Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Monday, 7 August 2017
Tisbury Parish including Upper Chicksgrove Also West Tisbury Parish
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One moved into the UPPER
CHICKSGROVE area of Tisbury Parish in 1980, however our family had
sent cousin Finetta (Downe) to Tisbury via Dinton by 4th.May
1674. As a new comer I wasn't minded to seek election to any local
Council here , though one had previously twice stood for election as
an Independent to the New Forest District Council, after eight years
residence in that location.
One had three daughters,
all fortuitously soon at Salisbury Girl's Grammar School. Possibly
locals may not be aware that in those days ,Tisbury persons were
ineligible for Salisbury Grammar Schools. However my old spirit being
undulled,one contested such ineligibility, and despite there being no
vacancy at the girls grammar school, the school was required on
appeal, to accommodate yet another girl, because there were vacancies
at the Boys Grammar, and equality of the sexes was then of prime
import. It was after our entry, that Tisbury persons were deemed
eligible for selection to the Salisbury Grammar Schools. Certainly
before then some Catholic children could be sent by the Council to
Catholic Private Schools such as St.Mary's at Shaftesbury. I did
actually offer to let our girls go there , rather than to a Salisbury
Grammar School, but the Council thought that an expensive option.
Attendance at Salisbury
wasn't that straight forward, for there was soon the suggestion that
both its Grammar Schools be abolished. Thus one was busy assisting
others in their fight for the retention of both schools. Though one
left most of the enterprise to them, one assisted, becoming too
Secretary and Treasurer of the PTA. At South Wilts.
Having never lost interest
in local governance, there came a time one wondered whether to have a
stab at candidacy for Salisbury District Council, however saw no
actual vacancy, nor considered myself in any way better suited to
attempt either Tisbury seat, than those who then represented us. That
was as well, for decision was next made to abolish the District
Council and have but County and Parish Councils. The probability of
my failure apart , it was as well one hadn't stood for election as
an Independent, for one next heard that none of those elected in our
area was considered suited to hold 'office' at Trowbridge, though the
Council chair was herself elevated to become a member of the House of
Lords.
Tisbury Village, has
Parish Councils for each of its two constituent parishes . People did
volunteer their services as Councillors, but seemingly too few do so
now. I recall a while back, that a then sitting Parish Councillor and
I, made complaint to the then District Council that Tisbury Parish
Council had too many Parish Councillors. Despite a letter from the
Parish Council disputing the suggestion, The District reduced the
number of our seats by two. This, please be reminded reduced our
Councillorship to but eleven persons ,
even so last May we had no election for Parish Councillors, because
we were short of four or was it five candidates. One has really lost
track of West Tisbury, for that Parish Council hasn't had an election
for years.
Is either Tisbury
Parish Council now representative of its area electorate ?
Despite the good intent
of those offering their services as Parish Councillors in either
Parish, one suspects Tisbury Village area', should be a conjoined
Parish, with fewer Parish Councillors than severally it now has.
Should
that first happen, then possibly an over all elected Parish Council ,
might better decide upon the way ahead for the village of
Tisbury, for some do not see things as others currently do.
Unfortunately West Tisbury
seems reluctant to amalgamate its Parish with ours, could this be
because currently Tisbury Parish Council ratepayers alone, pay for
facilities enjoyed too by West Tisbury ?
One noted the disparity
of votes cast at Tisbury's Parish Council election in May four years
ago. That indicated that some of our Councillors were more favoured
than others. That's perfectly understandable, however one is asked to
elect a full Council, not nominate personal favourites. Clearly one
should either vote for a full council, or not vote at all. What
happened distorted all the candidates' good intent. However its only
fair to acknowledge that many other Wiltshire Parishes also failed to
hold an election this last May, because there were too few candidates
to precipitate an election.
One does not know whether
there are still vacancies on Tisbury Parish Council. If now there are
none, one wonders why those who may have filled vacancies didn't
offer their services from the off. Something that one does register
is that the Tisbury Business Association seems to thrive, so further
wonder why more such' public spirited' persons failed to stand for
election to the Parish Council.
Living as one does out in
the 'sticks', I have little idea who some of our current Parish
Councillors are, for their names are unfamiliar . Nor do I know most
of the
'Tis Plan Steering Group, July 2017', nor how one came
by them , but one is grateful for everyone's helpful intent.
One wonders, concerning the ' Neighbourhood plan for Tisbury and West Tisbury.'
but thank all those who
have done so much work concerning it. I certainly went to one of its
'open days.' however the only person there whom I knew, seemed too
busy to engage in any conversation with me. I do not recall receiving
a specific questionnaire one heard tell of. However do recall that
several years back the then Chair of Tisbury Parish Council was
surprised to hear that Upper Chicksgrove was within Tisbury Parish.
Since then we did elect an Upper Chicksgrove resident as a Parish
Councillor, however she resigned early on, because I understand ,
Tisbury Parish Council seemed less than inclusive of Upper
Chicksgrove.
Some years ago a different
questionnaire was distributed by Tisbury volunteers, I helped with
its distribution and collection, but having done so, left ones fellow
volunteers to it, because one wasn't invited to even see , or process
the returns. The distribution of the questionnaire in large brown
envelopes was comprehensive, the only answers I saw were , but as a
published resume, produced by some of the remaining committee
members.
Did not that questionnaire
advise that 'Tisbury 'had no wish for a new car park at the bottom of
the High Street, nor wished to see the old Parmiter site used for
accommodation rather than employment ? If such was so, one may wonder
why any pursued the car park idea before abandoning the project, or
still persist in the idea of using the old Parmiter site for
accommodation, despite that expressed contrary wish of Tisbury
residents.
