Having been a Town
Councillor since 2003, and enjoyed the experience, why have I chosen to step
down now?
During my time as Town
Councillor, the most important project has been the new Community Centre in Pierremont Park.
Not because of the size of the project, nor the prestige that may go
with it, but because the community life of a town is an important measure of self
worth and spirit. Many in Broadstairs
come to retire, and then live alone when a loved one dies, when the facilities
which provide community support in the broadest sense of the term become vital.
We are nearer to completing
this project than at any time in the previous decade. The District Council is
finally properly committed and has approved a changed positioning; the Hereson
site sale brings in another tranche of funding; and consultation last year
showed a substantial majority in favour from those who responded.
I have therefore
accepted an invitation to become both a Director, and Chairman of the Board, of
the Broadstairs and St Peters Community Centre Trust
As I also fought
to retain the gymnasium on the former Hereson school site; and am already a
member of the group taking over The Memorial Theatre for community use as KCC
leaves that site, involvement in this project, and how it will blend with other
facilities, is, for me, fundamental to the future of Broadstairs.
I do not believe I
can fulfil a leadership position on the trust and be a Town Councillor without risking
accusations of conflict of interest. I
have thus decided to leave the Town Council, at least until the community
centre is built and open. Such is the poisonous fragility of District politics,
that excellent projects can be damaged by small minded gossip and rumour. It is
sad to note that generally, the Town Council has been free from the influences
of District politics, just getting on with doing things residents want without
rancour.
My resignation is
timed to permit the calling of any election for the same day as the County
ballot, which will mean a considerably smaller cost than running election for
this seat alone.
I would like to
formally thank Roy Dexter, his dedicated staff team, and Broadstairs electors
for all their support over the last 10 years.
Chris Wells
Chris Wells has been an excellent and dedicated town councillor and often the town's main spokesperson on a number of issues. He will be a loss in that capacity, but a gain to the worthwhile projects, particularly the community centre, on which he now intends to concentrate.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, thank him for all he has done for Broadstairs and wish im well for the future.
At least councillor Wells was not a lead member of the Ezekiel/Latchford regime, thats one good thing that can be said about him
DeleteWhoops, sorry about the dropped 'h' - obviously been in Thanet too long.
ReplyDeleteWell said Tom. I agree wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteYes, please do not act like the common lower class people in Thanet Tom, otherwise before we know it you will be joining UKIP or the Labour Party
Delete19:58, assumptions to meaning are often, as in this case, misplaced. I was referring to the Thames Estuary accent, much beloved of modern south east Kent, coupled with the tendency to some pretty imaginative grammar and spelling around the Thanet blogs. If that somehow equates with class in your world then so be it.
DeleteAs to joining a party, in the current political world the only thing I mighht join is my own birthday one. You would have to be pretty brain dead to see much merit in aligning oneself with any of the collections of clowns that pass for politicians at the moment.
Tom Clarke/John Hamilton is so patronising and disingenuous he has to be a buddy of pseudo intellectual Simon Moores, if not Moores himself?
DeleteTom Clarke is Roger Latchford, not sure about John Hamilton yet?
DeleteAnon 10:54 & 10:57, in your two quick in succession comments you are very good at attributing identities to other people, but who are you, I wonder? Could you be a disenchanted councillor, former member of a political party with a personal vendetta to pursue against previous colleaguers who you once sucked up to? Whoever you are, you certainly spread some nasty bile around the blogsites without even the decency to open a google account or give yourself a title.
DeleteThat makes two of us then you hypocritical repugnant excuse for a human being
DeleteYou are so charming, John, but at least I could be traced through a google account if I really committed an offence. You do not even have the decency to use as account and yet your last comment was racially offensive.
DeleteYou are wasting your time, Tom, it pops up with its snide comments then scurries of like a frightened bunny into its worrow, I mean burrow until the coast is clear for it to appear anonymously all over again.
DeleteChris, wil you still be standing as a candidate for the KCC elections in May?
ReplyDeleteOf course he will, there is proper money in KCC. Do you really think he would stand down from BTC if it paid as much as KCC?
DeleteA triple hatter now down to a double hatter which is a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteMore KCC resignations are required for the failure of Thanet, whether corruption, contamination or tax waste. Chris remains silent like most councillors and the multimillion Broadstairs Centre is a massive waste of funds rejected already.
Clive's self-serving nonsense in the Gazette on TDC not being corrupt is both laughable and repulsive - the 0% fraud, missing Manston monitors and fines and ChinaGate bungs on his watch.
The Broadstairs Community Centre was and is supported by most of the people of Broadstairs. At the 2011 council election the protest group, led by the infamous Red Hall duo, called on the electorate to support a list of candidates who opposed the centre yet, on the day, the good people of Broadstairs elected 13 candidates out of 15 who supported the centre. The only rejection came on the change of control at TDC when the necessary new lease was not granted. TDC have since seen the error of their ways and are now supporting the project.
Delete22:06, since your main gripe always seems to centre around Manston, of what interest to you is a community centre in Broadstairs or do you just enjoy a good whinge about anything.
Now lets all wonder who anon 22:06 is, and why they don;t have the courage to post using their own name. I'm taking bets, Worrow or Driver....
ReplyDeletePrejudice in action!
DeleteJohn Hamilton is one of the Thanet Conservative scum bags
DeleteNo prizes for guessing who you are 19:49.
DeleteI agree Tom, think of the name of a someone you don't like and we can put up in the ducking stool, that will show who they are - nothing prejudice about that!
Delete22:06 as usual has to be Worrow and his aiders and abetters, Chris well done for all you have acheived and every best wish in your new appointment
ReplyDeleteThis is not a comment from a google account and anyone can use a name.
DeleteThey are words that that old bigot would use, so who knows?
DeleteGarbutt more like
ReplyDeleteThats rich coming from a man who was the deputy to a convicted criminal.
ReplyDeleteRoger Latchford has no crediblity, his place in history 'Deputy leader to a criminal leader'
ReplyDeleteHave some respect, you get an OBE if you are an upstanding member of the community, like jimmy savile for example!
ReplyDeleteSurely that should be spelt Jimmy SaVILE! Funny how unsavoury beings often have a first name initial of J.
DeleteAnon I think I see what you are trying to achieve here, which seems to be trying to prevent any councillors from commenting and engaging any sort of attempt to communicate their ideas with the members of the public who vote for them.
ReplyDeleteThe logic of one councillor is a criminal therefore all councillors must be criminals seems to suggest you missed out some of your education.
That said I wonder just what your motive could be here.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that all councillors are criminials
ReplyDeleteI think you are barking up the wrong tree Mr Child
ReplyDelete