Monday 12 May 2008

What's happening this week in Abbeygate Street?

Guess? Or watch this space?

11 comments:

Bury Boy said...

New rising bollards, and small smart black gates maybe!

Mark G. Hardy said...

Our two erstwhile Abbeygate Councillors put in the stocks to raise money for Hoffy's swim? Interesting Town meeting last night - shame not more knew that it was on.

Charlotte Howard said...

BB - You are warm.

Mark - I thought your use of 'erstwhile' last night was simply derogatory. Now I realise that you don't seem to understand its true meaning.

What a pity you didn't stay for the Annual Meeting of the Town Council: you could have asked your much heralded question and heard my answer. You could have also heard the Council's response to the Boundary Committee.

Mark G. Hardy said...

Presumably I will be getting a written reply and the boundary committee letter will be put on the website? Sorry I couldn't stay but I had family commitments ahead of two days away

Picklesmum said...

SO? What is happening in Abbeygate Street?

Charlotte Howard said...

PM - New gates and bollards to be unveiled officially next week - at last!

Mark - My own reply to all your questions would be "as appropriate". The letter reads as follows:

Dear Review Manager,

Having considered the options for unitary government in Suffolk, Bury St Edmunds Town Council asks the Committee broadly to support a West Suffolk unitary council rather than a larger all-Suffolk (with or without Ipswich) version. Our reasons include the following:

1. It would be easier to communicate with a West Suffolk council, which would be less remote to our residents than a larger Suffolk one.

2. We are not convinced that the local assemblies suggested by the County models will in reality give us as much contact with our unitary council; nor do we feel they will be flexible enough to meet the differing needs and expectations of people in West Suffolk.

3. We assume that the new West Suffolk House (Public Service Village) would be the centre of a West Suffolk Council, which would make communication and liaison particularly easy for us in Bury St Edmunds.

4. As a rural market town we feel we have greater affinity with our neighbouring parishes in the West than with those of the urban and coastal areas in the East.

We trust you will take note of our representations above, and look forward to hearing the results of your deliberations.

Yours etc

Mark G. Hardy said...

Gates?

I thought that was a forbidden word! And you did ask about "this" week not next!

Will my wait for a written reply be as long as the one that Richard Rout had to publicly apologise for not having given at the Annual Meeting?

As for the BTC letter, you have my email sent before I knew that all Town Council disclosures were to be made via your blog.

You know as well as I do that what you have done is entirely contrary to the Boundary Committee's instructions - says it all really. Is that why the non-Bury resident Woolpit mafia were out in force on Monday to ensure the 3 line whip was followed?

Is it true that there is not a single non-Conservative Councillor on any committee?

Picklesmum said...

Rising bollards or boring bollards??

Charlotte Howard said...

PM - Do you think the council tax payers of SEBC would like to pay for rising ones?

Mark - To assume there is a Party line on the unitary debate is odd enough, even without noting that my draft letter was seconded by a Labour member. Perhaps you could explain exactly how we have acted "contrary to the Committee's instructions"?

From memory non-Conservatives are indeed represented on the BSETC committees, but had you stayed for the meeting you would have witnessed yourself the dearth of ABC and Labour nominations.

Mark G. Hardy said...

Its the end of the week and nothing has happened unless you count (i) a couple of demountable bollards where the gap between them and their neighbours is greater than the width of most cars and (ii) the appearance of an unbelievable number of red and white plastic cones

Bury Boy said...

Of course we want rising bollards, as I understand the paid members in the employ of the council recommended, most members of the public think we were getting,only to be voted down by the conserative grouping under direction of the conserative non elected mafia. Which might be before your time Paul.
As it is we are going to get a cheap set of gates, for a ever cheapen part of the historic core. It just seems every thing a certain body does, is late, under funded, limited in time and "cheap" almost sommerfield rather than waitrose.
Where has the value and tradition gone, could we honestly say that any of the local council works will still be in place in 100 years time, thank goodness the church of england still has foresight.