Up for Auction

Well if you have some money to buy the old council depot, the auction is on the 29th January 2015, unless somebody has the brass to spend earlier.  Guide price is £80,000 to £100,000, which I suppose is peanuts for some developers, apart from the fact there is an uplift clause on it.  This I believe means that if you do develop the site, Nottinghamshire County Council wants a slice of the action.  You could of course treat yourself to a bit of extra garage space.  I heard one rumour that Balfour Beatty were interested, although I suppose there will be a few of those around now.  What about A1 housing opening up their piggy bank? 

More Houses?

Well I suppose it had to happen eventually, the Council Depot in Misterton is up for sale.  So what will go there, houses probably, although it seems a shame to knock down perfectly good buildings.  I suppose I was hoping that they would reopen the depot in the fullness of time since we seem to have a logistical problem with council workers travelling all the way to the opposite side of the county to where they work, which to me loses money and man hours.  You can guarantee a private business would be run a lot more cleverly with their time management and fuel use.

So, do we have a fight by developers for the right to build at the side of the Chesterfield Canal and have a few more posh pricey houses or do we get some reasonably priced houses, although not town houses, we've had enough of them.

Filled your application in yet to join the parish council, if not get on with it and have a chance to vote on what happens in the village and how the money is spent.  Younger the better is what is wanted, fresh ideas etc., etc.

Well, are you up for it then?

I wonder if you need to read The Casual Vacancy before applying.  Shame I rather fancied getting my voting finger in action again.

Money in the Bank

Now I don't want to appear pushy but since the sale of the Victoria Institute we have heard nothing about the fate of the funds.  No update on the net amount received, no update on what they intend to do with the proceeds, absolute silence.  Has the parish council asked them, there are still members of the parish council who are trustees so it must have been discussed at some point.  Since village residents are the  beneficiaries we have a right to have full information.

One would assume that where a charity is concerned they produce minutes of every meeting, so if so, why haven't they been published.  I for one hope that this is not going to be another cash pot where you have to practically beg for cash and fill forms in.  Ask us what we want to do with it, I'm sure they will get plenty of idea on how to blow the cash in one go on something useful.  Public toilet maybe?

In case you want a reminder of who is in charge of the purse keys to get some action, the list.  In fact looking at one of  those trustees, 8 members of the community, well one isn't, a resignation please should be the first thing that happens.

Unwanted Visitors

It can't be hard to miss that we have been having unwanted visitors in the village, the kind that decide that your precious goods are there for them to steal.  I say visitors because I have always been of the belief that most people of this persuasion work on the principle of not shitting in their own backyard.  If they are not and are residents of the village, then we are in trouble, or rather they are.

A friend of mine lives in an area that has a terrible reputation.  Anything of value that you keep in a shed has to be riveted to the floor or it gets stolen.  Thankfully things aren't that bad in this neck of the woods,  but it makes you wonder if the lack of street lighting in the early hours of the morning is helping these thieves. Better get that shed alarm now instead of later

Anti social behaviour also seems to be on the rise again, so much so that a resident has set up a Facebook page - Stamp out Mistertons antisocial behavior - The Pudge seems to be the main magnet for these little thugs.  So if you want to name and shame, pay the site a visit.  It might be nice and quiet where you live in the village but others are having some real problems. 

Just a thought, but the parish council newsletter indicates that due to the success of catching people in the speed watch traps, the police have raised the bar for reporting speeding to 43 miles an hour.  Would it not have been more prudent to keep this little snippet of information to themselves.