There was too the matter
of that 'new' housing estate off Hindon Lane, Tisbury. Of course
Tisbury acquired a financial 'Nest Egg' from that Developer, but some
of the money was used for the construction of a Cricket Pavilion in
an adjoined Parish. I've no idea who owns that structure, nor why
Tisbury paid for much of it.
What then of the former
Tisbury Middle School , once taken over by a private school. I
recall attending a meeting hosted by the County Council. I too,
having been invited to make comment by the County, the then chair of
the Tisbury Parish Council, objected that my expressed opinion was
contrary to that of the Parish Council, and that I spoke at a meeting
I had no business attending.
A Private School became
the occupant of the former Tisbury Middle School premises for a
period of time, but Tisbury shared use of its School Hall with them.
Eventually the school left
and its premises were re-acquired by the County for community use,
not only for Tisbury, but too for surrounding Parishes.
The current road access to
that former Tisbury school seems appallingly dangerous , passing as
it does through a housing estate if approached from central Tisbury.
Mind you one might approach it via the Wyndham Place area, (should
the 'proposed' gate remain open
The Wyndham name being adopted for
a particular piece of development ,wasn't appreciated by the owners
of other houses named Wyndhams in the Tisbury and Chicksgrove
Parishes, whose addresses soon attracted unwelcome correspondence of
a financial nature, which harassment the Police were advised of.
Why is Tisbury Parish
Council seemingly so out of touch with the electorate? I do not
believe'Tisbury Village as a whole', needs so many Parish Councillors
, nor need of two Parish Clerks.
One duly notes that Hindon
and Compton Chamberlain have modern Halls, so one wonders why
'Tisbury' has such a 'hotch potch' of Halls . Goodness only knows
what is to become of the old library premises? Is that too to cost
the Parish money ?
One wonders too what rates
local shops pay ? Its convenient to have such facilities, but one
sees Tisbury persons shopping in Shaftesbury and Salisbury, whilst
subsidising the Council rates of Tisbury Shop premises.
Living as my wife and I do
in Tisbury Parish, in an on- road semi detached cottage some two
miles off the Village Centre, I do not see it as my mission in life
to spend £ 45.98 every week of the year ( £6.56 per day, ) to fund
both County and Parish Councils . To add insult to injury newer homes
are charged on the value of such houses on 1st.April
1991. Thus too rather grander landed properties , now restored , pay
lower rates than we do, especially those who have their rates
discounted because of sole occupation, or due to other financial
considerations. No doubt those of us not so benefiting, pay for such
discounts ? If readers will excuse me mentioning such a thing, none
of the housing in Upper Chicksgrove is connected to the near by
sewerage system, so no such costs are not included in Council bills.
Upper Chicksgrove had
surveyors at work in a farm yard a couple of weeks ago. One fears the
worst , for all the buildings in both the upper and lower farm yards
were connected to a modern drainage system a year or so back. It will
be interesting to see what may happen there anon. One did ask the
owner of the farm in a letter dated the 19th July last
year, but received no written reply. I recall someone else explaining
to me a year or so back that he had opened a commercial car repair
business in the Farm Yard. He however left, though another now
repairs cars there, and others do I know not what. Do these Farm
buildings pay rates?
Quarry Lane Upper
Chicksgrove has a former Quarry the other side of the railway line.
Stone comes in, stone goes out, some stone is still excavated. Such
enterprise was seemingly encouraged by the Parish Council, however an
associated planning permission failed at County Council level. So
what happens now , apart from the stone that still goes in and out?
Then of course there is
access to that railway line, all of which is via a stone bridge over
the Nadder River, which is at last under repair. Upper Chicksgrove is
of course 'separated' from Tisbury village by both the burial ground
and the sewage works. Not that our community is connected to the
Sewage system, nor to Tisbury's high speed Internet access, though
we are expected to pay for its use.
Possibly Upper Chicksgrove
should be amalgamated with Lower Chicksgrove. There was talk a while
back of it being included in the Parish of West Tisbury, possibly
that was a joke !
One realises that Tisbury
, and other Parish Councillors try their best, however maybe the
electorate here and in other Parishes feels disconnected from Parish
affairs, so do not stand for election, vote, or attend Council
meetings. This never used to be the way things were. Has this
anything to do with the loss of our District Council ? JBP. 7th August 2017.
Saturday, 7 January 2017
THE COST OF ACCOMMODATION.
One was chatting to a working man this morning who mentioned that he paid £700 rent for his house. Well one had to ask, and his answer was, that was the rent he paid per month. Naturally one knows not the house, none the less can but think of another house , situated in a prime position of a Thames side village, the rent of which my late mother as a widow became beneficiary of. At first it’s gross controlled rent was £60pa.exclusive of rates ,being as it was negotiated during the depression of the thirties, and maintained by wartime security of tenure provisions. Apart from that newly built terrace house, there was too free use of a shared maintained four acre garden, along with a private gardens attached to the house, and use of a garage.
