Reply to THIS thread
Start a NEW Talkback Thread
Talkback Home

2015 BLPC elections - Editor (13th Nov 2014 - 15:06:28) In light of Peter R's stance to my response in the thread Willows Nursery - Parish Council update I have started this thread. If you are willing to stand against the current BLPC councillors in next years elections please come forward now and make the commitment to stand. Please use your real name when you post.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Phil (13th Nov 2014 - 19:18:28) Maybe the answer is that no-one should stand, at all.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Steve (13th Nov 2014 - 20:40:15) I wish with all my heart Tony Groves would stand I would be 100% behind him, the best man for the job!!!!!

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - A. Ryan (14th Nov 2014 - 10:53:40) Possibly the ones that put " themselves " forward, are not the ones we need.. Waverley Borough Council is hosting an information evening for people who are interested in becoming Councillors. Perhaps Hampshire should do the same.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Keith (14th Nov 2014 - 13:05:02) EHDC are holding an information session for anyone interested in becoming a councillor at Penns Place on Tuesday November 18th from 6-9pm. See their website at www.easthants.gov.uk/... for details.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Penny O\'Kane (14th Nov 2014 - 13:30:14) I have read all the above entries as well as other recent threads regarding the parish council's conduct which I have noted on this forum The single greatest error of judgement by this Parish Council has been its support for the Chicken Farm houses in Chiltley Lane. This housing development has stirred up massive local opposition, which I believe is unprecedented in terms of the number of objections that have ever been submitted to any single planning application in Liphook. How could the Parish Council have got the local sentiment so wrong and voted to support this application? I do not condone the bad way in which the Willows Nursery matter appears to have been played out, though I am not entirely familiar with that matter, but I do know the strength of feeling in our neighbourhood to the housing at the chicken farm. I am aware of the representations made by CFAG to explain to the parish council the reasons why this should not go ahead. What is truly staggering is that there is virtually no public support for houses to go on the chicken farm, yet the parish council has stated that they would like this land developed with housing in an area which will create a traffic nightmare for this part of Liphook. I think that the Head of the planning Committee in the parish council should resign as she is not listening to the views of the public whom she is meant to represent.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Peter R (14th Nov 2014 - 15:57:35) I was not making a "stance" merely responding to The Editor's post. It is not the job of the Editor to ask people who are willing to stand against the current BLPC in next year's elections to come forward and make a commitment to stand. If anyone is serious about wanting to stand as a councillor on the BLPC at the next election, he/she nearer the time, needs to obtain a nomination form either from the District Council or possibly from the Internet - there may well be a facility next year where people can download their own nomination forms. Details need to be filled in and I believe that for the parish council 6 electors have to be nominees (I think it is 10 for the District Council) and then the form submitted. Simple. Let us hope that there will be people who not only have the interest of the people of Bramshott & Liphook at heart which should go without saying, but are honest and intelligent and above all have integrity.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - colin (15th Nov 2014 - 00:14:24) Peter, I echo your comments however would add that treating villagers that care considerably about their village with respect should be a top priority otherwise people will continue to believe that parish councillors live in a different world and do not deserve their support. Being arrogant and condescending is a bit old hat and has possibly led to a lot of the bad feeling

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - h (15th Nov 2014 - 12:46:41) Have you been active in the village at all on other issue Peter R ? Are you helping with the parish plan for instance? the exhibition is, I believe next Friday and Saturday in the Milennium Hall ? it is all very well sniping, that is easy, actually volunteering for 4 years of hard work is different! Get supporters now by your efforts in the village eg charity work, and I am sure you will be rewarded by being elected. If a committee or body of 12 people get together, you will have 12 different opinions! EHDC are advertising for people with Business Knowledge to be Parish and District Councillors. In my opinion, council tax is paid by most people, not just business people, we should all be represented!

