Community Matters

CHANGE OF FOCUS&&&

As you may have noticed, I’ve got a new title for this column. I feel that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about security in one form or another. As a big fan, I’ll continue to promote Neighbourhood Watch and support neighbourhood policing where and when I can, but I’d like to widen the topics in this column to things that may be more topical and of wider interest to readers.

LOCAL ELECTIONS&&&

Well, I’d like to thank all of you who voted for me in the recent council elections. During the coming four years we can expect to see the coalition government attempting to devolve decision making on some local issues down to the lowest level of local government,

which will be the town and parish councils. It seems the great British majority is against change of any sort, so if this eventually does happen, it should make for more interesting times, including for the councillors you have elected. I hope we can meet your expectations!

We have four new councillors on Bovey Town council, and I hope they will enjoy their time in office. With no disrespect to the people concerned, I was disappointed to see that there were no new female candidates for the election, and as we had two ladies standing down this time, plus one resignation mid term, we have lost the 50-50 gender balance on the council that existed four years ago.

DOGS & THE RECREATION GROUND&&&

The decision by the retiring council to ban dogs from the Recreation Ground from 1^st June because of the health risks (to footballers, cricketers and children playing in the area) that can be caused by people not removing their dog’s droppings, certainly caused some heated discussion, with a balance of people both for and against it.

Of course the council did not take this decision lightly, and it was pleasing to see people responding by making sure their dogs’ mess was picked up. As a result, the new council has decided to suspend this decision until the autumn, giving dog owners ample time to prove the ban is not necessary. As part of the change of heart, the council has decided that dogs will have to be kept on leads when in the Recreation Ground, as this meets the requirement for dogs to be “kept under control at all times”. No doubt discussion will continue on this issue, and I’m sure the council will be keeping the situation under close review.

BOVEY TRACEY PRIMARY SCHOOL CENTENARY SHOWCASE&&&

At the end of May, to celebrate its centenary on 2^nd June,  the school ran a series of performances by the school children highlighting events at the school and in Bovey Tracey through the last 100 years. Some of this derived from school archive material provided by the Heritage Centre. Events under various school head teachers were demonstrated by acted pieces, dancing, gymnastics and song. In particular, I thought the scenes relating to the many misunderstandings between wartime city evacuees and the local country populace were extremely well enacted, and the singing of selected numbers from various musicals the school has put on over recent years was brilliantly performed.

However, the most memorable thing for me was the enthusiasm, confidence and enjoyment displayed by the pupils to make sure these performances were a credit to themselves and the school, which indeed they were. Headmistress Julie Dyer quite rightly expressed at the end how proud she is of all of them. I’m sure the school staff and parents are too.

Which leads me on to this&&..

GOOD CITIZENSHIP BY BOVEY YOUNG PEOPLE&&&

During the winter our neighbourhood policing team through PCSO Paul Wilson raised with the council the matter of recognising the positive activities and involvement with the community that many of our young people make, often selflessly and unnoticed by the public at large. This would help change the image many people might have of the young being nothing but a nuisance and causing problems for the rest of us.

I fully support Paul Wilson with this, as I know we have many extremely talented youngsters in so many fields, who at their young age are putting something back into our society by helping people perhaps less fortunate than themselves or leading activities that add value to the lives of others in Bovey Tracey. It is important to encourage these future citizens and to recognise their positive contributions to our way of life here in this town.

The council has formed a working group to formulate how this recognition of good citizenship can be evaluated. I will try to keep you updated on progress through this column, as will the council no doubt through the “Quality Update” newsletter.

&.AND THE OLDER CITIZEN TOO!........

There was a very agreeable item on the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the Town Council on 16^th May when Bill and Janet Walling were presented with the Chain of Office as the newly elected Representatives of the Lord of the Manor of Bovey Tracey for 2001/12. This award (made annually by the Town Council) was in recognition of their voluntary work in Bovey Tracey over many decades, and in particular for their work with CLIC Sargent helping children with cancer and their families.

I mention this in particular because Bill was the cheerful postman for my road when I first moved to Bovey Tracey, and was one of the first to be involved with Neighbourhood Watch  (with Janet and their Moor View neighbour Ann Whiteway), long before even the dear late and widely remembered John Wigney started to build the current NHW network in Bovey.

At the same time, Guy Holding was presented with a framed certificate in appreciation of his many voluntary works in the town (in particular with the Bovey Tracey Town Trust, the Samuel Crokers Almshouses Trust, the Parish Church Charity Trust and the Heritage Trust, among others). And from 1962 to 1997 he also managed to fit in being the Town’s dentist!

Thank you and congratulations all!

Tony Allen is a Bovey Tracey Town Councillor & Leader of the Bovey NHW Forum

Other columns by Tony Allen