When such controlled tenancies were set aside, the prior tenants of the house, had no wish to pay the new gross rent of £300 pa exclusive , as prescribed by Chartered Surveyors, (without use of the four acres) they left the property. Thus it was that in the nineteen sixties the house was sold for in the region of £5000 Leasehold, with a thirty shilling a year ground rent. However of a sudden by order of the Government’s new legislation, the freehold had next to be sold to the tenant for £15.plus Lawyer’s and Valuer’s costs. One has always thought this legislation bordered on legislative dishonesty, but it was occasioned on account of the hoard of Victorian leasehold tenancies then about to expire in areas such as Brighton. ‘Landlords’ lost out , whilst most tenants were financially advantaged, especially those who had recently bought cheaply, the tail ends of tenancies about to fall in. If that was bad luck for the original property owners, what of the good fortune of the lady who’d purchased the freehold of ‘our’ house. Well her children presently offer ‘our’ end of terrace house and two garages which I provided, and garden etc. for sale at a little under a million pounds freehold, The house has a recently converted loft space with Velux windows and a newly built lobby area to the back door. I hope their sale is successful, none the less feel that ‘we’ the original builders lost out on father’s expectations.
Ones own sob story apart, one feels that Governments, are little short of incompetent in their dealings. Maybe rent controls should be brought back. I know that I couldn’t afford to pay £700 a month to rent a house, anymore than one can afford to pay well over £2000 a year for the rates of our current rurally located, on a side road property. Here all our neighbours except two, get ‘discounts’ either for single occupancy, or because their now modernised houses are still assessed at their original valuations. I appreciate the money councils spend has to come from somewhere, but very much object to part financing the discounts available to others, who are better able than I to finance their own living costs, and one can but wonder why currently now grander properties are newly assessed to pay lower rates than we do. One cant do anything about that until one sells our house. It really is time for the re-valuations of property, promised but defaulted upon by government.
I don’t suppose that only the big house opposite and our good selves solely pay for the discounts of others, and to be fair when either my wife or I kick the bucket, our house too will be discounted by 10% ( over £200 pa.) having but a single person occupancy. Then of course the rest of you can make up the deficit when paying your rates.
TISBURY PARISH COUNCIL.
Living as one does two miles off central Tisbury, one wonders why our part co-opted Tisbury Parish Council think it appropriate to scatter our money around as they seem to, and heaven only knows which Council will be paying the running costs of the old Nadder Middle School premises.
Both County and Parish Councils, are due elections soon, and one notes that some long serving Parish Councillors may resign their elected office. Possibly the idea is that once again others be co-opted to fill such vacancies. Personally I’d rather now let any vacancies remain unfilled until after forthcoming elections, because already too many of the Parish Councillors hold their office, by co-option, some having inherited the office of former ‘co-optees.’
DOWN BY THE STATION.
Something else one is concerned about is the current proposal to spend was it five thousand pounds a year to hire an area of ground below the railway station, which area would be used for car parking, presumably after rate payers have paid a small fortune to surface the area .I do not see any such need, so believe Tisbury Parishioners , should again be consulted, before Parish Councillors are minded to so spend our money even on a leasehold basis. Alternatively maybe the Tisbury Business Association might wish to hire the land itself. ?
Some years ago the Parish’s opinion was against the idea of buying that piece of land opposite the station. Our opinions were clearly expressed in the questionnaire all houses in Tisbury were invited to complete .After its delivery to each house by a voluntary group (Here I would declare my interest in the questionnaire, for I was among the original volunteers to formulate some of the questions, then distribute, and collect the answers in their anonymous impressive plain brown envelopes ) These once collected were handed in , to be processed by a sub committee. However having not been invited to assess the completed questionnaires, my work done I left the committee to their deliberations. When the opinions expressed in the questionnaire were published, one of the things it advised was that Tisbury had no wish to BUY this car park area opposite the station. So it concerns me now to hear that some are minded that Tisbury pays the owner of the land £5,000 a year to RENT it.
Did one read that the ground is the property of a Mr. Johnson and if so is this the same man who once sold me 2 Bennett Mews, leasehold, for the occupation of my late mother A house which later I sold on.? J.B.P.
6th January 2017.
One was chatting to a working man this morning who mentioned that he paid £700 rent for his house. Well one had to ask, and his answer was, that was the rent he paid per month. Naturally one knows not the house, none the less can but think of another house , situated in a prime position of a Thames side village, the rent of which my late mother as a widow became beneficiary of. At first it’s gross controlled rent was £60pa.exclusive of rates ,being as it was negotiated during the depression of the thirties, and maintained by wartime security of tenure provisions. Apart from that newly built terrace house, there was too free use of a shared maintained four acre garden, along with a private gardens attached to the house, and use of a garage.
When such controlled tenancies were set aside, the prior tenants of the house, had no wish to pay the new gross rent of £300 pa exclusive , as prescribed by Chartered Surveyors, (without use of the four acres) they left the property. Thus it was that in the nineteen sixties the house was sold for in the region of £5000 Leasehold, with a thirty shilling a year ground rent. However of a sudden by order of the Government’s new legislation, the freehold had next to be sold to the tenant for £15.plus Lawyer’s and Valuer’s costs. One has always thought this legislation bordered on legislative dishonesty, but it was occasioned on account of the hoard of Victorian leasehold tenancies then about to expire in areas such as Brighton. ‘Landlords’ lost out , whilst most tenants were financially advantaged, especially those who had recently bought cheaply, the tail ends of tenancies about to fall in. If that was bad luck for the original property owners, what of the good fortune of the lady who’d purchased the freehold of ‘our’ house. Well her children presently offer ‘our’ end of terrace house and two garages which I provided, and garden etc. for sale at a little under a million pounds freehold, The house has a recently converted loft space with Velux windows and a newly built lobby area to the back door. I hope their sale is successful, none the less feel that ‘we’ the original builders lost out on father’s expectations.
