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| LETTERS
- TARLETON PARISH COUNCIL |
MISSING PERSONS I note, however that one particular Councillor only attended 36% of the Meetings. Can he explain his regular non-attendance please and does he feel he is truly representing the people of Tarleton who voted for him? Perhaps he should review his commitment and if he finds he no longer has the time or the desire to attend future meetings he should stand down and make way for someone who is prepared to be fully committed to the Council. J Johnston, 20th June 2008 |
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Car Parking In Tarleton J Johnston. 24th May 2008 |
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| Tarleton
'Over-60s' Car Park I'm intrigued by the decision to celebrate St George's Day by closing this car park to repaint spaces and to swap over the entrance and exit. These were reversed previously to make life safer for the school crossing patrol. Has traffic reduced? No. Are those driving through more considerate? No. Have the HGV's been re-routed via a new Green Lane link? Of course not. I welcome the provision of disabled spaces by the toilets and the re-lining to make the rear rows more accessible. It is rumoured that there may be a Pelican crossing provided at the school, but until then, why put the patrol back in jeopardy? I've tried an on-line search, but nothing has come up. Possibly the Parish Council minutes would help, but since Tarleton, unlike Hesketh Bank, doesn't post its minutes on-line, no one without much spare time to spend in the library with the printed copies will ever know. Ian Wells, 24 April 2008 |
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| TARLETON
SKI
SLOPE Dear whom it may concern A while ago the council thought about making a skate park, but i have a better idea, this may seem rather out there but although it is a good idea. Basically i think there should be a artificial ski/snowboard slope as it would easily pay for itself once you have bought the equipment i.e (dry slope material) ski's and snowboards and the mound for the hill. I have thought of different places to have it around the Tarleton and Hesketh Bank area, and thought of one place in the Tarleton area, i propose that the down hill ski/snowboard slope should be made in Carr lane playing fields as there is easily enough room on there for football etc as well as the ski slope. Also this will be a massive tourist attraction which will also bring in money for the council also the ski slope will also bring alot of money for the council even more if the council runs the ski slope. This is a statement from an artificial snow turf website "This artificial turf is used by many skiers and snowboarders. It is a carpet material consisting of a continuous, even surface that builds confidence and reduces accident rates. I live in the Hesketh Bank area and think it would be a great thing to have near by. Thanks, Callum Cole, 10th April 2008 |
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| TARLETON
PARISH COUNCIL Dear Sir, I write this letter in a personal capacity. My reply to Chris Stringfellow on the 9th Nov was to answer his queries. I hope I did just that. I have no intention of getting into a slanging match with Mrs Hodson. I also have no intention of discussing or debating Parish Council business with her on this forum. Council Meetings are the correct place for that. I will though answer an issue she raised which has nothing to do with the Parish Council. She wrote.... miraculously 'found' some money to pay for a new carpet and joined the over 60's himself!! I joined the Over 60's to assist them to obtain funding for a much needed new carpet. All I 'found' was a source to obtain funding for them.This has nothing to do with the Parish Council and is a private matter between myself and the Over 60's members. Yours faithfully, Cllr. Dave Rydings, 20th November 2007 |
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| TARLETON
PARISH COUNCIL Dear Editor, Well this certainly is rich isn't it, Mr. Rydings has finally arrived at a profound moment of truth, despite being told for years, that the chance of getting funding for the 'Green Lane Link' is virtually impossible. He persisted in misleading the public into believing that we were on the verge of getting it any day now. Talk about taking the electorate to 'futuresville'. The strategy seems to be 'promise to work hard to get the Green Lane Link', (knowing there has never been a realistic chance of getting it), sit back and do nothing and there's a winner to get re-elected every time! As part of the party political take over of the council FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 113 YEAR HISTORY, Mr. Rydings as Mrs. Fullbrooke's mouthpiece, now flip-flops on his previous comments. He's getting quite adept a U turns though, this is the same Dave Rydings that aggressivley critised the original ( and incidentally 1st in Lancashire) Parish Council Website and stated several times that 'it was simply not good enough' to rely on the Parish Council notice boards and library for information! Now he tells Chris Stringfellow to do that very same thing, what a hyprocrite! At a meeting earlier this year, he personally promised to get the website sorted out "by the next meeting"! Now we are in the situation where he has managed to alienate all those who were willing to give their time and knowledge for free and he can't even offer a basic site! (If anyone wants to see an example of Rydings website management skills, take a look on the local conservative website- which he runs - talk about light years ahead......not!). This is an example of his cuts to services for local people. And surprise surprise, the EXCELLENT 'VILLAGE VIEW 'NEWSLETTER has gone too. So much volunteer time and effort went into producing and delivering the previous issues and all Mr Rydings has ever did was decry and criticise it. Another of his cuts. He recently presented to the council, his pre-prepared proposal to cut (another one!) future funding for the over 60's club insurance. This funding has been given by the council for many years BUT WHEN HE REALISED HOW UNPOPULAR THIS WAS, withdrew his proposal and then miraculously 'found' some money to pay for a new carpet and joined the over 60's himself!! I think he hopes people will have short memories when it comes to the next election and will deny ever doing any such thing. In submitting his response to this website and signing himself as Chairman, Tarleton Parish Council, Mr. Rydings is acting beyond his role of Chairman as he has had no authority to speak on the subject matter from the Council - but there again, dictators don't bother themselves with the finer points of law, they just ride rough shod over it and everybody in their ego driven self promotion. Back soon, |