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Jaybee (23rd Jan 2015 - 20:35:23) It is just over three months to election day. Can anyone tell me who is standing for BLPC

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Dawn Hoskins (26th Jan 2015 - 11:23:12) Sorry about the length of this. Please bear with it and read it all if possible. Thanks. Since 2009, I have not noticed (ever) more than about 4 (FOUR) people in the room when the Parish Council were having a full council meeting. For normal Committee meetings; planning is the only place that people attend and this, disappointingly, is the only area that the Parish Council are hamstrung. If a project does not fall within a rule that can be objected to – it must be approved. Or the refusal overturned. The people who have REAL power in planning are the EHDC councillors. Do you know who they are? There are 44 of them. Have you been called to one of their meetings? Have you seen the minutes? Do you know who said what about whom? I think I know the answer. People with no understanding of how the Parish Council works then go on to blame the Parish Councillors for making bad decisions, when in reality they can only make prescribed answers given the particular facts. If for example there are not ‘XY’ number of houses per hectare then there cannot be an objection on the grounds of (over development), even though we as individuals can see that the houses are squeezed in like shoe boxes – there is no discretion allowed. The rules come from central government and are not flexible. Even in planning meetings, people generally only attend if the property is either next door to them and they don’t want it in their back yard, or is what they consider over-development. So for a normal meeting, perhaps about 4 people might turn up. As far as regular committee meetings go in which (unlike planning) the Parish Council have the authority to manage without input from EHDC, I can only speak for the Millennium Hall management meetings as far as numbers, but in 4 years, and despite regularly inviting and imploring the public to get interested, a big fat ZERO members of the public have attended. Yes, that was ZERO. It is possible that there may have been isolated meetings in which a member of the public came, but I think you might be getting the drift here. The point I am making here is that, if you want to get riled up about the Parish Council - that is great. But don’t get riled up about things that you heard from your next door neighbours Aunty - who heard it in the post office - from somebody who glanced at a line on here - and then reported it to you as gospel. It is not possible IMO for many people posting here to know what has been done/not done; said/not said; acted upon/omitted if they have been nowhere in sight of any meetings. How do you propose that you know things? By reading them in The Herald? If you are trying to get facts from The Herald you are going to have to look for a very long time, get aching eyes and still leave disappointed after years of trying! Journalistic ability and barge poles come to mind. It’s a bit like complaining that your child has become unruly when you have neglected it for 4 years! As a caring parent you monitor your child, praise the good behaviour and weed-out the poor behaviour. If you did not do this they could lick mud off rocks and you would never know. There are about 8,000 voters in this constituency. There are Parish Council meetings every week. I know the old chestnut is …”I would have come but I am too busy”….”I can’t come - I am at work”…..” I can’t come I have children”…… and I am sure that for some people this is genuine. But for 8,000 of you? Many of the Parish Councillors also work, are busy and have children – but they come and work hard to represent you – the people – who in return don’t come and only pay attention once every 4 years when a nasty few love to take swipes for points using fake names (not being brave enough to show themselves). Being a Councillor is a very good and rewarding thing to do. It takes hard work and commitment with no rounds of applause, no financial benefit and generally only criticism from the public who do not understand the restraints you are under. The fact that no-one really knows what they can and can’t do before they get elected generally means they put things in manifestos which they will be powerless to have any affect over. Like - traffic, policing, speeding, dog poo, schooling etc etc. It is only when people get elected they realise they can’t do any of it despite their wants! However, the manifestos give a very good indication as to what each prospective councillor feels about topics affecting them – so they are still worth paying attention to. I certainly vote according to the personalities displayed in manifestos. If you want to work for the benefit of the village and hamlets, have a thick skin for when lies and insults are slung at you from the press and internet ‘ringers’ and also from people who have been led to believe the aforementioned, if you can reach a compromise in a professional manner and have a philanthropic nature with regards to giving your time (lots of time) - then I recommend standing for local election. It is a worthy thing to do, working in a supportive, collegiate and friendly atmosphere.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Dave (26th Jan 2015 - 16:23:29) In response to Dawn Hoskins. Was she not in attendance, or perhaps oblivious to the numbers attending meetings, when,on a number of occasions, there were so many members of the public that some were only able to stand in the car park and get Chinese whispers on the discussions? I guess this is the start of your campaign for re-election !

