Crack nuts

WHEN the Conservatives took control of Uttlesford Council last May, they promised that they could be trusted to introduce policies which would swiftly put the house and its finances in order. I assumed they would work with officers to bring this happy sta

WHEN the Conservatives took control of Uttlesford Council last May, they promised that they could be trusted to introduce policies which would swiftly put the house and its finances in order.

I assumed they would work with officers to bring this happy state to fruition. I was not too surprised to see the senior finance officer leave although I wasn't

sure how he would be

easily replaced.

What I wasn't expecting, however, was the wholesale slaughter of the senior management team.

When I left the council in May the senior team consisted of the chief executive, five heads of services and the head of legal services. I now hear that the Chief Executive has resigned and that a further two senior officers have gone.

One of the pleasures of being a councillor on UDC when the Liberal Democrats were in charge was the excellent relationship between elected members and the whole team of employees from the chief executive through all departments and at all levels.

What has gone wrong? We really do need to know. Morale at Uttlesford seems to be at an all-time low. What is this mess going to cost, not just in monetary, but also in human terms?

Do the Tories really care? They seem to have used a very large sledgehammer to crack what may have been a very small nut.

Richard Harris

North Street

Great Dunmow