Talk to us here at Rochford Life : 0786 342 7294 or E-mail us. For other numbers see individual pages.
Make a point of visiting us weekly! Tell a friend about us.
Local Government
Rochford District Council
Rochford District Council
Cllr C G Seagers
2 Wedds Way
Great Wakering
Southend-
SS3 0DN
01702 216 111
Getting to Know Colin Seagers - Continuation
(January 18th 2013)
RL: I may be being naive here, but my impression is that Central Government basically create a system of handouts, to hand money out to councils in such a way whereby they are actually seeking to guide and direct councils to achieve central government’s ultimate ends. So, you would have thought that the Central Government would have made it almost patently obvious how you at your end, in the council, could structure what goes on in the District, in such a way that helps you conform faster and faster with what they want so that you actually get payback on it?
Colin: Yes, it’s possibly the good intention of people in central government to channel us into various actions, and obviously for the benefit of the economy generally, they want to try and stimulate house building and also, of course, to put roofs over people’s heads because demand for housing is high, but until mortgages start coming through and people become confident that they are going to have a job to pay for that, it will continue to be a slow process. We have tried to limit the amount of that which goes in green belt, or even green field if it is not actually green belt, and keep communities fairly intact and compact, so that people are still able to appreciate unspoilt countryside, of which we have a fair share in Rochford District.
A Power Role?
RL: A little earlier you used two words: politician and manager. Do you see yourself as a politician in any way?
Colin: Anyone who describes themselves as a politician is probably damned for all time, but if politician with a small ‘p’ is being referred to, I try to work with people, I try to be a persuader rather than a demander. The iron hand in a velvet glove is sometimes needed and I suppose at times I will probably come across to some people as Genghis Khan and at other times as a bit of a softie.
RL: Do you actually have that power because you were talking earlier about working with the Head of Finance on one side and the Executive on the other? So you are between those two aren’t you, both influencing you?
Colin: To an extent, yes. There are probably things that I will be prepared to do which others might not in that, for example, I can see a hard decision now might be the best in the long run, and in terms of its eventual impact. At the same time, I’ve seen from my early years what I would describe as poverty, certainly in comparison to the material well-being we have today. That makes me at times, anywhere in the range from soft-left to “You can’t do that!” but I think people are shaped by their experience and I think experience is probably my long-suit, courtesy of age, but I have seen a fairly wide range of activity and I have a quite wide range of interests.
RL: I understand the need to take hard decisions but do you think the Council could be better at explaining why these things have to be because for some people at least, explanation helps?
Colin: I try to and the Council tries to, and things like Rochford Matters which goes out a few times each year tries to. Some Councillors have suggested we cut it but I think, and I think most other Councillors feel, that would be a wrong decision because, as you say, some people like to have explanations. The trouble is that sometimes people are not turned on to be interested until something bad, as they perceive it, happens. So if someone proposes a housing development nearby, that is going to have a lot more anti-interest from day one, without ever having seen the plans or knowing what is involved.
Infrastructure Needs
RL: You are quite concerned about housing aren’t you?
Colin: Well one of the things we try to do with any new housing development is make it work within the limited infrastructure which we have. Some developments, if they are of sufficient size, may provide limited additions to the infrastructure, but as those tend to be expensive you need a lot of houses to generate that sort of addition from the developer. I do feel in south-east Essex we’ve rather been ignored in terms of our infrastructure demands, particularly in roads. I’ve noted that the roads in the northern parts of the county seem comparatively empty to down here. It’s probably harder to sort out with the edge of Southend, but there is a need that is not being met. It just seems that the schemes that go on in the north of the county are rather greater in number than down here. Southend has been given money from central government to sort out one or two of the problem junctions on the A127 but we don’t seem to see the same sort of monies given to Rochford, for sorting out some of our problems which are still considerable at times.
County Council
RL: Would that suggest that the people in power in the County Council live further north?
