Perhaps, but an embarrassing lack of continuity from one council to the next and an even more embarrassing lack of continuity within administration (particularly when one of their roles is to provide continuity and historical context to council) is why priorities change so readily.
This is also one of the reasons why there is no accountability either politically or fiscally for so readily making those shifts. It is also manifests itself in how we have treated historical buildings or new projects vs maintenance as we chase the newest shiny pennies at every opportunity regardless of the real costs.