Ones own sob story apart, one feels that Governments, are little short of incompetent in their dealings. Maybe rent controls should be brought back. I know that I couldn’t afford to pay £700 a month to rent a house, anymore than one can afford to pay well over £2000 a year for the rates of our current rurally located, on a side road property. Here all our neighbours except two, get ‘discounts’ either for single occupancy, or because their now modernised houses are still assessed at their original valuations. I appreciate the money councils spend has to come from somewhere, but very much object to part financing the discounts available to others, who are better able than I to finance their own living costs, and one can but wonder why currently now grander properties are newly assessed to pay lower rates than we do. One cant do anything about that until one sells our house. It really is time for the re-valuations of property, promised but defaulted upon by government.
I don’t suppose that only the big house opposite and our good selves solely pay for the discounts of others, and to be fair when either my wife or I kick the bucket, our house too will be discounted by 10% ( over £200 pa.) having but a single person occupancy. Then of course the rest of you can make up the deficit when paying your rates.
TISBURY PARISH COUNCIL.
Living as one does two miles off central Tisbury, one wonders why our part co-opted Tisbury Parish Council think it appropriate to scatter our money around as they seem to, and heaven only knows which Council will be paying the running costs of the old Nadder Middle School premises.
Both County and Parish Councils, are due elections soon, and one notes that some long serving Parish Councillors may resign their elected office. Possibly the idea is that once again others be co-opted to fill such vacancies. Personally I’d rather now let any vacancies remain unfilled until after forthcoming elections, because already too many of the Parish Councillors hold their office, by co-option, some having inherited the office of former ‘co-optees.’
DOWN BY THE STATION.
Something else one is concerned about is the current proposal to spend was it five thousand pounds a year to hire an area of ground below the railway station, which area would be used for car parking, presumably after rate payers have paid a small fortune to surface the area .I do not see any such need, so believe Tisbury Parishioners , should again be consulted, before Parish Councillors are minded to so spend our money even on a leasehold basis. Alternatively maybe the Tisbury Business Association might wish to hire the land itself. ?
Some years ago the Parish’s opinion was against the idea of buying that piece of land opposite the station. Our opinions were clearly expressed in the questionnaire all houses in Tisbury were invited to complete .After its delivery to each house by a voluntary group (Here I would declare my interest in the questionnaire, for I was among the original volunteers to formulate some of the questions, then distribute, and collect the answers in their anonymous impressive plain brown envelopes ) These once collected were handed in , to be processed by a sub committee. However having not been invited to assess the completed questionnaires, my work done I left the committee to their deliberations. When the opinions expressed in the questionnaire were published, one of the things it advised was that Tisbury had no wish to BUY this car park area opposite the station. So it concerns me now to hear that some are minded that Tisbury pays the owner of the land £5,000 a year to RENT it.
Did one read that the ground is the property of a Mr. Johnson and if so is this the same man who once sold me 2 Bennett Mews, leasehold, for the occupation of my late mother A house which later I sold on.? J.B.P.
6th January 2017.
Thursday, 20 October 2016
Papalscope in the Autumn
BBC RADIO.
bbc RADIO 4 dab and bbc Radio 4 on
92.90 MHZ fm STEREO.
We have in particular two modern radio
receivers, one tuned to digital and the other not. This is so
because one signal or the other works better in each room, though
but paces apart.
Why is it that the 'Time Pips' do not
coincide on both sets ? Surely this is very wrong and must be due to
faulty engineering at the transmission end ? One can hear words
received in one room, and hear them again in another, more
importantly that time signal. Its not even a marginal delay, its a
matter of half a sentence's delay. One would have addressed this to
the BBC, but alas one is seemingly unable to be so advise them via
the internet.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
A
while ago one made mention of the Chair of Wiltshire County
Council's elevation to the House of Lords. One had noted that her
intention was to continue as Leader our County Council, and so she
has. That apart one reads that her Ladyship also advantages the House
of Lords with frequent attendances. It amazes that one can do so
much, when so many others merely attend the Upper House to collect
their financial allowance for a particular day. My late widowed half
sister, married into the Upper House,she being the second wife of a
Chairman of Guy's Hospital. etc.,so he too a busy person, a man whose
father had been a famed Governor of the Bank of England. All too
often though inherited titles do not so match the capabilities of
those who inherited them. Maybe it's way past the time for a general
refurbishment of the Upper House, which according to the news heard
on the radio today, is becoming the Rest Home for failed
politicians.
WHAT OF LOCAL COUNCILS ?
It really isn't
an easy job to be any sort of a Councillor. All too many may be
beguiled into Councillorship in the mistaken belief that little may
be expected of them . It really isn't good enough to offer ones
services even at Parish Level, be one elected or even co-opted, only
to fall by the wayside, and so make way for another, who more
probably than not , will be the Co-option of the remaining sitting
Councillors, many of whom were themselves previously co-opted.
Change is needed, can lack of change be why so many show disinterest
in any level of Councillorship ?.
We have
elections coming up next year, PLEASE will all those who may be
interested in local Governance reconsider their possible candidature.
Heaven save us from the candidature of mere Protesters, whose
standing more often than not, may ensure the election of some even
less favoured candidate, than the prior incumbent of the Seat
contested..
I've always been
very interested in local Governance. Though twice un-elected as a
Independent District Councillor in the New Forest near forty years
ago, I wasn't afterwards tempted by the Conservative Party's
suggestion that I seek nomination as their Hampshire County Council
candidate, in a hitherto secure Conservative ward.. One wasn't that
desperate.
HOUSING THE HOMELESS.