Colin: I couldn’t possibly say that! However, the reason that Terry Cutmore, Keith Hudson and I are standing for County is to try and address some of that.
RL: Can you be a County Councillor and a District Councillor?
Colin: Oh yes. I will stay as a District Councillor even if I am elected onto the County Council, but if sometime the role within County starts to be too demanding, then at that point I would probably step down as portfolio holder for Finance and Resources, and if it got to the stage where I felt I could not do either well enough, then I would probably give up the District.
RL: But doesn’t that mean that we could lose all your career experience plus the experience of the last few years as portfolio holder?
Colin: Well I would still be around as a District Councillor hopefully. There’s no guarantee that any of us will be around in the years to come. I mean every four years there are elections and sometimes they are uncontested but other times they are, and nothing is guaranteed.
RL: When do the elections for County come up then?
Colin: I think it is at the very beginning of May.
RL: Well, I think you’ve given me the answer to a question I was going to ask, which is why you are going to do it, go for County I mean. It is to influence and help this area?
Colin: Yes, we actually had what is called a peer review recently and that was one of the things which initially they were a bit concerned about, because our only sitting District and County Councillor is Mavis Webster and we are therefore under represented at County level. They were pleased that we were going to do this and take that role on. If it’s hard for me, then it will be harder for Terry Cutmore as leader of the Council; he’ll be taking on quite a bit to do it. It will for each of us. Keith Hudson’s wife has pointed out that sometimes he has done 60 hours a week for the Council already.
RL: If you are successful and get on to the County Council, will there be committees etc. there that you will find yourself on, or wish to be on?
Colin: Well I think I’ve probably answered that in that areas such as the infrastructure – highways and environmental – would be of interest besides the general financial side. Given some of the problems they have faced in County Council, in respect of controlling finances they have a very able finance man in Councillor Finch, but in terms of compliance there are probably some things they could learn from me on occasion, with my past compliance officer regulatory role when I was working for the FSA. The compliance officer is rather like an in-house policeman and there have been a couple of occasions in Rochford, not in terms of any wrong doing but in things that were being done in partnership with others, where I spotted that there was a better way of operating. That could come into play. You have to ask the questions and not be afraid of asking the questions.
RL: Well thank you, Colin, I have a feeling we could talk for ever on these things, but I think for the sake of our readers we’d better stop somewhere. Thank you so much for sharing and giving us so many insights into not only your past, the role of portfolio holder for Finance and Resources, future possibilities in respect of the County Council, but also to pose some interesting questions on the economic working of both central government and local government. If you are successful, perhaps in say nine months we could meet again and get your insights into the working of County. Thank you again.
Top of Page
Return to Part 1 of this article
RL: I may be being naive here, but my impression is that Central Government basically create a system of handouts, to hand money out to councils in such a way whereby they are actually seeking to guide and direct councils to achieve central government’s ultimate ends. So, you would have thought that the Central Government would have made it almost patently obvious how you at your end, in the council, could structure what goes on in the District, in such a way that helps you conform faster and faster with what they want so that you actually get payback on it?
Colin: Yes, it’s possibly the good intention of people in central government to channel us into various actions, and obviously for the benefit of the economy generally, they want to try and stimulate house building and also, of course, to put roofs over people’s heads because demand for housing is high, but until mortgages start coming through and people become confident that they are going to have a job to pay for that, it will continue to be a slow process. We have tried to limit the amount of that which goes in green belt, or even green field if it is not actually green belt, and keep communities fairly intact and compact, so that people are still able to appreciate unspoilt countryside, of which we have a fair share in Rochford District.
A Power Role?
RL: A little earlier you used two words: politician and manager. Do you see yourself as a politician in any way?
Colin: Anyone who describes themselves as a politician is probably damned for all time, but if politician with a small ‘p’ is being referred to, I try to work with people, I try to be a persuader rather than a demander. The iron hand in a velvet glove is sometimes needed and I suppose at times I will probably come across to some people as Genghis Khan and at other times as a bit of a softie.
