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Read parish poll proposers' press release
(April 28, 2010)Press Release
from the Parish Poll proposers.
THE result of the Parish Poll held in Warminster
last week can have left little doubt that Warminster Town Council's
million pound plus proposal to move to the Assembly Hall has very
little support in the town.
''It was a landslide and I doubt if there has been such an emphatic rejection of a proposal all year nationwide,' said poll proposer Steve Dancey.
"If the town council decides to go against the wishes of the public and press on with their proposal then it would show they have contempt for the democratic process - but I don't believe that they will do this.
"It is time that the town council and some of the others who hold power in this area realised the strength of feeling in the town about the state of the Town Hall.
"There is a overwhelming groundswell of public support for our elected representatives to do something constructive about it.
"If they don't want to then I would suggest they step aside for those who do and have some vision for the town's future."
"'I have also taken exception to a suggestion from
the Mayor that those who voted No are a politically driven
minority," added Steve Dancey. "I am sure they will as well."
"I've not been a member of a political party for more than 15 years and have yet to make up my mind on the question of who to support at the General Election.
"Mr Nicklin on the other hand has been chairman of a party political association in recent times and I would suggest he is the one who is politically driven.
"Perhaps it is now time for all unitary and town councillors to put their town and conscience before their party."
Others React
Steve Dancey was not alone in being spurred into
action when the size of the loan application was discovered in the
committee minutes of the town council.
"I am not working for a polical party and have no
political ambition but like to see democracy working and care about
Warminster and its buildings," said petitioner Primrose Kirkman.
"I probably would not have got involved if I had not been annoyed at the machinations of the council that I have witnessed.
"Are none of the Warminster Council politically motivated?"
Another key figure in the demand for a public vote on the plans is former deputy mayor Paul Macdonald
"I think the council are now well
aware that this is not a politically motivated handful but a genuine
widespread expression of concern that their desperation to get this
through before the general election was wrong," said Mr. Macdonald.
"With almost no time to publicise the date of the vote one in twenty electors have taken part in this opinion poll. Many national polling organisations would be delighted with that size of sample.
"They still have to work out so much and if they listen to the people the moving of the offices has been decisively rejected.
"This is the wrong way to approach the issues and that has now been publically recorded so it was very worthwhile."
"With almost no time to publicise the date of the vote one in twenty electors have taken part in this opinion poll. Many national polling organisations would be delighted with that size of sample.
"They still have to work out so much and if they listen to the people the moving of the offices has been decisively rejected.
"This is the wrong way to approach the issues and that has now been publically recorded so it was very worthwhile."
The petition requesting the parish meeting held
which led to the poll on Thursday (22nd April) was delivered by Alan
Shepherd who collected most of the signatures.
....press release ends