Any Parish councillors on here?

[Globalti]

Went along to my first PC meeting last night to talk about speeders in our street. Stayed for the full meeting and rather enjoyed myself, I found myself contributing quite a bit of useful stuff to the discussions. At the end the clerk asked me if I'd be interested in joining the PC if a vacancy came up.

Whaddya think? Worth doing or on a hiding to nothing? It's only an hour or so every six weeks.

 

[Jonathan M]

Entirely my personal opinions here, and please don't assume that your local PC will be like my local PC but:

Unless they, as NIMBYs, want something to happen, then it will not happen. If they wish something to happen, it will happen.

In your case I would say courting the PC would be useful, but If I were you I'd shadow a few more meetings until they are comfy with your presence and perhaps discuss things more freely around you.

 

[Globalti]

They discussed freely around me last night; I had no feeling anything was being held back. It was a relaxed, informal meeting and they didn't mind me chipping in with the odd contribution.

However there was one councillor, who I already knew, who struck me as a bad example of how this part of the democratic process should work. They were looking at a planning application, which had already been revised but he derided the plans, influencing the other four councillors present to reject them. I was amazed because he had clearly made no effort to go and inspect the site yet he rejected the application on the basis that it would be obtrusive when viewed from the road. He is a local Estate Agent and I couldn't help thinking he had some personal agenda going. Other things he said confimed my belief that he was cantankerous and obstructive in character, perhaps not the best character for a parish council that wanted to broaden its appeal in the neighbourhood.

 

[Bad Company]

I couldn't help thinking he had some personal agenda going. Other things he said confimed my belief that he was cantankerous and obstructive in character, perhaps not the best character for a parish council that wanted to broaden its appeal in the neighbourhood.

In my experience that is typical of a lot (but not all) parish councillors.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Went along to my first PC meeting last night to talk about speeders in our street. Stayed for the full meeting and rather enjoyed myself, I found myself contributing quite a bit of useful stuff to the discussions. At the end the clerk asked me if I'd be interested in joining the PC if a vacancy came up.

Whaddya think? Worth doing or on a hiding to nothing? It's only an hour or so every six weeks.

Nononononononono YES!

Seriously though, get involved. All very well saying "It'll only happen if THEY want it to happen" but if you're not in there, it really WON'T happen.

I'm feeling a bit virtuous and a bit chastened - I've spent 7 years walking past an alley full of matresses and tins thinking "THEY should do something" and last Sunday I joined in a workgroup to clear it that WE organised.

Get stuck in, lad. Local is where it's at.

 

[dellzeqq]

Do it. If it drives you mental you can give up.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Don't get me started on parish councils. My local authority held a survey to find out whether we wanted one. 67% of us said no. We got one anyway.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Don't get me started on parish councils. My local authority held a survey to find out whether we wanted one. 67% of us said no. We got one anyway.

Obviously asked the "wrong" 67%....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Don't get me started on parish councils. My local authority held a survey to find out whether we wanted one. 67% of us said no. We got one anyway.

LOL!

 

[snorri]

perhaps not the best character for a parish council that wanted to broaden its appeal in the neighbourhood.

My local council was seeking volunteers to get involved in a general clean up in the area. I expressed interest to my local councillor who told me " If you want to keep any friends around here you won't get involved in that sort of thing".
He regarded the seashore as his personal rubbish dump, so I could understand his views.

 

[Jonathan M]

At the end the clerk asked me if I'd be interested in joining the PC if a vacancy came up.

.

In a way, this is why PCs are their own worst enemy - smacks a bit of "jobs for the boys", doesn't it?

 

[wafflycat]

PCs.. Went to a meeting called once about a local planning application that was very contentious. Loads of people turned up. A PC identified himself and promptly said that if people couldn't be bothered to stand for the PC then they had no right to have their opinions taken into account in the planning process. This was like red rag to small black cat who then loudly pointed out to him that the services of the PC are appreciated but not when such pompous crap was being spouted as their are all sorts of valid reasons why any indiviidual may not be able to be on the PC and that the object of being on the PC was to act on behalf of the entire parish and not just the parish councillors. He gave me a very funny look that suggested he did not agree with me. I wonder why..

 

[HLaB]

I might be wrong but wasn't that prat who sabotaged the Etape Caledonia a Parish Council Leader?

 

[Jonathan M]

Not sure about him being the leader of a PC, but certainly reports suggested he was involved in some manner with the PC system.

Wafflycats PC person reminds me of an issue that has been rumbling around here, and is now resolved. A local building (grade 2 listed) that has lain empty for a few years was being considered for a semi-secure mental health unit. Prior to being unused it was a residential care home, with a secure unit, for female teenagers from an out of area local authority.

Since the care home closed many new houses have been built locally, and the area is a "posher" area, I think the cheapest house built was selling in the region of £250K. But these people will not have known the property in its previous incarnation.

Needless to say the locals were up in arms, the typical "do we want such people living near our kids!!??!!??", very immature "burn them, burn them all!" scaremongering. LMFAO because until 20 years ago the village was home to one of the biggest mental asylums in Europe, and still has a regional psychiatric secure unit! This place is a stepdown from the likes of Broadmoor etc, and often has patients who are being reintegrated back into society resident there, part of which is that they do go on day leave, initially accompanied, then on their own, prior to discharge/release.

The PC were very anti, & I created shoot at my son's primary school, because on the day the school sent home a newsletter containing information about this proposed development, the anti-campaigners were outside the school gates handing out their narrow minded propaganda!

The proposal was eventually defeated on environmental grounds (too many staff expected to travel too & from work). Yeah, right.

I do hope RR gets resoloution for his problem with speeders though, but I would have more faith in any PC system if they came across less as NIMBYs or back scratchers..

 

[Bromptonaut]

We have a village PC and it does a good job.

Members are elected but there are often not enough volunteers to fill the places available so folks like you get asked to stand. Members can however be co-opted either into vacant places or, depending on standing ordrs etc onto function specific committees.

I'd say go for it. If you find it, or some of its members drive you nuts you can always give it up later.