Wednesday May 8th 2019
Letter written by Robert Hogg, Chair of Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council
It is so important that our local Councillors who are elected to represent the views of the people of Midlothian who elected them into these positions to spend time when they are in full council meetings to discuss vital documents and make crucial decisions which can affect the people of Midlothian and spend that time available to have a serious mature debate on major issues & vote accordingly.
Therefore it was disappointing watching the live webcast of Midlothian council’s monthly full meeting of how during this crucial meeting around 20 mins of it was taken up by a motion to discuss dandelions (I kid you not yes dandelions).
A motion was put down to stop the use of a pesticide used by the council to kill dandelions & other so called weeds in our parks & roadside verges.
Now if they had raised the issue that we need an alternative say eco friendly pesticide (if there is such a thing) to replace the existing pesticide used by the council (which was never even mentioned in the debate) that would be fair enough and the council officials could have gone away and looked at an alternative and come back to council and that could have been agreed in 2 minutes but no they rambled on for around 20 mins about this motion which got heated at times.
There were even quotes from Darwin at one point.
Yes these issues should be discussed but to waste 20 mins or so on this subject at a full council meeting was to put it mildly is beyond a joke (and the laughter coming from the chamber from all in attendance said it all).
We expect more from our local Councillors who represent the people of Midlothian.
Check out the webcast on Midlothian council home page to see the motion proposed on banning pesticide and listen to the debate. Watch webcast HERE section 7.3.
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