From our Reporter at the Parish Council Meeting
OCCASIONALLY I think I'm being set up by some members of the Parish
Council. At the last meeting, as I walked in, Geoffrey Woollard said "The
best head of state we have ever had is Cromwell - a local boy. Discuss." I
am resisting any comment here.
There are two corrections to my last report. Geoffrey was quite right in asking Hazel to write to the top man, the new Chief Executive at CCC. It seems he was surprised to hear how long the travellers in question had been allowed to remain on site and will be looking into it. Hazel then repeated her previous complaint, with her usual refreshing honesty, that the people at CCC who take action on travellers do not have any travellers living nearby and therefore I suppose see no reason to show any haste or concern. Something may now happen.
Hazel in her turn was quite right that ECDC bus passes would arrive on time but the Post Office man was equally right in that it is South Cambs who have failed to send them out. Interestingly ECDC used local firm Payne Ltd while South Cambs used the "Government recommended"supplier Fujitsu. With the government's atrocious record on new computer systems that should have been a warning! But worse may happen. Hazel said that CCC is introducing a major new computer system, which it hopes to sell to others, and that the supplier will be - you've guessed it - Fujitsu. I hope the bus pass fiasco is not a bad omen.
Returning to ECDC, not only did it send out the bus passes exactly on time, but it introduced a very slight haze on the photographs which hides all the wrinkles, the scraggy necks, the rings under the eyes, and produces pictures which make people happy and over which they do not need to slip their thumb when showing. Another quality of ECDC is that the people there always make you feel important and that you matter when you phone up. You may not always be pleased with what is decided but at least you have been taken seriously.
Back to the CCC, and Hazel announced that it is setting up a new procedure to deal with petitions. Amazingly it appears there is nothing in place apart from sending a "Thank you for your petition"response. It is being proposed that all petitions must now be considered and that some meaningful comment be made. Who would have thought that?
The Annual Village Assembly was the item which took up most of the time and, being on the agenda, a date could be chosen. This is a VILLAGE assembly, which is organized and chaired by the PC on behalf of the village, and it is not a PC meeting. I am not sure that John Jordan (hereinafter JJ to distinguish from Chairman John Covill - now JC) has ever been to a Village Assembly before and he asked the purpose of the meeting, whether it should be looking forward to the future rather than just a record of what has happened, whether it should be more constructive, and whether it can be livened up. Everyone must admit that meetings can have dull moments or just be dull, but, as Hazel admitted, SP has an excellent record for turn out compared to other villages. And, once past the often lengthy, boring and necessary CCC, ECDC and PC reports, which are usually preceded by sometimes a patience testing guest speaker, there are lively and stormy moments.
But the PC is still concerned about the numbers attending and David Almond suggested using the Crier to the full and appears to be in awe, even admiration of the Magazine and its Editors. Others suggested a notice through each door. Geoffrey, who has attended a huge number of meetings in various guises, hoped the scouts would again attend and provide the "home grown entertainment"and was sure there would be some "spats" There was an after-meeting suggestion that free liquor should be provided to increase the fury of the spats. I doubt this will be taken up.
JJ is introducing a blast of fresh air into the PC. He is asking useful questions but his principle aim appears to be to persuade the village that it ought to have a Parish Plan. Supported by David Almond he has been so resilient and persuasive that it is proposed he should open the Village Assembly meeting with a talk on this. He will give a PowerPoint presentation with Bullet Points to focus (or numb as some people think) the mind. It will be a very professional presentation and for those who haven't seen a PowerPoint presentation before it could be one of the best you will see. Just for this alone you ought to come to the meeting. MORE IMPORTANTLY YOU OUGHT TO COME SO THAT YOU CAN HELP TO MAKE A DEFINITIVE DECISION WHETHER THIS VILLAGE NEEDS A PARISH PLAN. One of the aims of a parish plan is to involve the whole village. Is this the way to do it or is it just an expensive charade? Come and hear both sides enthusiastically aired, and state your own opinion if you have one.
The meeting will raise questions about how a village works, how it can work better, does it work well enough already, is there a better, more efficient, more flexible, and more cost-effective way of discovering views except through an expensive elaborate box ticking system drawn up by people getting paid for a lengthy over detailed answer and who have probably never sat on any local committee. It will be a very useful exercise and is probably the first time the Parish Plan will have been DISCUSSED IN SUCH DEPTH ANYWHERE - PROVIDING ENOUGH PEOPLE ATTEND.
Other suggestions from JJ included that there should be only short written reports from the various societies etc which could be left around for people to read if they want, or, should anyone be allowed to speak, that person should be restricted to a maximum of three minutes. David thought it useful to see the human face behind organizations but I don't think this cut much ice with JJ.
Steve Kent-Phillips announced that he had never been to a Village Assembly and that he didn't intend to begin now. He also said the Sports and Social Club and Burwell Tigers will not be submitting reports. This is both sad and astonishing. Steve is so effective on the council, has important views, has information not so well known by others, controls the accounts and could be essential for some questions. Equally the non-information about the above two societies could be seen as slap in the face for the village and could lead to a loss of interest. What would happen if all societies adopted that attitude? And is the PC going to amend its announcement about the chance to "find out more about what is happening in your village!"?
After the Parish Plan presentation it is proposed that Geoffrey Woollard gives an update, in his usual calm analytical style, on the Wicken Fen Vision and its implications for the village. Just to stay away and say "why bother if nothing will happen for 100 years"is like saying there is no need to vote at an general election - at least go along and spoil a paper. As my grandmother would say "You need your bottom spanked"if you don't go to this year's Village Assembly. So, all in all, that's not a bad evening for free, with a lot of information and exchanged views, and some almost guaranteed shouting and stamping of feet. And if you have any grouses or questions bring them along - they will be heard and answered as best possible.
OTHER POINTS. Ashwell has sold on the plans and site at the Water Tower and it is not known whether the promised £10,000 for Mill Hill traffic calming still exists; the worst is feared. Reach is worried about the increasing number of Deer and wondered if Deer Signs are needed. Our PC will consider this together with "Low Flying Owls" warning signs as barn owls are also on the increase - perhaps Marshall's airport could be consulted. It seems the acoustics in Reach Village Centre are not so good. There has been an agreed solution to the High Street and Naming issue. Allotment rents are to have a savage 500% increase from 1 April 2009. At the next meeting the PC will have a group photograph which will be displayed at various locations with the necessary permission. Its last photograph was taken in 2000 and appeared in the June 2001 issue of the Crier - see page 5 for another showing. The PC will request that a complete list of names and contact points of all members be included in the Crier. The end of year accounts had been balanced and finalised in double quick time - Steve gave Karen all the credit, Karen said it was all Steve, and the rest of the PC were relieved to be out of it. The PC is making a generous donation to the School Swimming Pool Fund which put out an excellent appeal. I bet the Parish Plan enthusiasts are gnashing there teeth because if they had been able to include this in a Parish Plan they could have pointed to it as justification for a Plan and a major triumph - equal to moving a bus stop 50 yards. Incidentally I couldn't see the Swimming Pool "transparently"on the agenda.