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PAPALSCOPE. ‘LET IT BE’ *
Comment on the Public Consultation Meeting concerning the Hindon Lane Development. Held at the Victoria Hall Tisbury. 19. 06.07.
‘Mea Culpa’ I was late, delayed by inclement weather off the Solent. Had I heard the introduction to this ‘scintillating’ meeting , maybe I would be a wiser man. Even so having arrived well ahead of the end of it I can report that procrastination as ever ruled the roost .
Seemingly one of the provisions of the Hindon Lane planning consent was that the Developer provide an area of land whereon might be constructed a Swimming Pool. Tisbury already has a swimming pool and apparently has no wish to become involved with another.
The matter under consideration was what might better be done with this piece of land. A recent Parish Councillor made suggestion that it become a car park. A member of the Public suggested an apparent variation of the ‘three card trick’ ie. That once in possession of the land the Parish sell it back to the Builder to build even more houses there on. Clearly that man was not a resident of Hindon Lane.
This lead to the suggestion that the money so raised might be used to enclose the existing Swimming Pool. Further it was suggested that alternatively, the land be utilised to raise income. However some present had no wish to enclose the Swimming Pool on the basis that its all year round maintenance would be a financial burden. Another said that no sort of a decision could be arrived at without consideration of the ‘Budget’ available. The answer to that point is that there is no Budget, merely a piece of land. Suggestion was made of a Youth Centre. (Is not the old Magistrates Court currently so used?)
There was the suggestion that all the land involved might continue to be farmed by the Fonthill Estate. A doubt was expressed on the basis that the land might, so become subject to an Agricultural Tenancy, and would thus be lost to the village until ‘kingdom come’.
The member of the Public who voiced that Caveat , suggested that there was no necessity to come to any immediate decision, other than to say ‘Yes please and thank you very much’ as we squirreled the Asset away ‘sine die’. He for some reason was seemingly rebuffed with the information that it was, for the people of Tisbury alone to decide on the matter. The man who made the suggestion has been a Resident of Tisbury for just short of twenty seven years now, which is more than the Chairman of the Meeting can claim.
There is no necessity for the Parish to ‘do’ anything more with this land than utilise it as an open space. Worry was expressed about dog fouling, dumping, and the cost of fencing and of the ‘Thou Shalt Not’ notices.
I know of a moderately intensive housing development at Broadhurst Grove on the outskirts of Basingstoke. Small Gardens are supplemented by a piece of what might well be termed Common Land. If any resident wishes to utilise the patch of grass for anything that takes their fancy from ‘turning somersaults to erecting a tent for a party’ then there is the opportunity for them so to do. People need living space, possibly many of today’s problems may be attributable to the constriction of little boxes** that so many of us have to live in. Such open space is far more important than more Car Parking or dare one suggest Swimming Pools, Tennis Courts or Cricket Pitches. I do not doubt that those living in the immediate vicinity of this site would ensure that the Community open space would not be abused.
If money is our intent maybe Tisbury might trade on the site through the ‘Caravan Club’ We might build a Lavatory and Shower Block. If R2 funding can be used so to do at Fonthill Gifford, then surely money is available so to do in Tisbury? Touring Caravans and Tentage would raise quite a good income. Possibly this solution would be as popular on Hindon Lane as the former suggestion that more houses be built on this ‘windfall site’.
Was it Tisbury’s Sub Postmaster who pointed out that the designated swimming pool area would necessarily include some parking space, and such land too would also need to be conveyed to the Parish?
Another member of the Public wanted assurance that when it came to the ‘Affordable Housing’ Tisbury’s kith and kin might head the queue. The Planning Officer said that he would try to include such ‘gradation’ in the appropriate agreement.
Our Parish of Tisbury, not Tisbury West, used to own the site of the Surgery adjoining the Elizabeth Hall. Delightful though this Surgery is, its freehold is now ostensibly owned by the Partners in the specific Practice. Was it wise to surrender that particular site ? One merely questions the wisdom of the sale on the grounds that an invaluable adjunct to the Victoria and Elizabeth Halls is no longer available for associated use. Such though was the decision of the then Parish Councillors. Whether theirs was a right or wrong decision is now neither here nor there. Certainly a Surgery is of value to Tisbury, (and of course ‘West Tisbury’ Residents.) One mentions the matter merely to illustrate that genuine needs do arise amidst any community. Thus there is absolutely no need to squander ‘this Swim Pool site’ on some hasty, ill considered possibly fabricated , misadventure.
RETENTION OF TISBURY’S PUBLIC LAVATORY. The maintenance of which is due to be transferred to the care of the Parish Council. This Council has posed the question ‘Whether the Lavatories be maintained by the Parish , or be closed as an economy measure’ ?
Surely Tisbury needs a Public Lavatory? The only question is how its maintenance is to be funded. Whichever the Decision concerning its ‘Unitary’ status Salisbury District Council will not disappear over night. Someone will have to pay for this Loo. BOTH Tisbury and West Tisbury should share the undoubted expense, which might be alleviated on a pay per use basis. Even the French provide Public Loos now. The Parish Councils enquiry was doubtlessly well meant, but if they are unable to decide for themselves what is in the Parish(es) better interest there is little point of us funding a Parish Council.
IT IS HIGH TIME THAT TISBURY AND WEST TISBURY BE UNITED AS ONE CIVIL PARISH. OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE IS AN EXPENSIVE NONSENSE, MOSTLY FUNDED BY THE TISBURY COMMUNITY CHARGE PAYERS. We now have a new Parish Council in Tisbury. It would be an excellent thing if it exercised some vision for the future.
Do we still have those two vacancies on the Parish Council? I did not count eleven Councillors at the Consultation Meeting. John B. Pope.
* The Beatles - Let It Be – Music at Last.fm Listen to The Beatles – Let It Be. Let It Be appears on the album Let It Be and has been tagged as: classic rock, rock, pop. People who like The Beatles ... www.last.fm/music/The+Beatles/_/Let+It+B e - 114k - Cached - Similar pages
** Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky mp3 ... Music Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look ... ingeb.org/songs/littlebo.html - 4k - Cached - Similar pages
contact : JOHN B.POPE
Email : pionono@tiscali.co.uk