There was another disappointing attendance by members of the public at the annual Brigg town meeting, held in the Angel Suite.
This was a golden opportunity to raise issues of concern about the way the town is run, rather thank folk grumbling among themselves.
The police were there, as were representatives of North Lincolnshire Council and Brigg Town Council.
The town council, which organised the event, put up many posters around town, and the meeting was previewed in the Scunthorpe Telegraph, the Scunthorpe Target and on Brigg Blog.
Yet Brigg members of the public, leaving aside councillors and those delivering reports, could just about be counted on one hand.
Still, despite the apathy, the meeting went ahead and some interesting points were raised and questions posed.
Town Mayor Coun Mike Campion responded to a question about whether the town council intended to take up the Government's idea of extending the role of the lowest tier of local authorities across the UK.
That, it was suggested, could include taking charge of projects like restoring the County Bridge.
Coun Campion said the town council had yet to decide whether it 'wanted to do more' - but that would require a bigger budget and more staff.
His personal view was 'no' - he felt the town council's current workload to be sufficient. But he pointed out other councillors might well think differently.
Asked about whether Brigg's boundaries might be extended to take in homes currently in adjoining parishes, Coun Campion said he did not expect the Boundary Commission would be in a position to consider anything for a long time.
But he suggested many residents of the Waters Edge housing development, adjoining the New River Ancholme, only realised they were in Broughton parish when it came to elections being held.
Keep watching the Tuesday Brigg Extra page in the Scunthorpe Telegraph for highlights of the annual town meeting, including a very important development about the County Bridge's restoration.
There is a dichotomy here - Brigg is a market town attracting most of its retail, business and commercial population from outside, but it runs its annual meeting an a insular basis - only Brigg folk can comment.
ReplyDeleteConsequently, it is a little ironic that it has become the leading role in the biomass plant debate, although the proposed plant would be in Scawby Brook.
Finally, Insp Rutty may get a better audience and accurate response re local policing concerns, if he held liaison meetings in such a place as the Brigg Servicemen's Club.
Now I've had me moan, I'll shut up