Some years ago
Government legislated to enforce the sale of Council Housing to
Tenants; and too the selling of privately owned freeholds, when
the period of the tenants lease exceeded in the region of twenty five
years. ( You might check the detail for accuracy). So it was that
Local Councils lost many of their houses, council estates were split
up, so estates are no longer able to be redeveloped as a whole. Other
landlords both corporate and private had to sell the freeholds of
the houses they owned to their tenants for maybe as little as
fifteen or twenty pounds, plus solicitors costs.
The trouble with
such private housing was that much of it had been on hundred year
leases then falling in, and the Government feared having to rehouse
the multitude in places such as Brighton.
One is reminded
of this because such an end terrace house in a Thames Side village
sold leasehold for a few thousand pounds,subsequently had its
freehold made available through legislation, to the sitting tenant
for circa £20 plus Legal costs. The house's attic has since been
plastered out to accommodate an additional family member, and its
Kitchen area ever so slightly extended. It is for sale now, for just
under a million pounds sterling. I mention sterling for its owners
live in Brazil.
What brought
that on ? Well last evening 19.10.2016. there were a couple of
programmes on Television. One programme concerned the ways that the
homeless might or might not access council accommodation. A case in
particular concerned the eviction of a son of a deceased female
tenant, he having more or less lived in the house, with his mother
for some forty years. One heard of new tenants receiving the tenancy
from the council in his stead. Alas their need was greater, and the
Council's stock no longer as it was, due to the Government nonsense
of enforced sales of Council Houses... Much of that is let out by
its new owners, to tenants financially subsidised by local Councils,
for relatively astronomical sums of money.
There was too an
investigation into the ways of acquiring fraudulent benefit both
financial and housing. Investigators with sub minature cameras were
taken into the confidence of a number of persons , allegedly
fraudulently claiming all manner of benefits. Whilst joyful in their
alleged deceit, they were less joyful when told they would be on
television.
BBC2 'No place
to call Home', 9 pm. and then Channel 5 10pm 'Under Cover Benefit
Cheats'.19.10.16 Possibly both programs may now be found on the
Internet.
J.B.P. 20th
October 2016.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
NOW THERE IS A FUNNY THING.
Lymington & and; Pennington Town Council
(Pennington Ward)
on Thursday 1 September 2016
Since writing about Pennington Ward of the New Forest District Council on September 1st.this year, I am advised that the Lymington and Pennington Ward of the local Council happened to hold a By- election for a vacated Lymington and Pennington seat on the Town Council later that same day.
Since both the Liberal Democrat and the Conservative candidate each received 401 votes, it was agreed that the Returning Officer should indeed ' toss a coin ' to determine the result of the election, his doing so resulted in the Council seat being awarded to the young Liberal Democrat Jack Davies who was then given an extra vote. by the Returning Officer.
(As a matter of interest the Independent received 119 votes whilst Labour received 55 votes. Clearly even now Pennington does not support Independents at either level of local Government, however it is good that seats are so contested between election years , when all Tisbury can offer is an interminable succession of adopted Councillors.)
Thursday, 1 September 2016
Papalscope Tisbury Wiltshire 1st September 2016
HOW THEN ARE THINGS IN UPPER CHICKSGROVE ?
A number of years ago, residents of Quarry Lane, were asked whether we wished to become part of an adjoined Parish or remain a part of Tisbury Parish. I must confess I voted for the latter proposition but over the years have come to regret doing so, because all too often our once rural area now finds itself disadvantaged .
There was a recent enough Chair of the Parish Council who didn’t even realise that we were part of the Parish of Tisbury. We did once rustle up a local Parish Councillor, but she resigned very early on, I understood because she found that the circumstance of the Tisbury Parish Council had little in common with Upper Chicksgrove where she then lived.
PLANNING MATTERS
Over recent years the Upper Chicksgrove Quarry has reopened for use, and quarrying apart, there have been a number of additional permissions granted which seemingly will still be sustainable even should the Quarry itself become exhausted.
QUARRY FARM YARD .
The entirety of the top of this farm yard is residentially used, An owner having converted a main barn to a very nice house, part of which had permission to be temporarily used for business purposes. There are in that same upper farmyard, two other buildings which no doubt anon. someone will wish to convert into at least one large, and one small house.
There is too a lower farmyard, the similar Chilmark stone buildings of which, would undoubtedly gain permission for housing, if such an application was again made
Possibly anon someone will so make application , and thereby shock the neighbours , but surely such would be a proper use for the buildings, especially as all the buildings in both farm yards were recently connected to a brand new sewerage system, which allegedly cost the site owner a lot of money to install. One hopes it will run efficiently, when all buildings avail themselves of it, for one occasionally wonders.
Seemingly it was not possible to provide a connection to our riverside garden., the which immediately ‘Fronts’ all the southern barns of that lower farm yard . Never mind.
My wife and I enjoy that garden, possibly anon others might too, for there have been enquiries. made of us concerning our intent ,being as the garden is detached from our house. Someone had it in mind to build themselves a house there, whilst another thought to exchange our garden for a parking area elsewhere., another regretted the garden was no longer with the Farmhouse itself.
In the meantime the bottom farm yard has no residential usage, the farmer uses one basic asbestos farm building as a workshop/ store ,all the other buildings about are further lengths of very fine 1830 Chilmark stone construction which now house a motor repair workshop , a stone mason, and what seems to be an overflowing storage facility, all of which one heard tell, are seemingly part of the farm so maybe much of the bottom farm yard is excused the payment of rates? I do recall there was planning granted for one piece of the south barn to be used in connection with the furniture trade, however it seems no longer to be so used.
