There is a saying that 'a week in politics is a long time' but the
year in community politics producing a vision to stimulate a debate
about how to take the town of Warminster forward has flown by.
The website is now well established and well-read and already some
of the decision makers are taking a real interest in the ideas
especially since March.
There is clear evidence that our approach of thinking long-term
rather than 'quick-fix' while at the same giving clear priorities of
projects that are urgent is concentrating minds.
The Town Hall is a real blot on the landscape and a disgrace. It
is now firmly on the agenda of the town council. Public suggestions are
rolling in to fund and support the restoration to community use.
The challenge to the town council to modernise. It now has a
communications committee, a Mayoral initiative group with an agenda
that could have been drawn directly from these pages, and co-opting
valuable experience from the community.
The call for a community makeover has been met with a public
response leading to the formation of 'WETS' led by another concerned
citizen.
These few examples have shown that a new positive approach is
replacing the negativity of those who usually worry about purse strings
without using some imagination.
Our hot topics have enabled us to respond on an almost daily basis
to the concerns of locals about issues like civic pride, anti-social
behaviour, policing, and holding decision makers to account.
The June elections provided me with the enhanced opportunity of talking to locals on the doorstep.
I may not have won the vote (on the same day as the European
elections) but to come first out of four opponents to the Tories shows
real local support for our approach.
Warminster has a bright future if we can develop a positive can-do
approach and challenge those who represent us foremost, the
councillors, to put up or shut up shop.
What will they be able to show for their term of office?
There is a very real challenge that needs addressing. An overall
vision for the town or a piecemeal reaction to situations as they
arise. The first twelve months of visionforwarminster.co.uk have been
productive and thought provoking and certainly
stirred certain people
into action.
The next twelve months will take it another step forward not as a
party political manifesto but as an independent representation of the
hopes, aspirations and ideas of the people of Warminster.
Watch this space!
Paul is in his fourth decade of community campaigning at local,
regional and national levels which started when he was a pupil at
Trowbridge High School as an 'A' level student. He was born in west
London and he has worked and lived in Warminster since 1977
and embarrass the authorities and those in
charge into taking action where appropriate