From our Reporter at the Parish Council Meeting
Life cannot be too bad if within a few days I am able to watch the England v
France rugby match, report on a Parish Council Meeting, and go to the Village
Variety Show. All achieved huge peaks of excellence and entertainment.
The PC meeting illustrated democracy at its best and proved that people do not enter public service for an ego trip or purely for their own gain. Each subject was discussed fairly and in depth. Starting at 7.30 we had by 8.45 reached item 5 out of 18 - and everyone still appeared to be as fresh as a daisy and totally committed and enthusiastic. This is more difficult for a mere spectator like me, who tends to nod off, and who has to remain silent and stifle comments. So I often amuse myself by making up replies and remarks for some of the participants and this month I reproduce some in "bubbles". James Fitch was as conscientious as ever but I'd like to take issue with his report in last month's Crier when he appeared to agree with complaints about overflying aircraft. Who has been complaining? In this village we suffer from complaints about bells, about clocks striking before 8.00am, about bill posting, about bonfires, and now about the relatively few and interesting varied collection of aircraft which fly over. I am sorry to see that James appears to be sympathetic towards the complaint.
But it is an element of democracy that all complaints should be taken seriously and Charlotte explained that District Councils now have to have a Comprehensive Performance Review. As a prelude to this they have had a Peer Review using officers from another district. This has reported that our ECDC is good at what it does but it has "No long term vision, especially for the next ten years". My golly, I thought, 5 year plans are bad enough and needed revising every 2 years - what an unrealistic nightmare a 10 year plan must be, particularly with central government occasionally changing. ECDC was also criticised for having insufficient synergy between the parish and district councils. What shall we do asked Charlotte to achieve more synergy - give you monthly newsletters and have bimonthly Parish Forums. Neither suggestion appeared to grab the PC. No one suggested Beetle Drives or similar social events when the groups could get to know each other really well.
A member did wonder why the PC's comments on planning applications were so often ignored without comment or explanation. The answer was simple - too expensive as another member of staff would be needed and the rates would go up. BUT after a new Act comes into force ECDC will have to say why it has approved any application whereas other changes will give industrial developers a freer hand to do as they wish. I hope I understood this correctly because it all sounds a bit of a nonsense. And ECDC is supposed to plan 10 years ahead!
But let's get down to the real nitty gritty of village life. Charlotte was asked why ECDC does not clear the leaves off pavements. "You asked me this last year". "Well". "As I said before, it is a very large district, the weather is changeable, it can't all be done at the same time." "But if someone slipped on the leaves you could be sued." I now introduce some of my bubbles and just suppose what Charlotte may have been thinking:- {Bubble 1 - "Whose leafy liffing leaves are they anyway?"} {Bub 2 - A gale is forecast tomorrow - maybe that will blow them off the pavements and the problem is solved"}. {Bub 3 - Hasn't anyone read Samuel Smiles' Self Help?}. Neither side shifted ground on this one. Those who read the "official" PC report last month will have welcomed the news that 24Seven (who thought up this extraordinary name) have agreed to complete the Lighting Enhancement Scheme at the Top End of the Village. But, HOLD ON. 24Seven has reported that the Throw over the Church steps is not of the right specification and will need to be changed when the old motorway light is taken down. Surprise, Surprise! As our previous vicar told me with some relish - "Once they take down the motorway light they will have to install more lights in the churchyard." The PC understandably assumed that the Church had arranged the Throw because the PC had been very much sidelined when the Church discussed the change with ECDC. So close and yet so far from completion. If you take life seriously, all this must be very irritating. If you don't, it will be just a bit of a lark.
As with all meetings the same points do often arise again and again and it is always with some excitement that a Crier reporter reads an unusual item on the Agenda - such as item 12 - "Problems with Vehicles - Coopers Lane". There are two new horses in the field at the top of Coopers Lane and it seems the owners are removing the barriers near the cemetery because vehicles sometimes block the normal route to the field. I know there are no double yellow lines and it might have been supposed that the PC would recommend keeping the laneway clear. But not a bit of it. It seems that the horses' owner ought not want to drive up to the field, that they have no right of way, and that the barriers must not be removed. My own little bubble here:- {Bub 1: Who reported this to the PC?"}. {Bub 2: "Why does the PC appear hostile to horse owners?"}.
Then it got worse. Item 13 -"Use of Cemetery Water Supply - fixed charge" was another complaint about the horse owner. It seems she has been taking water from the cemetery tap and even using a hose (which has always been forbidden). At least the PC reluctantly agreed that the horses did require a little water. But they were irate. Again I wondered who had made the complaint. When we had our horse in that field we paid a sum to the Church for the use of the water. As far as I know every other horse owner has done the same because no-one told us the Church did not pay the water bill. Maybe the present owner also pays something to the Church. No-one appeared to have spoken to the owner, or wished to speak to her, but proposed to write formally to the land owner. Is this part of a plot to rid the village of all horses, is there a secret anti-hunting lobby here, is the PC miffed because horses have damaged 60-70% of the Vice-Chairman's young trees in Whiteway Drove?
I was surprised. No-one asked what kind of horses they were or appeared to have any interest in horses. And yet a very strong simple recommendation for anyone under stress is to keep a cow (a very soothing animal) in your backyard. This is not always possible. But almost as helpful is to have two horses in a field, not only if you are old and grumpy, but also if you have children who need a harmless diversion. I am a fan of horses in the village and think they should be encouraged. The meeting ended at 9.55pm.