Running our own affairs, Is it time to abolish Newbury Town Council? Options

[Bofem]

A rather interesting opportunity has arisen..

As Newbury Town Councillors have refused to listen to the 1200 people who petitioned for a fenced off play area in Victoria Park, I was wondering if it was time to do away with them and run the things they run ourselves.

By happy coindidence, 1200 is the number required to trigger a referendum on this very question..alternatively, it's enough to trigger a review of the town council by WBC (I know....glass houses and all that, but it seems a sensible place to start).


Alternative structures could be.....

Nothing. Various community groups simply take on the services
Devolved community councils for the various parts (eg Turnpike Community Council)
Maybe the BID could manage things like Vicky Park/the market.

Most of you probably don't care, but when 10% of your customers ask you to do soomething and you refuse, voting em out isn't really an option...not enough seats are contested

Before you say "I don't care", there's a chance to save you £60 a year if you vote yes to abolition. But at what cost?

[dannyboy]

The town was packed.

You don't need to waste money on producing a report to show this.

I was with a group of 8 who would not have been in town had it not been for the ToB. we had luch in town after.

[Richard Garvie]

The town was packed.

You don't need to waste money on producing a report to show this.

I was with a group of 8 who would not have been in town had it not been for the ToB. we had luch in town after.

Ok, so you know that. I know that now as I will take you at your word. The only way to silence critics is to prove it worked, and if it was a success it should have been shouted from then rooftops and replicated the following year. From the comments / views I've seen upto now, the event was regarded as a flop and the councillors should recieve a flogging for spending the money.

If only twenty people are being vocal about it being a waste of money etc. but thousands of people went into town and had a good day and then spent money in town, was it worth doing?

[dannyboy]

Ok, so you know that. I know that now as I will take you at your word. The only way to silence critics is to prove it worked, and if it was a success it should have been shouted from then rooftops and replicated the following year. From the comments / views I've seen upto now, the event was regarded as a flop and the councillors should recieve a flogging for spending the money.

If only twenty people are being vocal about it being a waste of money etc. but thousands of people went into town and had a good day and then spent money in town, was it worth doing?

A flop?

Why? Because a few of the regular 'if WBC / NTC had something to do with it it must be *****' brigade say so?

Newbury got to host the finish of a stage of the ToB. You can't expect the ogranizers to follow the same route each year, so another chance at hosting a finish will only come up every once in a while. And this was pre Manx Missile, when cycling & road racing wasn't anything like as popular as it is today.

[Richard Garvie]

A flop?

Why? Because a few of the regular 'if WBC / NTC had something to do with it it must be *****' brigade say so?

Newbury got to host the finish of a stage of the ToB. You can't expect the ogranizers to follow the same route each year, so another chance at hosting a finish will only come up every once in a while. And this was pre Manx Missile, when cycling & road racing wasn't anything like as popular as it is today.

Exactly. So thousands had a great time and spent money, and in your words the 'if WBC / NTC had something to do with it it must be *****' brigade' said it was a flop. In that case, we should do it again. Why didn't we though? Was it because the people the council listen to are the **VOCAL** minority?

One person complained against the fair. One councillor asked for a review to be carried out including the possibility of ending or moving the annual fair. Thousands of people enjoy the fair each year and it operates within strict conditions. What should we do with that? We should keep it.

The pavilion. 20 people or so sit around a table and say we want a pavilion and a canal basin. Thousands are against it. What do we do? We should scrap the idea of a pavilion and a canal basin.

And finally for now, looking at the anti fence group and on the forums, less than fourty people have written something saying they are against the fence. Over 1,200 people signed an official petetion. The council should listen to those people. If the council can't afford it, they should say so. I'd be happy to organise a fundraising drive to buy and install a fence and there are plenty of others who would help out. But rather than say we need ideas of how we can raise money or pay for it, the council have said they will not allow a fence for the toddler area.

I know Graham Hunt, Granville Taylor and David Allen read this forum. I'm on 07510 168013 for the rest of this week, give me a ring and tell me it's ok for me to start raising funds for a fence. If we can raise the money, the council can build the fence and everyone wins.