Logo Image
return to the previous page

 

 

 

 

report offensive content
click to view site banner advert 2

click to view site banner advert 3

 

text version

 

 

Homepage

bookmark this website print this page    


   

COLD PORRIDGE

A picture for R4 Funding off Hindon Lane

COLD PORRIDGE ! LOWER RECREATION GROUND’S shared Pavilion provisionally allocated £90,000 of R.4 Funding.
Unfortunately no detail is recorded on the Parish Web Site as to how this figure was arrived at, nor precisely how it was proposed to spend this money. HOWEVER might one hope that some of it, if the proposal is confirmed should be spent on the actual Football Pitch used by Tisbury United. Appended hereto are photographs of the state it was in this bright Sunday Morning, FLOODED in part and SODDEN elsewhere. The LRG is owned by Tisbury Parish , and the state of it brings nothing but ignominy to our Parish Council. I am told that things there have long been as now. Drains were once installed because before then the pumping of water off the field was a regular occurrence. It is understandable that the field is now flooded after so much rain, but the lake currently at the Eastern end of the recreation ground indicates that something should have been done to level the area, whilst the sodden area at the West end indicates that the drainage could not have been working well before today’s flooding occurred.

WHAT I HEAR YOU ASK EXCITEDLY HAS ALL THAT TO DO WITH COLD PORRIDGE ? Well having previously mentioned the poor state of the Lower Recreation Ground in more than one of my diatribes, I thought to buttonhole other little old ladies and gentlemen passing by, and question them as to what they thought of not only the state of the Recreation Ground, but other matters. ( Which left me a bit overdue for breakfast). Questions such as had anyone of them heard that Tisbury Parish would be in receipt of £400,000 R4 Funding from Messrs Fry. Not one single one of them had. After being so advised by me, none saw any reason to give any of the proposed £30,000 to the Fonthill Cricket Club, and when asked whether Tisbury should be funding its own Composting Scheme all said no. Either on the grounds that Gardeners should be doing their own composting, or that if they didn’t there was an excellent service offered the Unitary Authority which Community Charge Payers already funded whether they used it or not. Understandably none of my informants played Cricket, Football, or even Tennis, but each was appalled to hear how much money had been spent on the installation of Tennis Court Lighting. When one was asked concerning the Station Works (Old Parmiter Site) she regretted that there had been any suggestion that the Parish Council had once wished to see housing there rather than work space there at, but ‘she sat on the fence’ concerning the Government’s Scheme for the sale of Council Houses, whilst regretting that extant housing wasn’t necessarily being allocated to Tisbury families. Another wasn’t impressed to hear that there would be affordable housing on the Hindon Lane site, as even at such prices the houses were unaffordable for the Tisbury Families who needed them. Another was infuriated that there will be through traffic on the Churchill Estate off the Hindon Lane Development., whilst one or another didn’t understand why having been advised by the local community that the Village had no use for Johnson’s Field, the Parish Council was considering coming to some arrangement with Mr. Johnson last summer. What does the Parish Council not understand about the word ‘NO’ ?

Two of my unfortunate interviewees are exceedingly well know and respected by one and all. If such persons have no knowledge of Parish Affairs what health is there for the rest of us. There are times one regrets not offering ones own services to the Tisbury Electorate, however Parish Pump affairs have never really been my thing. Thirty three years ago, as previously mentioned one won ones spurs attempting election to the New Forest District Council. At that time Candidates tramped the streets and asked others their opinion , before formulating their own views on local affairs. Where I then lived, our Parish Council was contested on a more or less Party Political Basis. Didn’t think much of that as an idea, but at least such an happening tended to stir the mud , so allowing enthusiasm to bubble up. Why on the earth does not Tisbury show more enthusiasm for our Parish? Could it be that the ‘Man in the Street’ isn’t consulted by Councillors, persons who have with the best of intent happened themselves upon us. Way back in 1625 Francis Bacon wrote;

Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers, for the observers of his law. The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to come to him, again and again; and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.’

Possibly since Parishioners do not come to the Parish Council, Councillors might go to Parishioners scattered on the high ways and by ways , and actually ‘talk turkey’ to them? Obviously as individuals Parish Councillors are known within their cliques and social circles, but possibly there the nitty gritty of Parish Affairs are not topics of conversation. Its great that The Council publishes its newsletter. But it is too innocuous to be worth the paper its written on, for it makes scant if any reference to our real issues. The TisVis Questionnaire was no better. Still wait to see the accounts published for that piece of research, for it seemed but money wasted.

Writing the word Parish puts one in mind of the Ecclesiastical Parish ( Of which West Tisbury is a part) I believe it sports several Ministers of Religion. I have met the Vicar of Tisbury. But only once saw him on the High Street as he hopped out of his car to purchase a paper. I have not as yet seen , let alone met the Catholic Priest, of whom all I know is that he wishes to start a Scout Troop. I knew his predecessor for his father hopefully taught me English Literature some fifty nine years ago. But it would be nice to meet ‘Our’ Ministers ‘Trolling’ about their Parish. Possibly that doesn’t happen any where any more, or is it just that I missed it.

For Information
EXTRACT FROM PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF WEB SITE.
12.07.23. ( This the same evening the Parish Church had a Public Meeting) Use of R4 monies
(Groups applying for sums less than £5,000 were not considered at this meeting) The Chairman allowed further representations to be made by any groups before agreeing with P.Cnllrs that voting be made by written ballot on an individual basis. A series of voting rounds were held with schemes attracting the lowest number of votes being deleted from the next voting round. The final four schemes and suggested amounts awarded were:
Fonthill (Gifford) Cricket Pavilion £30,000
Shared LRG Pavilion £90,000
Swimming Pool £200,000
St John’s Church £80,000
P.Cnllrs then resolved to confirm the sums awarded would be considered with respect to priories and timescales at a later date; the sums were noted as provisional on the full £400,000 being available .
JBP 15.11.12. One is obliged to the Parish Council Web Site for the extract from their Minutes. 12.07.23 Use of R4 monies (Groups applying for sums less than £5,000 were not considered at this meeting) The Chairman allowed further representations to be made by any groups before agreeing with P.Cnllrs that voting be made by written ballot on an individual basis. A series of voting rounds were held with schemes attracting the lowest number of votes being deleted from the next voting round. The final four schemes and suggested amounts awarded were: Fonthill (Gifford) Cricket Pavilion £30,000 Shared LRG Pavilion £90,000 Swimming Pool £200,000 St John’s Church £80,000 P.Cnllrs then resolved to confirm the sums awarded would be considered with respect to priories and timescales at a later date; the sums were noted as provisional on the full £400,000 being available.

A picture for R4 Funding off Hindon Lane

contact : John B. Pope