillor one of the local busses goes past to new swimming pool every day it might not be to the time table the swimming pool will use but that’s life and do I dare say a good walk before he swims will be good for his health
Much as I hate to agree with anything emanating from Reform, Cllr Wallens does have a point in that the location chosen for the new leisure centre is difficult to access for anyone not living nearby and without a car. A far better location would have been the old Kennings Garage site, right next to the bus station that most people in Lichfield would have been able to reach by public transport. Also, the people who do live nearby did not want the leisure centre there and instead wanted to keep the park they have now lost.