Where was the consultation?

As one of the 'two seventy-year olds' featured in your paper I wish to comment about the response from councillor Kendrick (EN September 2'.

I am delighted to learn that the council takes street cleaning so seriously, but not at the expense of ripping out historic street furniture such as our bollards. Although I accept that the council has the power to do so, it does not have to and given the fact the area is a conservation area at the very least one might have expected some consultation with local residents. After all, the council is meant to be a listening council. When this part of Heigham was designated a conservation area in 2011, after an extensive consultation exercise, residents were directed to safeguard the historic nature of the area in order to preserve the character of the streets including street frontages, such as iron railings.

Our fine bollards (remembered by many residents, in one case from the 1940s) are part of the street's historic character. I am amazed that the council wants to replace them and finds it impossible to make an exception. Is there one rule for the council and another for the residents? Councillor Kendrick implies that our tiny act of protest (the only way we could get the council to listen after three abortive phone calls), is somehow endangering the cleanliness of the city and the safety of its other 138,000 residents! We have been actively supported by our local councillors, the Norwich Society, the vast majority of the street, by masses of interested passers-by, and by an online petition. How does the retention of two ornamental bollards contribute to the breakdown of cleaning across the city and the undermining of law and order? Or does he mean other people might be inspired to object?

I think it's called democracy.