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| Tarleton
Parish Council Website & other Issues Dear Sir, Chris Stringfellow should take a trip to the Library where all the PC minutes are available to view. If he had attended the Parish Council meetings (which are now advertised in the local newspaper) he would know that the website has been discussed several times. The management of it was was offered to those who were previously involved. One turned it down and whilst the other offered to continue, it was not considered to be of the standard required by the members. It is on the agenda for the 19th where it is hoped that a decision will be reached as to the future of Tarleton Parish Council's website. The next Parish Council meeting is being held at the Over 60's club. The issue of the SPIDS (not SPRIDS) is more complicated that he realises. Yes, they can be erected and put into use. The problem arises in their maintenance. Speaking personally, I am as concerned as Chris is about speeding traffic but until the maintenance issue is resolved using SPIDS in Tarleton is on hold. The LCC "Meet the Cabinet" question time was indeed held last Tuesday. He must be one of the few who did not receive a letter directly from LCC. If he had joined those of us who did attend (est. 100+) he would have seen that many issues were raised by residents. By far the greatest issue of concern was the state of the roads, in particular the Moss roads. Tony Martin, the County Councillor who deals with this, stated that there is no money to provide an answer - the Green lane Link. However, the Councils of Tarleton, Hesketh Bank and Banks realise the state of our roads is a major problem and working together to find a solution. Finally, the Village View has been temporarily suspended as it was considered expensive in its present form. It should be reappearing in the New Year. I hope I have answered Chris's concerns. If he wishes to contact a Parish Councillor or the Clerk he can do so by looking on any Parish Council Notice Board - one of which is at the Library, so he can obtain this information when he visits to read the meeting minutes. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, Chairman - Tarleton Parish Council, 9th November 2007 |
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Tarleton
PC Website Next I clicked the old Tarleton PC website link, even though I know the information there was two years old last time I looked, I thought I would have a laugh anyway. No surprise really, it's now disappeared - hope the current PC are not still paying the webmaster for anything! Tried the newer link to Tarleton PC, and got the message - "Welcome to the new website for Tarleton Parish Council - Not currently in use". So there we have the state of local government communication in Tarleton, if you want to know what's happening you WILL attend the PC meeting or rely on heresay, 'cause they are certainly not publicising themselves. All this follows the abrupt death of the newsletter they used to send round. From the village forum and the Hesketh Bank sites, I have found that Hesketh Bank are using a SPIRD device for speed monitoring, as I recall Tarleton borrowed some stuff from the Police a couple of years back and then got banned from using it. Whilst I am not an advocate of amateurs using these items in lieu of a real police presence (don't get me started on that debate again, oh all right maybe I will at a later date), at least they have publicised their involvement. HB 1 - Tarleton 0. An event which most of Tarleton didn't know about, the Cabinet Question Time, even though this took place at Our Lady's in Tarleton not HB, was publicised on the HB site, HB 2 - Tarleton 0. Hesketh Bank have telephone and email contacts available from their site to the PC, as well as an online form to send your views. HB 3 - Tarleton 0. Come on Tarleton Parish Council, it's time we stopped the political meandering and started concentrating on the real things in life, the people who put you there and who you live amongst. Don't forget next time around we can just as easily get rid of you. Give us the information so we can see if you are doing your jobs correctly. Chris
Stringfellow, 7th November 2007 |
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| Tarleton
Parish Council Meeting Minutes To the residents of Tarleton Those of you who use the internet will be aware that Tarleton Parish Council has published meeting minutes on their own website in the past. Last year a new website was launched and referred to the old one for archive material. This new website has been inactive since February of this year and I wish to apologise to Tarleton residents for not making the meeting minutes available. We are pleased to advise that the minutes for all Parish Council meetings since May of this year are now available for you to read in Tarleton Library. The Librarian will advise you of their location. This will continue until further notice to cater for those without access to the internet. The Parish Council will be relaunching their own website in the near future and all archive material will be transferred to it. We will advise residents when this is available. It is also hoped to include more information of the Council's activities. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, Chairman - Tarleton Parish Council. 18th August 2007 |
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| Dear
Residents of Tarleton Central Ward, I wish to say a big thank you to those who voted for me in today's Parish Council elections. As promised I will work with other like minded Councillors to keep expenditure within inflation and listen to what residents call for. Tarleton is a great place and could be greater. Politics is defined as "being engaged in civil administration" and that is a Parish Councillor's job. If certain members of that administration are like minded and have common goals does that mean that they are wrong in pursuing those goals? The people of this great village have made their choice and, as one of those chosen, I will do my utmost to fulfil the trust you have put in me. Yours sincerely, Dave Rydings, 4th May 2007 |
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I want to give a thankyou to all those people who turned out to vote for me in the Parish Council Elections. I knew from the start I was up against the Conservative party. As I said, and STILL say, PARTY POLITICS has no part to play in Parish matters. I WILL be back in four years time, and will try my best to show how to properly serve the village's interest. THANK YOU
ALL |
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| To
