Do you live in Devizes? Are you sure? Sure sure? Sure sure sure?! You could actually be living under the oppressive regime of Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council and not even know about it! But fear not blinkered comrades, an elite task force from Devizes Town Council is coming to liberate you!
The border between Devizes and Bishop’s Cannings extends the Cannings side into the parts of the north-east of the town. Other than historic squabbles over who owns the Moonrakers fable, it has been pretty much alright and no one really gave a toss about it since it was first established around 1080, when Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, built the castle.
Suddenly, nine hundred and forty-six years later, it’s not, apparently. Devizes Town councillors are so furious about redirecting emails sent to them from folk unaware they come under Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council, like copy and paste was never invented, they’re plotting to invade and conquer the Devizes area of Bishop’s Cannings’ parish, best guess, for national security! If, bizarrely, it sounds textbook Trump, perhaps it is, perhaps it’s not, and that all depends on who you talk to; sort it out, Osmund!
Needless to suggest, Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council are unhappy, and say no, you can take our ScrewFix but you’ll never take our Lidl! So, if you live in North Fields, Cannings Hill, Corn Croft, Laywood, Wellington Drive or Marlborough Close, you could be moving to either North Fields, Cannings Hill, Corn Croft, Laywood, Wellington Drive or Marlborough Close soon whilst remaining exactly where you currently are, whether you like it or not; breaking news!
It may seem like a storm in a teacup, a petty spaff between councils, but what does it really mean for the residents of those areas? Again, this largely depends on who you speak to about it.
Community Governance Review, happens every five years or so, apparently, whereby a town or parish council can whimper like Oliver Twist to Wiltshire Council, requesting they shift a border to better financially aid themselves, and I’m sorry to Devizes Town Council, for the want to remain impartial, but it does look this way from where I’m standing. Even the trusty Gazelle and Herod reported it as an “unsolicited and brazen land grab.”
Those residents on Facebook are being told by the Devizes Town Council task force, that it’s nothing to worry about, it happens all the time. But hang on a cotton-picking minute, the moving of this particular boundary has not happened before, has it? Not since 1080! And, if you’re not in a certain Facebook group with a bad habit of banning folk, you’ve probably been left totally in the dark about the whole shebang.
Even the Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council themselves were NOT informed, until one councillor happened to stumble across it on Facebook, apparently. A spokesperson for the parish council told me, “we saw this agenda on Facebook at Thursday lunchtime. Thank the lord I looked otherwise we still wouldn’t know. Devizes Town Council met with Wiltshire Council on the 10th December. They’ve had plenty of time to chat to us about their intentions. They formed their task group on the 8th January, releasing a four page report on Thursday.”
You’d have thought it would be basic etiquette and good manners to have at least dropped them a line, though a spokesperson from Devizes Town Council, not involved with the task force, was surprised to hear they had not been informed. They assured me no malice is intended and they’d support a good working relationship, but Devizes Town Council voted to ask Wiltshire Council to redraw the boundaries on Tuesday, an emergency meeting of Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council was held Thursday; it’s all up in the air and reactions appear quite understandably handbags raised at dawn.
The task force, we are told, consists of two Conservative councillors; Iain Wallis, who as he is desperately holding onto a Devizes North seat, would benefit from the extra residencies, especially being geographically the further the border is moved outward from town the more affluent residents tend to be, and more likely to vote Conservative. And Richard Oliver, no stranger to landgrabs; taking over Roundway in the 2017 Community Governance Review, where Roundway civil parish was abolished and became a ward of Devizes parish. There’s a third councillor on the task force, Guardian, Andy Geddes, maybe just there to even up the parties, who knows?!
“It makes sense for this urbanised part of the parish of Bishops Cannings to be in Devizes,” Iain is reported to have said, and there’s reasoning in this, I believe, I mean, these aforementioned areas are in Devizes town, after all, just. He continued to say “they also access services in the town centre, such as the Leisure Centre, which is subsidised by Devizes Town Council rate payers.” And, whamo! There it is!
These areas have been fortunate enough to pay a lower council tax rate, but still have access to the services of the town. Yet, for the Leisure Centre, for example, we’re all paying customers, aren’t we? And able to access this facility even if we live under a parish council outside of town, or are those from Potterne, Rowde, Chirton or the many other villages surrounding Devizes going to be taken over, otherwise they cannot dip a little toe in the Devizes pool?! Living on the outskirts of town, in these areas mentioned, you’re not much closer to town then if you live in Rowde or Poulshot.
“You cannot use the increase in council tax as a reason not to move the boundary. It all has to be around governance and how being with Devizes Town Council will improve the lives of the residents,” my Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council spokesperson laughed, exampling a Band D rate under Devizes Town Council would be £228, whereas the same band under Bishop’s Cannings would only be £67. “I’d want to see a ton of improvements for that increase!”
They pointed out playparks, telling me Bishop’s Cannings Parish Council has invested over £50K in Le Marchant Park, but Devizes Town Council, “closed Brickley Park for over a year.” There’s also been much discussion over catchment areas for schools, and that residents in those areas could find it more difficult to obtain places at schools such as Lavington. Our spokesperson for Devizes Town Council deflected this as false; again, “depending on who you talk to” is the running theme throughout the early stages of this proposal, but we are certain their council tax will be upped considerably, for questionably the same services.
“Bishops Cannings Parish Council would strongly oppose such an attempt,” they told the Gazette. “In our view, this would be a retrograde step, with adverse implications for all residents living within those areas.”
So, the jury is out on the implications for the residents, and while I’m trying to piece this together impartially, I cannot help think it was irresponsible for the village council not to be informed, and the lack of communication between these two councils. But the bottom line is, if the implications for the residents of these areas are to be as adverse as the parish council suggest they will, surely those residents should have their say by the way of a referendum? Or are Devizes Town Council going to storm militarily into Bishop’s Cannings with a Devizes ICE, “De-Ice” squad, and kidnap the parish clerk?! Then we really have a story!!
devizine.com 