Happily a sometime tenant no longer in occupation of one piece, left after telling me that he was running a commercial garage workshop in the yard, so the neighbours could expect to hear a radio loudly playing all day.
On my birthday last July , realising that I too am getting older, thought to enquire of the presumed owner of the farm yard which his intent for it,? But alas these six weeks on , one still awaits a courteous reply to my letter, though someone told me to keep out of the Farmyard. as my presence upset one of its work force. Little change there as one has no call to go into it, despite that one understands that there used to be a public footpath through one of the farmyards..?
THE RAILWAY.
The Rail line advises that in early September it will again be carrying out repairs over a number of nights. Why one wonders can not the rail line be accessed from Tisbury Station rather than via the Upper Chicksgrove Level-Crossing ? For months on end there has been a daytime chap on the crossing to ensure safety. Maybe now the installed lights, and the hooter, and the wind turbine and the camera and associated items will allow the crossing to function without on site supervision.
THE NADDER BRIDGE
What plans has Wiltshire County Council for the bridge over the river Nadder the which, Quarry, Rail , Farm, and Residential traffic and walkers use to cross the River . The wretched bridge is disintegrating. What now of the £70,000 the Council was to spend upon its first aid repair. All one knows of that, was a photographic survey a couple of years ago. One realises that money is tight, but one also realises that money comes from rate payers pockets, so it would be great to benefit from our outlay.
WHAT OF SEEMINGLY EXCESSIVE RATES.
I live in what was once a Dairy building, now but adjoined to the main Farmhouse at both ground and basement level At the time we moved from the one part of the house to the other, our then openly attached Dairy building was given a far lower ‘rateable’ valuation than it now has, for it was later re-assessed as band ‘E’. Fortunate are those who similarly refurbished their houses since we did, for they pay the original lower rates attaching to un-refurbished property, for such is the system. Then of course there is the 10% discount given to every house in single occupancy. So guess what ; Our roadside Dairy Cottage now pays the second highest rates in our post code area, before us comes only the house recently offered for sale at two and a half million pounds. Unfortunately discounted rates are seemingly funded by those of us whose rates are not discounted. Escalation of Rates bring one back to the affairs of central Tisbury where incidentally one finds the like of our ‘Band F’ home, a proportionately less frequent occurrence.
THE OLD NADDER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
One does not presume to speak for anyone else, but from first mention of the above matter, I spoke against using the Nadder Middle School for the like of its current new usage. I recall there was a meeting at the school, which the then District Council invited me to attend. One did and one voiced ones contrary opinion, and was criticised by a fellow guest, a member of our then Parish Council, for attending and speaking at a meeting ,
‘I had no business attending.’ She said.
Anyway seemingly my opinion better expressed as the contrary opinion of others carried the day, so rather than be put to some other sort of use, the Nadder School premises was then used by a private school for some years, whilst the original school hall was shared with the Village. One later heard that one of the reasons that private school gave up its tenancy was the buildings inaccessibility to the students who’d. arrive at Tisbury Station by train.
It will be jolly interesting to see how accessible the new set up will be to those wishing to avail themselves of the facility, especially when there is ice covering the road, for even at the best of times the approach road seems to be treacherous, passing as it does through a large housing estate Forget not this building isn’t only there for Tisbury, but for the use of surrounding Parishes too, whom one trusts will also be financing it’s sustainability. Maybe some here about will be frightfully keen to avail themselves of this new centre, maybe not, who knows ?
Of course too there is the proposal to redeveloped the old Parmiter Site along side Tisbury Station as a housing development with some car parking. After the loss of so many other worksites in the village over recent years, maybe we’d do well to reopen that un-employment office on Hindon Lane.
I recall years ago attending a meeting of the then Salisbury District Council, when only our two District councillors voted in favour of houses being built on The Parmiter Site. I recall one of those District Councillors telling it was usual enough so to build rail side houses all the way up to London. Fortunately the rest of the District Council didn’t go along with the idea. How have things changed since then, for our Parish Councillors may see fit to turn the village’s only remaining worksite into an housing area with some Parking. Surely Tisbury needs employment, where else can it be located.?
THE PARISH COUNCIL
There are some on the Parish Council who are minded to turn a piece of privately owned land opposite the station into a parking site for rail commuters, and of course High Street shoppers !
The Village seems to have acquired a Business Association, and not un-naturally a lot of local business persons comprise its membership, as too a lot of its membership are also members of our Tisbury Parish Council. Speaking of which what happened to all those whom we elected at the last Parish Council election, who have since left ‘Office’ not to mention happened to some of their replacements subsequently co-opted by the Parish Council. Persons who in turn gave up their Councillorship? Others now fail to attend Parish Council Meetings through illness, or other reasons unknown to me.
Personally I have no wish for so much of our Parish Council to be co-opted by its persisting membership, whether they be members of the Tisbury Business Association or not. It would be good if newer and younger residents showed an interest in becoming Councillors, but somehow that seldom happens. One hears tell that fewer of us have either the time or the wish to be any sort of Councillor. Is it the realisation of that, which causes so many of our oft co-opted Parish Councillors to resign from office, or what? Things are not as they used to be, so maybe Tisbury might prefer its Parish Council to be more representative of everyone in the community.
I gave up standing for election to the New Forest District Councillor in 1978/9, having twice remained an un-elected Independent. Even so I did not so stand before having ‘sat in’ on the proceedings of two District Council Committees for over a year beforehand. Doing so that I might acquaint myself with what was what. Though unelected then , it doesn’t mean that one gave up ones interest in local affairs. so really can not understand why others seemingly lack the enthusiasm of yester year.