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Dawn Hoskins (26th Jan 2015 - 16:38:44) Dave. I am talking about general attendances. Of course there have been a few planning issues and the Willows nursery issue that have encouraged people to attend. Which they did - just for the one or possible two meetings relating to that topic. Other than that - no one comes, no one interacts, no one has phoned me no one has emailed me in the 4 years I have been a serving Councillor. People listen to gossip and scandalous reporting - the inaccuracy and bias of which simply beggars belief but they don't ask the Councillor, the people that actually know. Then after not having anything to do with us for 4 years complain that they don't think we have done anything. p.s. I am not standing for election. I hope and pray that others will take up the mantle - but I will not be.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Big Sigh (26th Jan 2015 - 23:44:18) Dawn. You have my considerable respect for your time effort and commitment over the last few years, which has cost you personally. You have done your bit. Time now for you to retire with grace. In addition, you have tried extremely hard to explain situations on this and other forums and with this latest post very eloquently. Sadly, you know as well as I that you will never convince the cynical, the unknowing, nor those that choose not to engage but merely criticise. I have come to see that many simply do not deserve the considerable time and effort that you volunteers have consistently made in the face of such criticism as "perhaps we should not accept those who put themselves forward". How bankrupt a statement is that? How much of a cop out? Well I don't have a thick enough skin, nor would I be as polite. Hardly characteristics worthy of votes. That's my cop out. Despite Dave and all the others who can do nothing positive but to carp, moan, and insinuate, which is their inalienable right of course, you have no need to continue to try to persuade. Enjoy your retirement from the fray. I believe you have earned the right. Purpura, color autem nobilem !

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Dawn Hoskins (3rd Feb 2015 - 15:58:22) Time and again, I have heard that ‘The Parish Council’ ‘want’ or are ‘in favour’ this site. That is complete nonsense spoken by people who simply do not understand the planning constraints that councillors must work under. In areas which are inside an area of sustainable development (Liphook) there is an automatic presumption to build. This is not something that is dreamed up by Parish Councillors, but a policy from Central Government. The presumption to build is rebuttable only if certain (but few) objections can be matched to the application. If there is no matching objection that can be made to stick – then the Parish council have no choice. They are entirely hamstrung by policy. They can’t object for the sake of objecting. It would be great if there was a box to tick on the objections list that said: Liphook is full; Liphook does not have the infrastructure to cope……etc. It doesn't, it can’t and it won’t. You may not like, or understand these provisions, but to put in simple terms, if the answer is yes (to the questions listed below) -you can’t object. All the Parish Council has the power to do is place ‘Conditions’ on the application to cover the concerns that have. Which they did do. The Conditions placed are that ‘developer contributions’ must pay for the required improvements to the Midhurst Road railway bridge and the safety issues thereon; that ‘Public Open Space’ must be provided in the form of allotments; that the developer remove all the Japanese Knotweed; that the developer must try to provide additional on-site parking spaces. I have looked with great interest at this as it has rolled on with ill-informed allegations being made against the Parish Council that they are not acting in the Parishioners best interests etc – but – please at least try to understand what the rules are before you complain that they have been broken. If you are dealt a hand full of bad cards all you can do is play the best you have – even though it is still a low scorer! We, as parish, and whether we like it or not are going to have hundreds of homes thrust upon us, because central government said so (Not because our Parish Councillors are doing a bad job). So all the Parish can do is look at all the cards in the rubbish hand they have been dealt by the various developers and decide which is the least bad. Is this an area of sustainable settlement? Yes Does the site have adequate access? Yes Does the application provide adequate car parking provision. Yes Have Hampshire County council approved road access? Yes Is the site outside of a registered flood zone? Yes Does the number of affordable homes match the number of private residences? Yes Is the application accord with current housing allocation needs? Yes Is the application high, medium or low density compared to surrounding areas? Low Does the application accord with the National Planning Framework guidelines? Yes Can the Parish Council object to this proposal under the planning rules..........No What can you do about it? Write to your member of Parliament, write to head of EHDC, attend planning meetings at Penns Place. You can campaign against the rules, but slagging off the Parish Council is wrong, misguided, unwarranted and just plain silly. It's like shooting the messenger because you don't like the message! Learn what the rules are - then protest to the rule makers.

Re: 2015 BLPC elections - Editor (26th Feb 2015 - 12:46:48) Just thought I'd bump this one back up.

Reply to THIS thread
Talkback Home