onionbagblog

There’s nothing like the Notice of Annual Town Meeting from Wivenhoe Town Council to get the heart rate pumping as you skip along the High Street and go about your morning errands.

Oh Lordy.

“All residents are invited to the Town Meeting that will be held in the William Loveless Hall on Wednesday 11th May, 2011 at 7:30pm.”

Wouldn’t it be ace if ALL 10,000 residents of Wivenhoe were to turn up at the Loveless on the evening of the 11th? Whaddya reckon the first item agenda would be? Ah, that old chestnut of time to build a new town hall…

Rest easy, Comrades:

“The following is the agenda for the evening:

1. Distribution of Mayor’s Charity Fund.

2. Minutes of the last annual meeting.

3. To receive the annual report of the Town Council and financial statement.

4. To discuss any specific points which residents which to raise.

5. To consider any resolutions which may be proposed.”

4 and 5 could be lively. I’m looking to point 6 – booze in the back room of The Greyhound. I trust the retiring Mr Mayor can stretch to a round for the 10,000 townsfolk.

Resolutions need to be formally submitted before Tuesday 3rd May, addressed to the Town Clerk at the Council Offices.

The Annual Report itself makes for interesting reading – if your definition of interesting incorporates Planning, Policing and Town Council Public Access. I’m sure there’s a Wivenhoe based crime thriller just waiting to be penned along these themes.

Reading between the small print (and there is a hell of a lot of detail) and it seems that financially this has been a successful year for the Town Council. Cuts are coming, we all know that. This isn’t the place to lay the macro political blame game.

Wivenhoe however seems well placed for the economic challenges that will no doubt be presented to the new WTC administration when it sits down for the first meeting in the chamber next month.

“In view of the current economic climate, the current Town Council continues to be committed to maintaining the current level of services to local residents, and this year in particular is delighted to say that it has managed this and also kept the precept below average, despite a 50% reduction in the Parish Grant.

This is mainly due to careful husbandry and grant sourcing. The Town Council’s policy to fund major improvements by grants will continue in the same vein over future years.”

And hurrah for that – you can’t go wrong with a bit of careful husbandry on the domestic front.

The reports outlines ongoing developments at Cooks (concerns) Millfields Open Space (granted) Cemeteries (dog pooh) Highways (potholes) Street Cleaning (Ray retires) the Hub (successful) Play Areas (vandalism) the William Loveless Hall (new lady loos) Diamond Jubilee (apathy) Christmas Lights (what a turn on) Wivenhoe Woods (sea wall vandalism) Allotments (thriving) New Health Centre (stagnating) Policing (station closed) Safety (crime falling) Communication (helloooo!) Munty Bus (new cam-belt, natch) Mayor’s Charity (£3k – ace) Finance (£55ish per resident) and Public Access (do come to meetings.)

Phew. And relax.

For more meat on the bone (steady) then I’d suggest an evening at the Loveless Hall on 11th May.