Let's talk - Council Leader's call to borough's keyboard warriors - The Redditch Standard

Let's talk - Council Leader's call to borough's keyboard warriors

Redditch Editorial 8th Oct, 2021   0

“TALK to me” – that’s the message from Council Leader Matt Dormer after a week that’s seen him on the receiving end of an onslaught from keyboard warriors.

In a far reaching interview he acknowledged the council is dealing with controversial issues – chiefly plans to move the library and demolish the current building and plans to put a cemetery at Ipsley Meadow – but says such schemes had been talked about for many years before the Conservatives came to power.

“For goodness sake if there’s an issue, talk to me,” he said.

“I’m approachable, people know where I work and I do not consider myself above anyone.”




His call comes after a battering on social media and with it a plea to keep his family out of the firing line.

“I’ve got broad shoulders and a thick skin, but they don’t want to read what’s being said about me.


“I care about my family.

“When we were in opposition we never did personal attacks on the opposition, and it’s getting out of hand.”

His ‘talk to me plea’ is aimed at all residents, and he takes as an example the story featured last week in the Redditch Standard where a volunteer, Liz Rowberry, who is picking up and dropping off library books for housebound residents faces being fined in the future for parking behind the building.

“Any volunteer taking books to housebound residents in Redditch should not have to pay to park at the library,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic service and they should not be disadvantaged for doing it.”

He acknowledged that the parking ban is a blanket approach to the problem, but said there was no reason why volunteers shouldn’t be issued with a permit if they got in touch with him.

On the issue the library itself, he said: “There is no way we are going to take the library provision away – it is going to stay and I would like to think it’s going to be better.

“We will make it work.

“As for the building it’s in now, the roof leaks and they can’t use the top floor – and it contains asbestos.

“We’ve got to build for the future, a library is a community hub – and I also don’t want to see any of the staff lose their jobs.”

He also promised a free vote on plans for a cemetery at Ipsley Meadow but warned the borough was fast running out of space for burials.

He said: “Everything I do is about the community – I’ve been a retained firefighter for 26 years and spend 168 hours a week on call – for the community.”

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