the Residents of Tarleton Central Ward, Many of you in Tarleton Central Ward will have received an election message through your door from the so called indepentent candidates refuting claims made by myself about their budget proposals. May I ask you this - "Where did I obtain my figures of their proposed expenditure? I obtained it from their own website www.tarletonpc.org and their old website www.tarletonpc.uk.freedom.com from meeting minutes published on it. I reproduce them below:- 2007/08 Estimates £ Playing Field
Maintenance 17853 Clerks Salary/expenses
10100 It was agreed to make the second half-yearly payment of £150 to Mrs.Hiscock and to thank her for her work in managing the website since its introduction. I have a hard copy of previous years budgets to make the comparisons with. Obtained from the Clerk under the Freedom of Information Act. The sole purpose of this letter is to give you the electorate details of the information I have used when I put together my election leaflet. If anybody has any further questions to ask me please ring me anytime up to 10pm tonight on 07985 392213. I know it is a mobile number but I will be out and about in Tarleton Central Ward putting out a paper version of the above to those not on the internet. Yours sincerely, |
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| Dear
Sir, I, like Ian Wells, regularily look at the Tarleton Parish Council's website and after reading the minutes for September's meeting noticed that Cllr Gavin Simpson has developed a new website. This can now be accessed on www.tarletonpc.org. I would suggest to Ian Wells that he looks at that one - he will not learn anymore but at least he can see what the new site will look like. My only concern is that I hope that we are not paying for this site as we did with the old one at £300 per year. Cllr Hodson says that "the new website is being updated even as we speak". Can he give a time scale that is more specific or is it going to be like the Village Plan? That was published 3 years ago in September 2003 with 23 specific actions to be carried out - 6 that were ongong and the remainder to be completed within 2 years. P.S. One even stated that a review of the action plan take place every 12 months. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 10th December 2006 |
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Dear
Sir, |
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| Checked
Tarleton
Parish Council website today. The last update 15th September.
Last minutes June. Who is hiding what? Ian Wells, 7th December 2006 |
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| Dear
Sir, I am pleased to report that Tarleton Brass Band have been given a temporary space in the Pavilion for some of their equipment (including the Drums) and it is not in the loft! I understand that the Parish Council have agreed to eventually find a permanent home for the instruments when all the refurbishment work has been completed. It is pleasing that common sense has prevailed and that the Parish Council appreciate the need to cater for all forms of recreation of people within the village. Pet project or not of the Chair, the right of ownership is with the residents of Tarleton. The Parish Council are only the gatekeepers. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 8th August 2006 |
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Dear
Sir, Why? Yours faithfully, |
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| Dear
Sir, I see that the Over 60's car park is being turned into a second hand car lot. True The other day there was one car advertised for sale on the car park. It hasn't been moved. Now there is another one. Now admittedly both cars are showing different phone numbers to contact but one is a landline number and the other is a mobile. Both notices look as though they were typed on the same machine. What happens when the car park is full with cars for sale - does the cars owner have squatters rights? Will he put up a large illuminated hoarding before our local constabluary notice anything is untoward. Dave Rydings, 16th June 2006 |
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| Dear
Sir, Further to my letter dated 9th June [below], I note from the latest issue of the Village View, that despite concerns from various quarters including some of the Parish Council, Tarleton Parish Council have granted permission for the TYAG to use Carr Lane Pavilion as a drop in centre for young people. The item goes on to say that closer to the opening date, local residents will be consulted. How can consultation take place after the event. The consultation should have taken place before any permission was granted. Any concerns the residents may have are obviously of no interest to the Parish Council, mind you the only one who lives anywhere near was the only one to voice concerns. Like everything with this parish council, its a case of I'm alright Jack, and sod the rest of you. Chris Stringfellow, 18th December 2005 |
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Wow,
yet another fast paced, invigorating, Parish Council Meeting last
night. I had a job to keep up with all the exiting and interesting
subjects that were discussed! The highlight came at the end with the announcement that Tarleton had won an award for best kept large village and would be awarded garden centre vouchers! As you can see if you did not attend you missed a very interesting and lively evening. Now I ask you, does this sound like your average Tarleton Parish Council meeting? No, No and thrice No, is the cry. Now let me come out of the clouds and come down to earth (with a bump)! I cannot remember a more boring and uninteresting Parish Council meeting. Even the 'Advertiser' reporter had to go out at one stage to make sure she was in the real world. To end on a serious note - is this done to deter members of the public attending or worse still is it done to deter members of the public from standing for the Council? I would strongly suggest the Chair looks at a this website - www.davidgreenberg.com - it deals with how to make meetings interesting. Dave Rydings, 21st September 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, Sue Lunt wrote [Website Suggestions] saying she missed the banter about Parish Council Meetings. I felt that I had been hogging the limelight in commenting on the Tarleton Parish Council meetings but as I have often stated the deliberations at those meetings get a much wider airing via this web site because of the low turnout of the general pubic at those meetings - so I will continue. In fact the revelations about the "goings on" by previous Hesketh Bank Parish Councillors (and the subsequent decisions on the conduct of certain Councillors) show to me that the general public are the best watchdogs of our elected councillors. To take no action against them is a travesty of justice and does nothing but harm to the role of those Councillors who are carrying out a worthwhile job without any remuneration on behalf of the community. So, Parish Council's deliberations must be made available