This week I went to the annual Monument Ward Committtee. This is an opportunity for residents to talk to council officers, the police and all 3 of their councillors about their issues and concerns. There weren’t many residents unfortunately – possibly due to the council’s decision to stop writing to all residents in the ward to let them know that it’s happening. The council is looking at sending letters out with Council Tax bills, which I think is a good idea. It could also be that the time (5:30-7) and location (we used the CIvic Centre this time because the City Library closes at 5 most nights) don’t work for people. If you have any suggestions about how we could make it better. please get in touch

I also wrote to the Audit and Standards Committee reminding them that there is still no way for councillors to make a formal complaint about an officer. In my view, a clear, robust and independent process for investigating concerns is a prerequisite for any organisation to function properly:

• It allows concerns to be investigated effectively and in a timely manner
• It protects everyone involved in a complaint: Both the councillor making the complaint and any officer complained about can be confident of an objective investigation
• It provides an opportunity for the organisation to learn

Some good news: The broken bus stop on the Quayside that a resident reported to me last week has been repaired and the new planters that were being filled with rubbish have been cleaned.

A resident asked me for details of the new trees on Northumberland Street. We have:

• Sweetgum, known for its star shaped leaves and brilliant autumn colour
• Single stem and multi stem maples, selected for their bright green leaves in summer and rich autumnal colours in autumn
• Multi-stem cherry and crape myrtle trees in the Gardens at Haymarket for their spring/summer flowers and beautiful bark
• Multi-stem hornbeams: The hornbeam is a robust tree native to the UK. In folklore, it represents strength, resilience, and protection.