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11 June 2023
Well, I’m having a peaceful time now I’ve been sanctioned. Just a few odds and ends to do. It’s good to be able to put my feet up.
Here are the parish odds and ends I did last week.
Sunday 4 June
I found out that a streetlight on Sunny Bank in Widmer End, which Council had agreed in March should be repaired, had not been repaired The streetlight has needed repairing for at least 6 months.
And now it was thought that the repair was far too expensive and it should be left until there was more work to do to defray the call-out charge.
I asked if I could see the quote for the repair.
Monday 5 June
I helped check the asset register for Widmer End, including checking and taking photos of a bus shelter and two salt bins, and grappling with the question as to whether the bus shelter was made of Perspex or not. (No, I still have no idea).
At the request of the Clerk, I showed HPC’s contractor the trees that needed urgent cutting on the amenity site at Primrose Hill; residents in Brackley Road have been waiting 2 years for these trees, which overhang their gardens, to be cut. Perhaps it will all be done in a week or two.
Tuesday 6 June
I sent my comments on the revised application for the development at Terriers to Bucks Council. I did so as a ward councillor in case the Council, which is a statutory consultee, failed to submit comments; the deadline was near.
I also finished my first (and last) progress report on the mini-allotment pilot at the Primrose Hill allotment site. The report contained a factual account of how the Council had failed to deliver the mini-allotments for 3 months since approval by the Council in March. I gave Council the opportunity to comment on this before completing the report which sets out suggested lessons which Council might learn.
In response I received an unwarranted and offensive e-mail from Cllr Jones, the Chair of HPC. I therefore declined to have any further involvement with the pilot.
The first suggested lesson was that:-
“Council should recognise and welcome the contribution the allotment holders brought to the pilot.
It should recognise the expertise and knowledge of the allotment holders, some of whom have worked their plots for decades. It should recognise that the allotment holders collectively know better than anyone what is needed to develop the allotment site, including the mini-allotments. Not only do they have a long-term vision for the site but they also know how to get there.
It should recognise that what the allotment holders proposed was the best option for the allotment site because they know what works at the Primrose Hill allotment site and what doesn’t.”
I am happy to send anyone a copy of the report (but it is very long). It contains, in an Annex, a copy of Cllr Jones’ e-mail. The report goes to the Environment and Services Committee on 12 June and Full Council on 20 June.
Wednesday 7 June
The Clerk received a letter from the Placement Co-Ordinator of Community Payback (part of the Probation Service) offering to provide help to the Council. I welcomed the offer which arose from a meeting I had with the Co-Ordinator the previous week to explore what help Community Payback could provide at the Primrose Hill allotment site.
I also received an e-mail from Cllr Jones telling me, in relation to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), that he did not give me permission to share his e-mails. Presumably he was referring to the report I wrote on the mini-allotments.
I received the quote on the repair to the streetlight on Sunny Bank.
As background, a year ago, the Council (except me) thought the streetlight repairs would cost HPC about £100,000. £14,000 was put in the budget for last year and the same again for this year for streetlight repairs and £10,000 was put in the reserves. I don’t know how much Council has spent on streetlight repairs as Council hasn’t had last year’s financial outcome, nor a monthly budget report in months. I would guess the cost of last year’s repairs was about £2000.
The repair to the streetlight on Sunny Bank is the only repair outstanding and the call-out charge is £180. I think residents are entitled to get the streetlights repaired, particularly after so long not knowing whether they would have streetlights at all. In the circumstances, I didn’t think the cost was excessive.
I asked, as a ward councillor, for the repair to be carried out.
Finally that day, I popped into the meeting of Hughenden Parish Council’s Human Resources Committee. Now that I have been sanctioned and I have chosen not to be on any committees, I can pop in and leave committee meetings whenever I like.
The Committee agreed to recommend to Council two job descriptions for recruiting permanent staff to support the Clerk. I listened for a while, then I left the meeting and went home for my tea.
I could have spoken at the beginning of the meeting for 2 minutes as a member of the public but I preferred to listen and watch. Group dynamics are interesting.
Thursday 8 June
I attended a meeting about the proposed mini-allotments at the Primrose Hill allotment site with the Clerk, the locum Clerk, the Chair of Council, HPC’s contractor and, at my request, one of the allotment holders. Let’s just say HPC seems not able to deliver what the allotment holders would like and things will probably go in a different direction.
Friday 9 June
Councillors were reminded by the Chair that we had to comply with Standing Order 25 which says:-
“Unless duly authorised no councillor shall:
i. inspect any land and/or premises which the Council has a right or duty to inspect; or issue orders, instructions, or directions.
ii. issue orders, instructions, or directions.”
If councillors were confused about this, the Chair asked us to forward our queries to him.
I found this a bit odd, wondering who on earth would go round inspecting things and issuing orders. Moreover, I think if councillors are confused, it is for the Clerk to advise not the Chair. Luckily, I think I am pretty clear on this Standing Order.
Saturday 10 June
I drafted comments for the Council to send on the Terriers development and circulated them to Council for comment.
As I say, it’s been a pretty peaceful week. My parish council inbox is empty and I have nothing to do next week. The garden calls……..