David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone. Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council used evidence, against a group of Devizes Town councillors’ more circumstantial land grab pitch, at Wiltshire Council’s Community Governance Review, and just like David, triumphantly…..
More war of words than any military action, though the latter would’ve made a better scoop for me, the underdogs came up trumps in a surprising result!
Rather than admit it’s for financial reasons, the Devizes Town councillors fluttered around premises such as they were rattled by messages from residents’ misunderstandings as to what council they came under, plus staking a claim to the Lidl store, in their pitch to the council to transfer areas of the town currently run by Bishops Cannings Parish Council to Devizes Town Council instead.
But the parish council had strong evidence in their arsenal, that they’re successful in community commitments, and used villagers’ statements to present a more heartfelt plea. They even mentioned football, for what the commendable Bishop’s Cannings FC has done for all ages and abilities with their local grassroots football team supersedes any other local club, and serves the whole community of Devizes and its many other villages.
The Committee voted by 5 votes to 3 to recommend that the semi-urban area and the rural area south of Nurtsteed School should both be retained within the Parish of Bishops Cannings.
Though the battle was won, it’s dubious if the war is over, for while this will not be subject to further consultation, it will go to a free vote amongst Wiltshire Councillors, likely in July.
Chair of Bishops Cannings Parish Council, Cllr Darren Bone sent a message to the residents. He said, “Cllr Iain Wallis of Devizes Town Council and Simon Williams, the Town Clerk, made a joint presentation in which they tried to persuade the Committee that the only correct result would be the wholesale transfer of the semi-urban area of Bishops Cannings Parish to Devizes. They also sought the transfer of rural land south of Nursteed School. Some of the arguments were new. All were subjective and offered without evidence. They tried to convince the Committee that 1200 homes and the families of over 2000 electors would all be better off under the control of Devizes.”
“In response, I introduced Mr Chris Nicholls, whose letter in support of the Parish Council and the retention of the semi-urban area was included in our detailed submission to the Committee. I am indebted to Chris for his honest, passionate statement. It was well-received and carried weight.”
“I then addressed the Committee in turn, countering the vague notions which had been put forward by representatives of Devizes Town Council. The wealth of verified, tangible evidence presented previously by Bishops Cannings Parish Council in its submission and in person was reiterated. We sought a clear and unambiguous recommendation that the Parish’s boundaries should remain as they currently were. Further agreement was sought for a change of name for the Parish.”
But the good news for Bishops Cannings Parish Council wasn’t over yet. Unexpectedly, once the committee debated the issue, they voted to consult with both Devizes and Bishops Cannings Councils, and the public on whether two potential transfers should occur, albeit this time from Devizes Town Council to Bishops Cannings Parish. Whoa there, it’s all gone a bit Treaty of Versailles here, if Devizes has to surrender significant territory, guaranteed someone’s knickers are going to get in a twist!
Despite it being a more common occurrence, where land is urbanly adjoined to a town, community governance reviews tend to side with the town, in this case it seems it was not only a loss for the Devizes Town councillors, but a complete backfire!
Cllr Darren Bone continued his message to the people of Bishops Cannings, “Today was a good day for the Parish of Bishops Cannings, for the Council and for its 2,628 electors and their families. The Council’s transformation, achievements and intent were universally praised by the Committee. Special thanks go to Mr Nicholls and to Cllr Philip Whitehead, our Unitary Councillor, who both spoke powerfully and eloquently.”
Congratulations to Bishops Cannings Parish Council; treat yourself to a cupcake, while the Devizes Town councillors can have some humble pie!
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