Sorry to be so opinionated but much regret the passing of the Salisbury District Council for in my opinion, Parish Councils are too parochial.
for our good.
Goodness knows what has happened to our Wiltshire County Council.
Did one hear its ennobled Chair once remark that no one down this end of the County was suited to any particular responsibility ? Maybe things are no longer so. Though if any of us are minded to offer our services at forthcoming elections, for either Parish or County, if not both ,possibly it would be a good idea to first sit in on the current Councils’ meetings , just to see if one really is interested in becoming a Councillor. The Wilts Council meetings can also be seen on the Internet.
WILTS COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.
Earlier this year, one made mention on line of an Amesbury WCC. vacancy. Seemingly the seat was then won by a young candidate standing for the Liberal Party, he having a majority of all of five votes. At a slightly earlier election in that Ward, the Conservative then standing , won the seat with a majority of only nine votes.
I do hope the new Councillor has a successful career., but maybe another time both Parish and County might just toss a coin for its seats, so doing might cheer the electorate.
Full Result of that County election.
p
Jamie Capp (Lib Dem): 361 (25.7%) aged 20. Won by 5 votes.
Robert Yuill (Con): 356 (25.4%)
Andy Derry (Ind): 292 (20%)
Les Webster (UKIP): 217 (15.5%)
Steve McAuliffe (Lab): 133 (9.5%)
Joshua Baker (Green): 60 (4.2%) Turnout: 31%
HOW THEN ARE THINGS IN UPPER CHICKSGROVE ?
A number of years ago, residents of Quarry Lane, were asked whether we wished to become part of an adjoined Parish or remain a part of Tisbury Parish. I must confess I voted for the latter proposition but over the years have come to regret doing so, because all too often our once rural area now finds itself disadvantaged .
There was a recent enough Chair of the Parish Council who didn’t even realise that we were part of the Parish of Tisbury. We did once rustle up a local Parish Councillor, but she resigned very early on, I understood because she found that the circumstance of the Tisbury Parish Council had little in common with Upper Chicksgrove where she then lived.
PLANNING MATTERS
Over recent years the Upper Chicksgrove Quarry has reopened for use, and quarrying apart, there have been a number of additional permissions granted which seemingly will still be sustainable even should the Quarry itself become exhausted.
QUARRY FARM YARD .
The entirety of the top of this farm yard is residentially used, An owner having converted a main barn to a very nice house, part of which had permission to be temporarily used for business purposes. There are in that same upper farmyard, two other buildings which no doubt anon. someone will wish to convert into at least one large, and one small house.
There is too a lower farmyard, the similar Chilmark stone buildings of which, would undoubtedly gain permission for housing, if such an application was again made
Possibly anon someone will so make application , and thereby shock the neighbours , but surely such would be a proper use for the buildings, especially as all the buildings in both farm yards were recently connected to a brand new sewerage system, which allegedly cost the site owner a lot of money to install. One hopes it will run efficiently, when all buildings avail themselves of it, for one occasionally wonders.
Seemingly it was not possible to provide a connection to our riverside garden., the which immediately ‘Fronts’ all the southern barns of that lower farm yard . Never mind.
My wife and I enjoy that garden, possibly anon others might too, for there have been enquiries. made of us concerning our intent ,being as the garden is detached from our house. Someone had it in mind to build themselves a house there, whilst another thought to exchange our garden for a parking area elsewhere., another regretted the garden was no longer with the Farmhouse itself.
In the meantime the bottom farm yard has no residential usage, the farmer uses one basic asbestos farm building as a workshop/ store ,all the other buildings about are further lengths of very fine 1830 Chilmark stone construction which now house a motor repair workshop , a stone mason, and what seems to be an overflowing storage facility, all of which one heard tell, are seemingly part of the farm so maybe much of the bottom farm yard is excused the payment of rates? I do recall there was planning granted for one piece of the south barn to be used in connection with the furniture trade, however it seems no longer to be so used.
Happily a sometime tenant no longer in occupation of one piece, left after telling me that he was running a commercial garage workshop in the yard, so the neighbours could expect to hear a radio loudly playing all day.
On my birthday last July , realising that I too am getting older, thought to enquire of the presumed owner of the farm yard which his intent for it,? But alas these six weeks on , one still awaits a courteous reply to my letter, though someone told me to keep out of the Farmyard. as my presence upset one of its work force. Little change there as one has no call to go into it, despite that one understands that there used to be a public footpath through one of the farmyards..?
THE RAILWAY.
The Rail line advises that in early September it will again be carrying out repairs over a number of nights. Why one wonders can not the rail line be accessed from Tisbury Station rather than via the Upper Chicksgrove Level-Crossing ? For months on end there has been a daytime chap on the crossing to ensure safety. Maybe now the installed lights, and the hooter, and the wind turbine and the camera and associated items will allow the crossing to function without on site supervision.
THE NADDER BRIDGE
What plans has Wiltshire County Council for the bridge over the river Nadder the which, Quarry, Rail , Farm, and Residential traffic and walkers use to cross the River . The wretched bridge is disintegrating. What now of the £70,000 the Council was to spend upon its first aid repair. All one knows of that, was a photographic survey a couple of years ago. One realises that money is tight, but one also realises that money comes from rate payers pockets, so it would be great to benefit from our outlay.
WHAT OF SEEMINGLY EXCESSIVE RATES.