to as wide a local audience as possible (such as this completely independent website and not just the Parish Council's own minutes) to enable us to make up our minds if we wish these people to continue to represent us. But - do not rely on a few individuals to report on the meetings - go to them yourself - Tarleton's PC next meeting is on Tuesday 21st June at the Over 60's club at 7.30pm. Dave Rydings, 11th June 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, I note with some concern, the minutes of the April meeting of Tarleton Parish Council, which confirmed what some local residents already thought, namely the siting of the proposed Drop In centre at the Carr Lane Pavilion. It is worrying that despite the worries expressed by one councillor, and his suggestion that local residents be consulted, the whole issue was bulldozed through without any thought for those living nearby. It is very noticeable that none of these councillors are suggesting the provision of a youth facility close to where they live, I wonder why? Chris Stringfellow, 9th June 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, So, the John Hodson "reign" is over! Tarleton Parish Council has a new Chairman! After a year of coaching Nadine Ashcroft now holds that lofty position. Councillor Simpson ( he was unopposed at the last election - meaning he was "elected" unopposed) holds the position of Vice Chair. When asked what has been achieved from the Action Plan in the "Village Plan" I was told that many actions were ongoing. When asked why the village design group had not met for 3 months I was told that there had been too many other things to be attended to. In my opinion "the village plan is nothing more than a wish list" and I consider that the facts speak for themselves. ie Name one of the "action plans" that has been actioned? Oh, by the way, the clerk still hasn't got an e-mail address. "Lots of viruses in the system" was given as the reason why after 2 years we still have to use snail mail to contact the parish council clerk. Still we should be grateful that at least the Council's own website organiser has decided to step down and that the Chair and Vice Chair are to take control. Perhaps they could sort out the clerk's e-mail problems first. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 18th May 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, I would appreciate if you would be kind enough to publish a postscript to my last letter. I ask because I have assumed that the J E Hodson on the ballot notice for the general election could of course have been another person than the J E Hodson who is the Chairman of the Tarleton Parish Council. If my assumption is incorrect I would appreciate clarification from the JEH on the ballot notice. Thank you. Dave Rydings, 8th May 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, I freely admit that I am an active member of the Conservative Party and assisted in the General & County elections.I have stated this to make clear my affiliations. I was therefore intrigued by the following; You may be aware that a candidate wishing to stand in local or general elections has to be proposed and seconded by two people and be nominated by quite a few other people. Looking at the list of nominees on the notice board at the polling station I saw the name J E Hodson as one of the nominees for David Burrow. My question is "How independent do you have to be to stand as an Independent?. I ask because JH claims to be an Independent. A (Red) Rose by any other name?? Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 6th May 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, Whilst I accept the fact you must be a hermit if you were unaware that a General Election will take place next Thursday I am concerned that our Parish Council Clerk has decided not to put notice of that fact on the Parish Council notice boards. Besides the General Election there is another for the County Councillor and there is nothing on the Parish Council notice boards about this election either. I checked with WLDC and they assured me that posters were sent out to the Clerk for him to display on these notice boards. No notice about either election on the Parish Council's web site. No notice on the Parish Council's own web site about the Parish and District Council's recent elections. Please be aware that the Parish Council pay our our money to have a website. Are we getting value for money? Or do they consider it is not their place to post election information? Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 29th April, 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, Yet another unimaginative Parish Council Meeting last Tuesday. The report on the Village Plan delayed (yet again!) due to the fact that "they" have not met this month. I wonder who "they" are? The Chairman brought up the "Amberwatch" idea once again - with several Councillor's stating that in their opinion it would not be suitable for the village. Undeterred the Chairman pressed on "we'll put it in the Village View and ask for residents opinions" Several good ideas were put forward such as floral displays around the village - as usual the Chair had his own opinion and that was the only one that mattered - ideas such as that are never floated to the rest of the councillors. When the subject of the proposed drop in centre on Carr Lane was brought up the Deputy Chair had her own opinions and would not listen to experience. Next Month is the AGM - I would urge anyone to attend to see the farce for themselves first hand. Yours faithfully Dave Rydings, 22nd April 2005 |
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Amberwatch Dear Sir, Before last Tuesday's Parish Council meeting commenced a presentation was given by a commercial company called 247 outdoor.com who describe themselves as a provider of lamp post media innovations. At the end of the 40 minute presentation all present were given a sales pack that included a DVD. I have played this DVD and it confirms my own (personal) worst fears. The sales technique is similar to that employed by insurance companies - fear - wrapped up in a 'doing the community a favour' way. They claim that most of the lamp posts in this country are past their sell by date and to replace them would cost £2bn! They offer to replace strategically placed lamp posts free of charge in return for allowing LARGE illuminated advertisement signs fitted to the post. Incorporated in the sign (approx. 20% of the total advertisement size) would be a scrolling message. This message would be controlled by someone appointed by the P. council and could, if necessary, be changed daily.(They call it Council Voice!) In return the Council would receive a share of the revenue from the advertising - 20% - and they foresee each lamp post generating £1000 - £1500 per annum. The contract would run for 20 years so the estimated total revenue in that time scale would be £20,000 - £30,000 per Lamp post!!!. Sounds great doesn't it? Reduce the amount on the Parish precept - instant messaging - no more traffic jams at Tarleton lights as traffic is redirected down Blackgate Lane, etc., etc. When asked where could anyone view one of these in use we were told that they haven't got any up and running yet. So how can the prediction be given on revenue generation? If the scheme is that good why are not Council's beating a path to their door? The Chairman suggested that the 'Village View' be used as a means of sounding out the views of the residents of Tarleton on the installation of these within the village. It will be interesting to see just how that 'consultation' is worded - if the Police Operations Centre 'consultation' is the way in which the process is to be conducted then he has a fight on his hands. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 19th March 2005 |
