Comment reply, Lena.

Reply to comment, Lena (8^th February)

Written for the Blog by a Preston resident.

Hi Lena

Thanks for your patience. I’m probably not using the correct terminology by saying an ‘Active resolution’ but, during an ‘in camera session’ some months ago the council agreed they would not discuss any issues with me. My reading of that is councillor’s are not able to talk to me so I obviously am unable to talk direct to councillor’s. There is a 6 month rule whereby the council is unable to alter that agreement (resolution) within that period unless a majority of councillor’s have reason to request a change. I believe we are probably still within that 6 month period so that resolution is still ‘active’.

We normally take the grandkids to the Village Show, they like the usual kids stuff. Last year we were away so didn’t manage to get there so unfortunately we missed that particular event.

Our past experience with the council is that they took some drawings of the proposed New Community Hall to display at the village show, people passing were asked if they would like a new village hall along the lines of the drawings. Most people of course said yes, most people would, from that date the council considered it had carried out a full village consultation and the whole village agreed with them building a big new hall, with no documentation what-so-ever. The end result was a complete waste of our precept money and it wasn’t just a couple of quid!

I’m pleased to hear that I’m no longer ‘anonymous’ to you, so you have the advantage because you are still anonymous to me.

Lena, I have absolutely no disagreement with you when you say ‘people only have information regarding questions that are important to them’ and the reasons you give for supporting the park are admirable and a credit to you. I would support it for those same reasons with regard to our grandkids.

What is also important to me is that people are treated with a little respect and consideration, if the park is to place a financial burden on the village that amounts to a capital sum villagers should be asked for their views and not left out in the cold. If not and the project is to be self funding you can add our names to your list of supporters.

I have asked a few people who commented on this subject to let us have all the information relating to the park, hopefully they will do that and convince us.

As for questioning this councillors motives I would accept (for the sake of argument) it may have come across that way but it was not meant as an accusation of wrongdoing. Again our past experience with the previous administration is still raw and unfortunately that has an influence on our initial view. I am not defending anything or making excuses it’s just human nature and that will probably remain the case until remaining issues are resolved. 

We have always taken the view that should the council develop a programme of improvements for the village which would mean an increase in precept it would not be opposed by most people because we do need some improvements. What those improvements should be is a matter for debate and something we feel the council should have been addressing a couple of years ago, but to do that in an ‘ad hoc’ fashion is we believe the wrong way to do it.

The old council administration has never given residents any respect and therein lies the problem, new councillors appear to have simply continued that tradition. I have contacted councillors (in writing) many times to ask that outstanding issues be resolved, I have even written to the Vice Chairman (2011) reducing my grievances to 3 items that could easily have been resolved and I strongly indicated that I was prepared to move my position in order that resolution could be achieved. That was turned down it would appear the only satisfactory outcome for the council is my complete capitulation but my background could never allow that, so here I am today.

I fully accept the only way to break the impasse is dialog but dialog takes two parties. As for my posting negative things about the council I agree they are negative but at the same time unfortunately I also believe them to be true. I do not require or need respect of councillors that is entirely meaningless to me and has no currency at all.

Any credibility I have will disappear if I agree with you much more but I do agree that Preston is a lovely village and it is a nice place to live but I wouldn’t for one minute expect these posts to de-motivate councillors, in any case I do not post for the benefit of councillors.

Yes if we had a council that was much more open and transparent things would move forward much more quickly.

Thank you for your comment and best wishes.