Slur on Parish Councils - Submitted by Jim 25 Mar 2008 - Source Leicester Mercury 25.03.08

Oh dear, oh dear! "Axe Parish Councils" (Mailbox, March 19). Read the Article

Mr Law signs off with a title of a position once held, presumably to give his somewhat spurious arguments an air of authority.

He cites Leicester Forest East (LFE) as an expensive anachronism, based on the Mercury story of some days ago about the 63 per cent precept increase. The truth is that a big increase on a small amount remains a small amount. Here, less than 40p per week per household, a fact not printed at the time.

Compare this with the 63p the county council and the 36p the police are requesting - and there has been no outcry about these increases, as far as I am aware.

It is nice to know we parish councillors are a "romantic idea", when I think of the many hours we put in unpaid. Would this be why seats are uncontested - too few people having a sense of civic duty?

Would the parishioners' voice be heard in the corridors of power, I wonder? Would LFE parishioners have found out about the £50,000 granted to neighbouring parishes, but not to them, by the district council, for which no reasonable reason has been provided?

This money was for play equipment, when one of the other parishes has a perfectly good play area, and LFE has not.

Incidentally, the 63 per cent precept increase will net a similar amount of money, all to be spent in the parish on play equipment and parish hall improvements.

Would LFE have had a pathway in the park and flower tubs on the A47 installed by district and county? I doubt it. It needed the efforts of the parish council for this to happen.

I cannot comment on other parish councils, but LFE Parish Council has no party political agenda, and to suggest we "forget the best interests of the parish" is a slur bordering on slander.

What massive savings would the abolition of parish councils provide? Parish councillors do the job in their own time for no pay or expenses (and sometimes incur financial costs, too).

LFE-paid staff consists of a part-time clerk, street orderly and hall caretaker, who, if not employed by the parish, would have to be employed by the district.

The parish hall doubles as a sport pavilion and is used by many local groups. This would have to be managed by someone, presumably a higher paid person, so would be an added expense. The hall has probably little ommercial value, but if it had, and was sold, where would the aforementioned groups go?

Mr Law - get real. If savings are needed, look at the overheated and overstaffed corridors of power, whose premises are often lit like a cruise liner all night.

Dennis Walker, LFE parish councillor.

Source Leicester Mercury 25.03.08