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| Dear
Sir, I attended last night's Tarleton Parish Council meeting and nearly got the answer to my question "What has been achieved from the Village Plan?". I say nearly because it was dealt with as though it was a big secret. The gang of 3 -Cllrs Hodson, Ashcroft and Simpson were the only ones who knew anything about the "progess to date" and it beggars belief that the rest of the councillors' present didn't seem to know much about the "progress to date". It appears that £1.3M has been obtained in funding in the name of the "Village Plan" yet when asked by one councillor for a breakdown of income and expenditure Cllr Ashcroft replied that it was rather complicated to explain! I am not suggesting for one moment that anything underhanded is taking place but I consider we all have a right to know the full details. I asked the same question at the end of the meeting with the lame answer that there is only so much time a councillor has to spare and after all they do it for nothing and in the interests of the community so they do not always have the time to be as explicit as they would like to be. When asked "Why not delegate?" Cllr Hodson indicated that he would like to but had received no offers - I wonder why?. Why not use your own P.Council website? Again it was the same excuse we don't have the time. (Remember the person who runs the website is the wife of a Councillor and lives next door to the Chairman but the Clerk cannot do the work because he still hasn't got e-mail facilities). So, the Gang of 3 - Cllrs Hodson, Ashcroft and Simpson continue to set the tone of the Parish Council. My hope is that eventually their stranglehold will be removed in the next parish Council Elections in 2006. Remember, Cllrs Hodson and Simpson were unopposed last time. Oh I nearly forgot - "Amberwatch" gave a 40 minute presentation on flashing roadsigns complete with advertisements to the councillors present. If time is a problem to Councillor Hodson why is he considering yet another project? Dave Rydings, 16th March 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, The big guns are out now complete with all the big words and fancy phrases that in the end tell you nothing. Still no answer to my question -"what has been achieved so far from the action plan at the back of the Village Plan booklet issued in September 2003". As Cllr. J.E. Hodson is very well aware I attend EVERY Parish Council Meeting and have asked the question on many occasions. The answer I usually get is "many projects are in hand and we will be giving a statement on them very soon" Are the "results" subject to the Official Secrets Act? I would advise anyone to read the Parish Council's minutes - I have yet to find any answers. In fact the brevity of the Parish Council's minutes are staggering. As to his sarcastic comment about myself not speaking up at Parish Council Meetings he knows full well I am not backward at coming forward. I always have something to say at every meeting and further he has tried unsuccessfully to move public participation on the agenda to a place where it is difficult for any member of the public to comment on the deliberations of the councillors at that meeting. The main reason why I use this website is that his "Antics" reach a far greater audience than the 2 or 3 people who attend just for the privilege of listening to him issue his missive's for 2 hours.(I roughly measured the amount of time he spoke against others at the last meeting and it was in the region of 80% Chairman 20% others). I don't wonder the public don't attend. How many of the original residents are still actively involved in the Village Design Group? Are there any minutes of meetings that they hold? What subgroups are there? Do they have any expenditure and income and if so where can I see a copy of the accounts? I fear that like his proposals to implement "Amberwatch" in the village (illuminated adverts on lamp posts) will result in yet another survey will being carried out together with a detailed report and wasted expenditure of taxpayers money. Dave Rydings, 27th February 2005 |
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Dear
Editor, In order to put Mr. Rydings out of his obvious difficulty in understanding the concept and scope of the process of the Village Plan I would suggest to him that he should attend the next meeting of Tarleton Parish Council where a report of the progress to date of the VP will be outlined. My advice to him is that in order to minimise the amount of embarassment to himself he would be better to reserve his 'judgement' of what has been achieved until he is aware of the facts. I know he usually waits until he has retreated to the relatively safe distance of this website before he makes his usual negative comments but I would urge him to have the courage of his convictions and come and speak to us face to face. Yours Sincerely, Cllr. J.E.Hodson, Chairman, 27th February 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, Everything is now falling into place re Glenys's attacks on me. I have just received Bob Fosters election message through my door and note who printed the leaflet for him. None other than Glenys's son who is a great friend of John Hodson who was the instigator of the "Plan". So it's no wonder she behaves the way she does. Oh by the way - just to ask again for the umpteenth time "What has been achieved from the village plan" I won't hold my breath for an answer. Dave Rydings, 27th February 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, Here we go again! Glenys - answer the question "What has been achieved from the village plan?" I personally consider that having a plan is a good idea but our Village plan is dead in the water. Glenys - lend your keyboard to Bob - he will probably talk more sense. Dave Rydings, 26th Febraury 2005 |
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Dear
