Are all councillors on a jolly? Here's your answer

By PRSD, on Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cllr Gordon Hook: you might not think councillors do much, and in some cases you might be right, but take a look at a day in the life of Teignbridge and Devon County Councillor Gordon Hook before making your mind up

Teignbridge and Devon County Councillor Gordon Hook has heard tell of a Tory Councillor in Gloucestershire who doesn’t seem to do anything much – really, a Tory Councillor not doing much, how can such a thing exist. But rather than score cheap political points (times are hard, donchaknow), like we have, Gordon set the record straight about what some councillors get up to.

He describes his day on his site: “I was answering overnight emails from about 7.15, and the phone rang about 8 with a resident questioning what was happening in Haldon Rise, Buckland. A traffic scheme that I have been trying to get established for at least 3 years is coming to fruition, but not to everyones exact liking, so work needed there today.

“Two further calls followed, one from Cllr Fry re a joint meeting planned for next week and another constituent re a house eviction problem. That too needs urgent attention. Soon after the resident about to be evicted phones and a conversation follows where it is clear she is a resilient individual, but a totally tragic case. Officers at TDC are well aware of the situation and “pulling out all the stops”.

“I then follow up a problem with a missing manhole cover in Addison Road and contact 2 residents re the removal of a tree in St Lukes Road which they have wanted gone for some time and at last agreement has been reached. They are pleased with the outcome. It’s good to win 1 or 2 now and again!!
I need to visit the site of the road works in Buckland and deliver a few more letters re road repairs(or rather the lack of them) in roads off East Street.”

Then there’s preparing for a full council day at Exeter, critising Devon County Council’s ‘wishy washy’ environment policy; the protection – or not – of wildflowers on Newton Abbot’s Torquay Road (the verge of which hasn’t been cut to because of the flowers – ‘A classic case of “you can’t please all the people all the time”,’ says Gordon). Plus dealing with lorry deliveries leaving their engines running and antagonising residents.

There there’s the 100 or so emails he receives and the school visits to explain what being a councillor is all about.

To finish Gordon says: “And I’ve just taken a cut of approx £7,500 thanks to voters saying the Lib Dems weren’t running the council well enough… or perhaps they were saying something else???”

We think they were saying something else…