Hot TOPICS 
Late boost for Paul's election campaign
(November 24, 2011)| PAUL Macdonald's election campaign was given a late boost from an unexpected quarter on Thursday morning when the Warminster Journal was published. The boost was in the front page story 'Council on the Move'. In a couple of risible comments councillors Nicklin and Burden reminded voters about the folly of the Assembly Rooms. Councillor Nicklin regarded the £800,000 capital cost, the huge interest payments associated with the project and the £80,000 a year running cost of the building as an 'investment in the future'. Well councillor Nicklin if that is what you regard as an investment - don't call us we'll call you. What makes local people so annoyed is the opportunity cost of the project which has moved money away from another project that had widespread public support - the restoration and purchase of the Town Hall. It is also the reason the town council has not had enough money for a Christmas street fair this year. ''You 11 Tory councillors have let Warminster down badly by not helping to restore the town hall and thereby giving our failing High Street and Market Place a major boost,'' said VFW's Steve Dancey. ''All the Civic centre will do is build up your empire, have no knock-on benefits and will be shunned by very many people in the town. ''This website will continue to address your short-comings until you and your supporters have been kicked out of office/position.'' The failure has been compounded by the Town Hall's acquisition by a convicted offender, Peter Caldwell who was guilty of ripping apart a listed building's interior in Cheltenham. On top of this we have Norton Bavant resident cllr Veronica Burden attacking a vulgar campaign against the council's move. Vulgar it might be but it reflected the view of 92 per cent of the population and now one of the chickens is coming home to roost. ''If Mrs Burden and other wealthy people living in the villages are so keen on the Assembly Rooms facility them perhaps they can pay part of the cost,'' added Steve. ''Norton Bavant residents such as Mrs Burden don't pay any parish council tax whatsoever so I would call into question her right to comment on our financial matters at all." Democracy can be aggressive and uncomfortable for some and we may not have had very much of it in Warminster in recent years, but surely the Burden question should not be why should they have to put up with this rather 'why now?' PLEASE USE YOUR VOTE TODAY TO SEND YOUR MESSAGE |