Editor I'd hate anybody to think that I was critical of Dave being a Conservative. Some very fine people have been Conservative - some still are! I was critical only of his attacking everybody who didn't share his political membership - and at the same time keeping his own political affiliations hidden. That is dishonest by most people's standards. Now that's it's plain that he attacks only those who stand against his party's candidates, I think his views will be valued in the way they deserve. I'd like to make a start by putting a value on his advice to me to "refrain from using your keyboard Glenys" - this sounds very much like an attempt at censorship. Is this official Conservative Party policy, or just a personal one? Rather than Dave trying to stop me from posting, it might do less damage to the Conservative Party (who haven't really done anything to deserve a supporter like Dave) if he were to stop trying to "help" them quite so much. Yours sincerely, Glenys Simpson, 25th February 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, Isn't it interesting that Glenys "attacks" my political affiliations. Isn't that what a democracy is about? Anything I say though is an "outburst" to her. I do not see one word in her letter telling us what has been achieved in the "village plan" which was the subject of my letter. It's a case of "we must respond and, as we don't have any answers, we will attack him as a person". Pathetic. She can criticise my politics 'till the cows come home - that's healthy in a democracy, but for crying out loud Glenys stick to the subject in hand. She seems to belong to that group that decries anything that anybody else does or says without putting forward any ideas themselves. That's bullying isn't it?. Put forward ideas or please refrain fom using your keyboard Glenys. Dave Rydings, 25th February 2005 |
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Dear
Editor,
Although I usually avoid replying to Dave's sudden outbursts on this forum, I think his attack on Bob Foster deserves a response. Those of you who already know Bob from having met him during his "day job" round our paths and roads will also know that he is a person who genuinely cares about the village. Under the circumstances, it's only fair and timely to point out that Dave is sufficiently senior in the local Conservative Party to be listed on their website. Now that his political affiliations are more publicly acknowledged, it might be worth keeping in mind that many of his posts might have been written in an attempt to blacken the names and reputations of any who dare stand against official Tory candidates. Sneaky, I know, but this sort of attitude seems to be quite acceptable in political circles ? I just wish that it hadn't filtered down to the Parish Council level where I believe party politics aren't necessary. Play this game at District and County level if you must, but keep it out of the Parish Council. Unfortunately, the Parish Council is the only council Dave has shown any interest in criticising. He refrains from complaining about actions taken by Ormskirk or the County - perhaps because that would involve criticising his political colleagues. At least something good has come out of all this - an explanation for the Rydings' frequent desire to see their names in print. I thought Dave was just going for the title of "Busybody of the Month", whereas I now see he was probably acting under political direction. Forewarned is forearmed! Yours
sincerely, |
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Dear
Sir, I have just read Bob Foster's election message. He speaks highly of the Village Plan. In fact he speaks of it as if it is the best thing that has happened since sliced bread was invented! This I find strange - I have asked the Chairman of the Parish Council several times what of the action plan items have been carried out since the plans birth in 2003. I still await an answer. We've had reams of paper at a cost of £1000's to us council tax payers - most of it went into the bin. We've had traffic surveys carried out with costs into the £1000's - what has happened? We've had promises to enter into discussions with local businesses - any progress? We've had promises to enter into discussions with the Growers - have they discussed anything?. We've had promises to produce a Tarleton housing plan - have you seen any plan? Etc, Etc, Etc... If this village plan is so good why don't we all know about its "results"? I'll tell you why because nothing has happened. The Sports Hall is put forward as the great achievement of the Parish Council. That is just not true - it's what the Chair of the Parish Council would like you to think though. A lot of people were involved in helping to produce this plan - I wonder just how many there are left who were active in the original group? Sorry Bob, You're on to a looser. I agree things don't happen overnight but for goodness sake the so called "Plan" has been around for 18 months with nothing to show for it except spent money. Dave Rydings, 25th February 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, I apologise for hogging this thread on the letters page but I fell that the good people of Tarleton should be aware of what our elected (and unelected) leaders are up to. At last night's Parish Council meeting the Chair, as usual, moved the public participation item on the agenda from item 16 to item 8. Fine you might say, the public don't have to wait until the end of the meeting to speak. The point is though that up until item 8 nothing had been discussed except planning matters. By doing this the Chair ensures that the public don't really have a chance to comment on that meeting's deliberations. Fortunately public participation was restored to item 16. The clerk, when asked, "Did you tell the Chairman you had served the notice to WLDC about a Parish Council vacancy on December 29th?" he replied "No". In other words an unelected member of the Parish Council is controlling matters. I only hope that after the public left he was rebuked by the members of the Parish Council for his actions. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 16th February 2005 |
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Amberwatch Item
13 on the Agenda was "Amberwatch". Consider this - you're driving up Church Road and you see this sign and naturally you read it. (Oops! sorry pedestrian, I didn't see you, I was busy reading about the offers at the local supermarket on the illuminated sign!!). Are we looking to increase accidents in the village? Maybe we can do a deal with the Ambulance service to advertise our village on their vehicles - come to Lancashire's own Las Vegas - get a free trip to hospital courtesy of Tarleton Parish Council!
This idea was pioneered in America (where else)? where vehicles
and pedestrians are kept separate.