I live in what was once a Dairy building, now but adjoined to the main Farmhouse at both ground and basement level At the time we moved from the one part of the house to the other, our then openly attached Dairy building was given a far lower ‘rateable’ valuation than it now has, for it was later re-assessed as band ‘E’. Fortunate are those who similarly refurbished their houses since we did, for they pay the original lower rates attaching to un-refurbished property, for such is the system. Then of course there is the 10% discount given to every house in single occupancy. So guess what ; Our roadside Dairy Cottage now pays the second highest rates in our post code area, before us comes only the house recently offered for sale at two and a half million pounds. Unfortunately discounted rates are seemingly funded by those of us whose rates are not discounted. Escalation of Rates bring one back to the affairs of central Tisbury where incidentally one finds the like of our ‘Band F’ home, a proportionately less frequent occurrence.
THE OLD NADDER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
One does not presume to speak for anyone else, but from first mention of the above matter, I spoke against using the Nadder Middle School for the like of its current new usage. I recall there was a meeting at the school, which the then District Council invited me to attend. One did and one voiced ones contrary opinion, and was criticised by a fellow guest, a member of our then Parish Council, for attending and speaking at a meeting ,
‘I had no business attending.’ She said.
Anyway seemingly my opinion better expressed as the contrary opinion of others carried the day, so rather than be put to some other sort of use, the Nadder School premises was then used by a private school for some years, whilst the original school hall was shared with the Village. One later heard that one of the reasons that private school gave up its tenancy was the buildings inaccessibility to the students who’d. arrive at Tisbury Station by train.
It will be jolly interesting to see how accessible the new set up will be to those wishing to avail themselves of the facility, especially when there is ice covering the road, for even at the best of times the approach road seems to be treacherous, passing as it does through a large housing estate Forget not this building isn’t only there for Tisbury, but for the use of surrounding Parishes too, whom one trusts will also be financing it’s sustainability. Maybe some here about will be frightfully keen to avail themselves of this new centre, maybe not, who knows ?
Of course too there is the proposal to redeveloped the old Parmiter Site along side Tisbury Station as a housing development with some car parking. After the loss of so many other worksites in the village over recent years, maybe we’d do well to reopen that un-employment office on Hindon Lane.
I recall years ago attending a meeting of the then Salisbury District Council, when only our two District councillors voted in favour of houses being built on The Parmiter Site. I recall one of those District Councillors telling it was usual enough so to build rail side houses all the way up to London. Fortunately the rest of the District Council didn’t go along with the idea. How have things changed since then, for our Parish Councillors may see fit to turn the village’s only remaining worksite into an housing area with some Parking. Surely Tisbury needs employment, where else can it be located.?
THE PARISH COUNCIL
There are some on the Parish Council who are minded to turn a piece of privately owned land opposite the station into a parking site for rail commuters, and of course High Street shoppers !
The Village seems to have acquired a Business Association, and not un-naturally a lot of local business persons comprise its membership, as too a lot of its membership are also members of our Tisbury Parish Council. Speaking of which what happened to all those whom we elected at the last Parish Council election, who have since left ‘Office’ not to mention happened to some of their replacements subsequently co-opted by the Parish Council. Persons who in turn gave up their Councillorship? Others now fail to attend Parish Council Meetings through illness, or other reasons unknown to me.
Personally I have no wish for so much of our Parish Council to be co-opted by its persisting membership, whether they be members of the Tisbury Business Association or not. It would be good if newer and younger residents showed an interest in becoming Councillors, but somehow that seldom happens. One hears tell that fewer of us have either the time or the wish to be any sort of Councillor. Is it the realisation of that, which causes so many of our oft co-opted Parish Councillors to resign from office, or what? Things are not as they used to be, so maybe Tisbury might prefer its Parish Council to be more representative of everyone in the community.
I gave up standing for election to the New Forest District Councillor in 1978/9, having twice remained an un-elected Independent. Even so I did not so stand before having ‘sat in’ on the proceedings of two District Council Committees for over a year beforehand. Doing so that I might acquaint myself with what was what. Though unelected then , it doesn’t mean that one gave up ones interest in local affairs. so really can not understand why others seemingly lack the enthusiasm of yester year.
Sorry to be so opinionated but much regret the passing of the Salisbury District Council for in my opinion, Parish Councils are too parochial.
for our good.
Goodness knows what has happened to our Wiltshire County Council.
Did one hear its ennobled Chair once remark that no one down this end of the County was suited to any particular responsibility ? Maybe things are no longer so. Though if any of us are minded to offer our services at forthcoming elections, for either Parish or County, if not both ,possibly it would be a good idea to first sit in on the current Councils’ meetings , just to see if one really is interested in becoming a Councillor. The Wilts Council meetings can also be seen on the Internet.
WILTS COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.
Earlier this year, one made mention on line of an Amesbury WCC. vacancy. Seemingly the seat was then won by a young candidate standing for the Liberal Party, he having a majority of all of five votes. At a slightly earlier election in that Ward, the Conservative then standing , won the seat with a majority of only nine votes.
I do hope the new Councillor has a successful career., but maybe another time both Parish and County might just toss a coin for its seats, so doing might cheer the electorate.
Full Result of that County election.
p
Jamie Capp (Lib Dem): 361 (25.7%) aged 20. Won by 5 votes.
Robert Yuill (Con): 356 (25.4%)
Andy Derry (Ind): 292 (20%)
Les Webster (UKIP): 217 (15.5%)
Steve McAuliffe (Lab): 133 (9.5%)
Joshua Baker (Green): 60 (4.2%) Turnout: 31%
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