West Somerset Council - Car Parks or Culture - Campaign for a Creative Centre in Williton seeks support at Key Council Meeting

The campaigners who want to use the old Council Chamber in Williton as a Creative Centre are hanging on by their fingertips against the corporate will of the West Somerset Council which seems to prefer car parking to culture.

Although the rule driven mandarins of the West Somerset Council don't have an alternative project in place to provide a cultural centre in Williton, they still seem more than happy to oppose anybody else creating one, especially, if it gets in the way of providing parking spaces for their new offices.

In this blog, I have often referred to the importance to local communities of people orientated projects as opposed to building projects.

The West Somerset Council don't seem to agree.

Furthermore, the contempt that the Council and its officers hold for the opinions of the ordinary people of West Somerset seems clear from the fact that systems for interactive public debate between Council and the West Somerset public have still not been put in place despite improvements in moderns technology that have brought the cost of such a facility down to practically nothing.

However, at least the organisers of the Creative Centre Campaign want to talk to me and I am pleased to detail their latest appeal for help below.

PUT THE “WILL” INTO WILLITON
&
SAVE THE OLD COUNCIL CHAMBER!

This is a wake up call to the people of Williton and West Somerset…

The chance to influence your Elected Representatives is fast disappearing.

If you are interested in having a community centre in the heart of Williton, for Music, Big Screen Film Shows, Theatre and Drama, an Art Gallery, Talks, Demonstrations, as well as rooms for Exercise, Dance, Workshops, Exhibitions, Information, Books and Crafts, a Coffee Shop, Internet Café and Produce Market, that is open Day and Evening and suitable for all ages, you must help to create this.

All you have to do is attend next week’s Cabinet meeting in the Chamber and simply say to the Councillors -

“I want you to save this building for
community good”

Register to speak by 4pm Tuesday, June 3rd.
Ring 01643 703704, or drop into the offices in Williton or email: customerservices@westsomerset.gov.uk

And then turn up on

Wednesday, June 4th, 6.30pm

and tell them exactly what you want them to do with your Public Asset!
(If you don’t want to speak, turn up anyway and show your support).

REMEMBER, this building will never be replaced, this opportunity will be lost forever…

The key to this issue, I believe, is that the West Somerset Council have no plan to provide a Creative of Cultural Centre that will bring the community benefits outlined by the members of this campaign. Their only plan is to say 'no' and get on with the demolition to provide parking spaces for their new offices which have been massively opposed by public opinion for many years.

Frankly, I'm fed up with being negative about the West Somerset Council. It doesn't make me feel good to criticise public officials who I realise are human beings like the rest of us and I'm sure have feelings too.

However, since the Independent administration gained office in May 2007, there has been no improvement in public involvement in Council decision-making and no expression of a 'vision' for West Somerset. (The West Somerset Sustainable Community Strategy 2007-2010 really doesn't cut the mustard, in my opinion.)

More and more, I am now looking to find forward thinking and opportunity outside West Somerset. The sad thing is that the vast majority of West Somerset, including the West Somerset Council, will not give a damn and will happily continue slumbering on into obscurity.

Bye for now

Rob