Problem is the Chair thought it a good idea!! |
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TARLETON
PARISH COUNCIL VACANCY |
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Dear
Sir, I wish to reply to Cllr Hodson's letter of the 31st Jan about my criticism of Parish Council minutes. Whilst he quotes part of my letter he failed to complete my comment. Yes, I did say that I was pleased that he gave thanks for his remarks about the late Robert Hodge but I continued my letter by saying "that my pleasure was short lived" and continued to explain why. Further, do not call me a liar - I was at that meeting and I know what I saw. I would agree that the minutes are passed by the P. Council but Mr Hodson forgets to say that the public who attend cannot see the minutes of the previous meeting and even if they were able to they couldn't comment on them. I have been to various P. Council meetings when Councillor's challenge the minutes. When it is taken to the vote, the so called "Independent Party" members close ranks and vote to accept them. I'll give you an example of an inaccuracy:-18th May 2004 minutes - item 2004/008 - a Cllr. queried the accuracy of Minute 2003/182 regarding production of the working plans for the Over 60's car park layout options. It was recorded that the minutes were correct by 4 votes to 3. I attended that meeting and recorded those votes: 4 Cllrs. voted that the minutes were correct; 4 Cllrs. said they were incorrect; 1 Cllr. abstained; 2 Cllrs.could not vote because they hadn't been at the previous meeting. I personally spoke to all those Cllrs. who voted against acceptance and to the Cllr. who abstained to ensure I was correct in my belief. The vote would have been carried by the Chairman using his casting vote but the point is the minutes were not accurate. I have gone into detail re the above to support Mr Stringfellow's argument in his letter about the accuracy of TPC minutes. Cllr Hodson - I do not consider that intimidation by you is very productive and suggest that instead of threatening legal action against those who make constructive comment on your actions, you should try to answer the points raised. I will perhaps take a leaf out of your book and go to the Standards Board. David Rydings, 2nd February 2005 |
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Dear
Editor, In reply to Mr. Stringfellow's letter I would respond by the following: Cllr. Mee is the spokesperson for the Maintenance sub-committee of the Parish Council and therefore would put forward reports on various matters. Without going through all the back copies of minutes (yes I do have more important things to do) I would suggest that this probably explains the 'mass amnesia' he refers to. Secondly and more seriously, he firstly identifies me personally and then makes an allegation of corruption (by inference) of which I take great and legal exception to. I would suggest that he retracts/clarifies this allegation or face the consequences. I have never pursued or recieved personal benefit of any kind whilst involved in public life and do now call on him to withdraw his remarks. With regard to the Sports Committee meeting the last held was the AGM where there was no discussion with regard to any traffic calming measures as the analysis for the Village View consultation has not yet been done. Mr. Stringfellow can be assured that when we discuss the matter at the Sports Committee meeting both he and representatives of the Rugby Club will be invited. Yours Sincerely, Cllr. J.E.Hodson, Chairman, 1st February 2005 |
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Dear
Sir, Tarleton Parish Council appears to have become one of two things, either a corrupt, self serving body, concerned only with the elected member's personal or political goals and aims and those of their friends / acquaintances / supporters, or a group of total incompetents who should not be allowed to meet collectively for their own and the publics safety. To whit the following. Every meeting commences with the council agreeing that the minutes of the previous meeting are a true and accurate record, and all present attest to the same. Obviously the members do not actually read the minutes or are too befuddled to know what they are reading. The November minutes state categorically on the Attendance and Apologies sections, that Councillor Mee did not attend, and from personal attendance at the same meeting I know he did not arrive at a later time, yet section 2004/093, paragraph 2 states quite clearly, "Cllr. Mee reported that Harry Mayor of Netholme Farm, Park Lane, Holmes, was the landowner of the field where it was proposed to site a new bus shelter". Section 2004/099 states, "Cllr.Mee reported that the some of the swings at Carr Lane required replacement". The December minutes state that everyone present agreed that the minutes of the previous meeting were a true and accurate record, agreeing that Councillor Mee made two documented statements, when in fact he was nowhere near the meeting. Obviously there was a case of mass amnesia affecting every single member of the council, including Councillor Mee himself. This concerns me as Coucillor Mee also represents the area at District level. If he cannot remember which meetings he attends and when, how can he make an honest claim for his allowances? The November minutes also record the receipt of an email regarding the parking in Carr Lane on match days and some concern was expressed verbally regarding potential increases in the numbers using the sports facilities there. The following is quoted as the response, "The Chair stated that the improvements being carried out at Carr Lane would not lead to an increase in the number of teams". Mr.Stringfellow, who was present at the meeting, was invited to the next Tarleton Sports Committee meeting, along with representatives from the Rugby Club". The very next paragraph in the same subsection concerns a letter from Tarleton Corinthians, the first line states, "The letter highlighted the success of Tarleton Corinthians FC and the need now to seek additional sites to accommodate the additional teams". The December minutes state, in the Sports Committee section, "Following a meeting of the Sports Committee it was noted that due to the increase in the number of junior teams there was now a shortage of playing areas". Again the increased numbers is a major factor. Coincidentally, no notification or invitation was received by either Mr. Stringfellow or representatives from the Rugby club. A number of questions arise from this. Why did the chair state categorically at the November meeting, that there would not be an increase in the numbers using the facilities, when he must have been fully aware that the next item was about to prove the opposite? Why did he offer attendance at the forthcoming meeting, then fail to notify the interested parties? Is there a hidden agenda causing the collusion between members of the Parish Council and the football club? Can we really trust the current Parish Council to represent the wishes of the people who elected them or are they simply a collective of incompetents? I