RL: Do you actually have that power because you were talking earlier about working with the Head of Finance on one side and the Executive on the other? So you are between those two aren’t you, both influencing you?
Colin: To an extent, yes. There are probably things that I will be prepared to do which others might not in that, for example, I can see a hard decision now might be the best in the long run, and in terms of its eventual impact. At the same time, I’ve seen from my early years what I would describe as poverty, certainly in comparison to the material well-
RL: I understand the need to take hard decisions but do you think the Council could be better at explaining why these things have to be because for some people at least, explanation helps?
Colin: I try to and the Council tries to, and things like Rochford Matters which goes out a few times each year tries to. Some Councillors have suggested we cut it but I think, and I think most other Councillors feel, that would be a wrong decision because, as you say, some people like to have explanations. The trouble is that sometimes people are not turned on to be interested until something bad, as they perceive it, happens. So if someone proposes a housing development nearby, that is going to have a lot more anti-
Infrastructure Needs
RL: You are quite concerned about housing aren’t you?
Colin: Well one of the things we try to do with any new housing development is make it work within the limited infrastructure which we have. Some developments, if they are of sufficient size, may provide limited additions to the infrastructure, but as those tend to be expensive you need a lot of houses to generate that sort of addition from the developer. I do feel in south-
County Council
RL: Would that suggest that the people in power in the County Council live further north?
Colin: I couldn’t possibly say that! However, the reason that Terry Cutmore, Keith Hudson and I are standing for County is to try and address some of that.
RL: Can you be a County Councillor and a District Councillor?
Colin: Oh yes. I will stay as a District Councillor even if I am elected onto the County Council, but if sometime the role within County starts to be too demanding, then at that point I would probably step down as portfolio holder for Finance and Resources, and if it got to the stage where I felt I could not do either well enough, then I would probably give up the District.
RL: But doesn’t that mean that we could lose all your career experience plus the experience of the last few years as portfolio holder?
Colin: Well I would still be around as a District Councillor hopefully. There’s no guarantee that any of us will be around in the years to come. I mean every four years there are elections and sometimes they are uncontested but other times they are, and nothing is guaranteed.
RL: When do the elections for County come up then?
Colin: I think it is at the very beginning of May.
RL: Well, I think you’ve given me the answer to a question I was going to ask, which is why you are going to do it, go for County I mean. It is to influence and help this area?
Colin: Yes, we actually had what is called a peer review recently and that was one of the things which initially they were a bit concerned about, because our only sitting District and County Councillor is Mavis Webster and we are therefore under represented at County level. They were pleased that we were going to do this and take that role on. If it’s hard for me, then it will be harder for Terry Cutmore as leader of the Council; he’ll be taking on quite a bit to do it. It will for each of us. Keith Hudson’s wife has pointed out that sometimes he has done 60 hours a week for the Council already.
RL: If you are successful and get on to the County Council, will there be committees etc. there that you will find yourself on, or wish to be on?
Colin: Well I think I’ve probably answered that in that areas such as the infrastructure – highways and environmental – would be of interest besides the general financial side. Given some of the problems they have faced in County Council, in respect of controlling finances they have a very able finance man in Councillor Finch, but in terms of compliance there are probably some things they could learn from me on occasion, with my past compliance officer regulatory role when I was working for the FSA. The compliance officer is rather like an in-
RL: Well thank you, Colin, I have a feeling we could talk for ever on these things, but I think for the sake of our readers we’d better stop somewhere. Thank you so much for sharing and giving us so many insights into not only your past, the role of portfolio holder for Finance and Resources, future possibilities in respect of the County Council, but also to pose some interesting questions on the economic working of both central government and local government. If you are successful, perhaps in say nine months we could meet again and get your insights into the working of County. Thank you again.
Top of Page
Return to Part 1 of this article
