Drainage Snafu, NTC waste public money on uphill drainage Options

[user23]

Think this suggests we have far too much 'government' in Newbury! We are supposed to have a unitary authority which was supposed to have eliminated the petty squabbling and empire building so beloved of little Councils. It's high time we eliminated the urban parish councils and treated Newbury as the Town it has become. Lets face it, Greenham, Speen, Shaw *** Donnington are simply suburbs of Newbury - not separate habitations.

This isn't actually true.

You can see here that almost all of the urban area is in Newbury itself, whilst the surrounding parishes are mainly rural.

[Andy Capp]

Think this suggests we have far too much 'government' in Newbury! We are supposed to have a unitary authority which was supposed to have eliminated the petty squabbling and empire building so beloved of little Councils. It's high time we eliminated the urban parish councils and treated Newbury as the Town it has become. Lets face it, Greenham, Speen, Shaw *** Donnington are simply suburbs of Newbury - not separate habitations.

That is how I feel. I think the urban parish councils are an anachronism.

What is in the red loop is Newbury. What is in the blue loop is Thatcham, and what is in the green loop is The (Newbury) Town. Apologies for it is very rough and an approximate.

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[On the edge]

This isn't actually true.

You can see here that almost all of the urban area is in Newbury itself, whilst the surrounding parishes are mainly rural.

Against today's boundaries - wholly agree. However, the base contention is amply demonstrated by the map - the main habitations in the parishes concerned are actually extensions of built up Newbury. So we could bring the Town boundary up to date, or why not be more radical and eliminate the Parish tier altogether - with today's communications they are wholly unnecessary. An expensive luxury. If people living in these localities felt the need for some public forum - then a residents association would be just as effective.

[On the edge]

That is how I feel. I think the urban parish councils are an anachronism.

What is in the red loop is Newbury. What is in the blue loop is Thatcham, and what is in the green loop is The (Newbury) Town. Apologies for it is very rough and an approximate.

Good representation - illustrates the position very well.

[blackdog]

Think this suggests we have far too much 'government' in Newbury! We are supposed to have a unitary authority which was supposed to have eliminated the petty squabbling and empire building so beloved of little Councils. It's high time we eliminated the urban parish councils and treated Newbury as the Town it has become. Lets face it, Greenham, Speen, Shaw *** Donnington are simply suburbs of Newbury - not separate habitations.

Unitary Authority meant the abolition of the county council, not parish councils. It was only in Newbury that it was truly unitary because they failed to allow a parish council to replace the borough council when it was amalgamated with the district council.

WBC is a little council - and we see the petty squabbling all the time (mind you we se that in all sizes of council).

Unitary authorities were created out of some ideological scheme that would break up the more powerful county councils and make everything more controllable from Whitehall - fortunately the process failed and most places avoided UAs, sadly not so in Berkshire. There are signs of reversal as tiny councils like WBC are encouraged to share more and more functions with their neighbours - I wonder how long it will be before a single executive organisation is seen as the most efficient way to run the six Berkshire UAs?

The current government is pushing through a Localism Bill that should see a greater role for the parish councils - though their latest planning law proposals go the other way in taking even more power away from local authorities - so you'll probably get you wishes fulfilled as all the fields around the conurbation of Newbury Thatcham disappear under houses over the next 20 years.

Still, not to worry, one day they will redraw the boundaries and we will find ourselves in part of Greater London.

[On the edge]

The current government is pushing through a Localism Bill that should see a greater role for the parish councils - though their latest planning law proposals go the other way in taking even more power away from local authorities - so you'll probably get you wishes fulfilled as all the fields around the conurbation of Newbury Thatcham disappear under houses over the next 20 years.

I think this is rather sad. Indeed, 'my wish' nearly came true under the last political administration in West Berkshire. The LibDems couldn't resist pouring concrete and bricks on any bit of green they came across. As the New Hospital and the 'sports park' in what was the green gap between Thatcham and Newbury amply illustrates. Its claimed to still be a green gap - presumably because that's the colour of the artificial grass!

[Simon Kirby]

I asked the supervisor chappie this morning about the uphill drainage just in case it was all some cunning plan that I wasn't aware of, but it wasn't, the drains have simply been laid uphill. So I'd guestimate the cost of the thirty-odd tonnes of pea shingle and several hundred metres of drainage pipe at around £1500. All wasted.

[Cognosco]

I asked the supervisor chappie this morning about the uphill drainage just in case it was all some cunning plan that I wasn't aware of, but it wasn't, the drains have simply been laid uphill. So I'd guestimate the cost of the thirty-odd tonnes of pea shingle and several hundred metres of drainage pipe at around £1500. All wasted.

Is it only in Newbury the council are unable to manage a project to a satisfactory level - or does it only seem that way?

I suppose like this new drain the blame will only run down hill, it will not manage to go uphill to reach those in charge?