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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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28th June '09
The on-going puzzle of the Bideford Pill Hub Development totters on. I use the word puzzle as most councillors have been told very little about this idea which at its broadest means moving the Library down to the Pill along with various other county and district council offices – and possibly even the proposed Cadet Centre and Community Hall. This lack of information hasn’t been helped by the semi-secret meetings being held by various interested people. I say semi-secret as I have finally, in June, got a glimpse of the minutes of the last meeting - which was held in January! At the latest meeting of Torridge I demanded that all such meetings in the future be reported on to Bideford councillors – both out of politeness and also to ensure all councillors are behind the various ideas being put forward. A half-cock approach to such far reaching changes will only lead to dissension and the stalling of any and all plans.
Occasionally councillors give vent to their feelings over something that has been exercising them – and at the last town council meeting councillor David Fulford let rip saying that Landivisiau Walk was in a ‘terrible state’ with the trees in a poor condition, the ironwork in need of painting and the quayside ‘lined with rotting ships’. Well I think we can tackle the first two issues but I am not sure about the ships. They pay mooring charges but, just like council-tax paying householders cannot be pressurised into maintaining their property. If I was being honest I quite like the raffish nature of the vessels along Landivisiau Walk. Ultra clean marinas reeking of wealth and full of ‘Hooray Henrys’ really aren’t what the sea is about. Docks have always been slightly down-at-heel and mysterious places – and I speak as an ex-Merchant Navy seaman – but yes let’s start dealing with the ironwork and trees now.
One of the few jobs you don’t require any qualification for is to be a Member of Parliament – along with being a local councillor. Torridge councillors are offered training when they are first elected and now the council is going for ‘Member Charter Status’ – achievable through a training scheme for all councillors – including old lags like me. Councillor Anthony Collins did ask what the benefits of achieving this ‘Status’ might be and whether it would attract any more Government funding? An officer replied that though it would ‘enhance our reputation’ there would be no extra funds coming to Torridge. Councillor Bob Hicks ended the discussion with a local (?) adage I hadn’t heard before, ‘You can’t educate pork but you can cure bacon’ – and reckoned we would have to wait to see how this training proposal would turn out. Does anyone know if MPs get any training – apart from how to fiddle expenses?
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