Buckingham Fields Report to Cabinet

8.54.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 1st Jul 2008

• COUNCIL Leader, Serge Lourie, has welcomed the report of the Buckingham Field Scrutiny Task Group Report.

Speaking at York House, before the meeting, he said: "I was very much involved, with my colleague Cllr Jerry Elloy, in discussions with local residents and campaigners when we were in opposition between 2002 and 2006. It was clear to us that the ugly fence, which was erected during the Tory administration, should never have been considered. Cllr Geoffrey Samuel was the cabinet member responsible and also the ward councillor…and yet he has never apologised for the error of judgement. I am not surprised that he fell out with his former ward colleague Max Hoskinson, who has waged a long campaign to get the fence removed. When we took power in 2006, this was a major item on our agenda. After a packed public meeting at the White House, I decided that the fence really could not be justified and reversed the lamentable decision taken by Cllr Samuel and had the fence removed. I think the Council has a lot to learn from this debacle and am happy to accept the thrust of the Task Group's recommendations. I should also like to thank the many local people who campaigned against Cllr Samuel's fence"