now rest my case. |
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Dear
Editor, In response to Mr. Rydings criticisms it is only fair that I rebutt his inaccurate remarks and defend the good name of our Clerk, Mr. Rod Sears. The minutes of each meeting are presented, by the clerk, to the Council in draft form for approval subject to any alterations. Unless I am excercising some form of mind control over the whole Council, the minutes of the meeting were agreed as a true and accurate record. Mr. Rydings perhaps needs to make his mind up as to what exactly he does and does not remember as, quoting from his earlier submission to this site : "I attended last night's [Tarleton] Parish council meeting and was pleased that the Chairman, John Hodson, commenced with a minute's silence as a mark of respect following the death of Cllr Robert Hodge." Perhaps his logic on the subject of the precept is that if we do not levy anything at all we are somehow being more efficient even if we achieve nothing at all. The Parish Council sets the priority and level of the precept because that is what it was elected to do as the democratic body it is. Yours Sincerely, Cllr. J.E.Hodson, Chairman, 31st January 2005 |
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Dear
Editor, I wrote to you on the 22nd December expressing my disgust at the disrespect that the Chair of our Parish Council showed to the late Robert Hodge at the beginning of December's PC Meeting. I can now read the minutes of that meeting on the PC's own website. They state that he paid respects to Robert. That did not take place - the "minutes silence" lasted short of a minute and the words recorded in those minutes were not spoken by the Chair. I was there and was shocked at the disrespect he displayed. I would suggest the clerk should be more accurate in recording what actually happened. The accuracy of the items raised under public participation are also sparce in the extreme. It leaves me with the feeling that points raised by those members of the public who attend are of little importance and not worth recording. No wonder residents do not attend PC meetings - they probably feel that it has all been decided on beforehand. Most residents may be unaware that they will see a sharp rise in the Parish precept this year. A 6% increase in the budget over last year was agreed at January's meeting. Do you know how much has been budgetted for for the next financial year? Some examples are - the "Village View"- £530 per time - 4 times per year comes to £2120 pa. £700 has been budgetted for for training and attending conferences for Councillors. £650 for subscriptions(???) and £500 for their own website. ( Hesketh Bank pay £150 for their website). A total expenditure of £49166 was agreed in their budget. I for one hope that the residents of Tarleton express their views in the ballot boxes next year. Yours faithfully, Dave Rydings, 30th January 2005 |
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THE
'SECRET' ELECTION [See News 28/01/05] It was intended to announce the vacancy at the February meeting of TPC in order to allow all due respect and services to take place before proceeding to fill the vacancy left by Robert Hodge, so as to avoid any such unseemly and therefore disrespectful haste. It will be interesting to see just who it was that felt it so necessary to proceed with such haste, when the list of ten electors required to call an election is duly published. The normal process follows a given timetable from the time when the Clerk to the Council has to notify the District Council of the vacancy, where notice is then published. If members of the Parish apply to be considered, the Parish Council can then a) Co-opt a new member or b) Go to election, if one is called. The way that this has been done is, I feel, disrespectful in its timing and also not very democratic in the way that the public have been left with a very narrow window in which they can apply. I would be very disappointed if it turns out that any of the ten electors who called for the election were present at the last TPC meeting where they must surely have known of their intention to do so and yet remained silent. Perhaps they will have the decency to come forward and explain their actions. Yours
Sincerely |
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FUNERAL
OF ROBERT HODGE Dear Sir, I have not lived in Tarleton for long but during that time I came to know Robert Hodge and he gained my respect as a man who cared about the village and its people. It was such a pleasure therefore to see so many people at the funeral of "Mr West Lancashire" himself on Tuesday 28th. The Church and the School Rooms were packed to capacity and the service was relayed by video screen so all could join in. Robert himself would have appreciated all the organisation that went into it. In fact, to those who made all the arrangements, I for one say "thank you" for giving such a well respected man the honour he deserved. Tributes were made to his work as a Parish, District and County Councillor as well as his life's dedication as a Methodist Lay Preacher. All of his political friends (and adversaries) were in attendance to give him the respect that he had earned as a public servant. Geoff Roberts, Leader of WLDC, summed up Robert's attitude in his eulogy - "don't seek conflict seek solutions". The service, conducted by the Rev'd Pat Aitchison was fitting for a man of Robert's stature and was conducted with warmth and humour that would have been appreciated by him. Yours faithfully, David Rydings, 28th December 2004 |
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Dear
Sir, I attended last night's [Tarleton] Parish council meeting and was pleased that the Chairman, John Hodson, commenced with a minute's silence as a mark of respect following the death of Cllr Robert Hodge.My pleasure was because I know that Cllr Hodson and Cllr Hodge did not always see eye to eye and were from opposite sides of the political spectrum. This pleasure though was short lived because Cllr Hodson went straight into item one on the Agenda - apologies for absence. The meeting continued throughout the evening without any further mention of Cllr Hodge. This I felt showed disrespect for a man who has dedicated his life to local politics. I was surprised also that no other Councillor took the Chair to task about it. My opinion is that the Parish Council has become a case of "them and us" and that the Chair will be rubbing his hands with glee at the thought that there is now a vacancy on Parish, District and County Councils. Yours faithfully, David Rydings, 22nd December 2004 |
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Don't
Just Spectate - Participate! GOT SOMETHING TO SAY - EMAIL THE EDITOR Please don't forget to include your name and subject of your letter. Anonymous letters will not be published. Contact details are required. (Address and telephone number - these will not be published or kept but are required for validation) |
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