Does Charlbury need a Residents' Association?

Mon 7 Dec 2009, 10:14

If you glance down the issues raised on this website, there are some extremely important subjects there.

Children injured as a result of a bus tyre blowout and allegations about the bus driver's behaviour, rubbish piling up at the Spendlove car park, power cuts, speed limits on local roads, vandalism at the tennis courts or the bowls club, access (or otherwise) to the quarry... these are a few of many issues raised here that are of great importance to many local people, but to which there is no apparent resolution or other forum for discussion.

Fortunately, our district councillor Glena Chadwick takes up what she can with the district council, but even there she is just one voice pestering among the many. (I'm not aware that our county councillor reads this forum: he certainly doesn't comment where it would be relevant.) Good for Glena, but don't we need an effective pressure group behind her, getting press coverage for these issues (it's amazing what a well-worded press release can do!)? How much more quickly might some of our problems be solved if those responsible knew that within a few days of their being raised by Glena, we'd have photos and interviews in the local papers and Bill Heine on the case on Radio Oxford! Followed possibly in one or two cases by enquiries to the Audit Commission about the competence of certain council departments (if that's relevant) and a letter to David Cameron.

Often it seems to me that a meeting should be called to discuss a particular matter, both promptly and -- equally crucially -- with the relevant responsible person/organisation also present: recycling officer, school transport organiser, landowner, bus company, utility company, police, or whoever it may be.

The only body we have to represent us at a very local level is the Town Council, and most of these issues appear to be outside their statutory remit. The advantage of a residents' association is that it is not trammelled by such things as statutory powers and remits: it can do and say whatever its members want. It could even take the Town Council to task if it wanted to!

This forum is excellent for raising problems and sharing ideas, but it's a poor substitute for getting something done. Also, it is often dominated by a few moaners and groaners, some from outside the town in any case, and the overwhelming majority of residents will not take part here for fear of being bashed by someone else's ego. But many of them would speak at a public meeting, particularly if it split into small groups for more relaxed discussions.

Has Charlbury ever had a residents' association? Does it need one now? If you don't want to contribute here, you can email me by clicking on my name on the left at the top of this posting.