As you’re probably aware, because there’s been lots of people kicking up a scene, Wiltshire Council’s recycling centre booking system being trialled at Devizes, Lower Compton, Melksham, Purton, Salisbury and Stanton St Quintin has been running for a fortnight. I’ve got accumulated stuff, a wife subtly hinting, and not much to do on a Sunday morning, so, bugger, old age has reduced me to reviewing my trip to the tip!
How to book a slot at one of these sites can be found on the Household Recycling Centre Booking System Pilot page of Wiltshire Council’s website, and it was a piece of cake. A multi-tiered pedestal cake stand, in fact, with loads of slots available, even on a Sunday. No cake for me yet, but a cup of tea, load up the car in the same clothes I went out in last night, and I’m off, bossing it like a Womble.
Number plate check, and I’m in there faster than Tom Jones on the pull; no waiting, no fuss nor foreplay, straight into a slot dry, helpful staff, back home in half an hour, still no cake though. The niggly first world problem was, when the trial system was announced, so many people were kicking up a fuss on social media about how this booking in system approaches on their civil liberties, for their right to spontaneous bouts of decluttering, councillors “of the people” had to make a stance for or against, side with popular opinion or honesty, to determine they keep their seats.
The reality is it may take some tweaking, to account for those with travel issues, uncertain work hours, or even disabilities, and like any trial system you’re going to get teething troubles. But from what I’ve seen, it works, better, and saves queuing traffic at peak times.
You can talk to councillors for hours, they all go on a bit, let them sound their views from the hilltops, but the real people you should be asking about how the system is working out are surely the staff there, because they’re the ones who have to deal with it daily; you just dump your load there every so often!
It took just an unbiased three second interview with a staff member deliberately unaware he was going to be quoted. I asked him how the new system was going for them personally, as they’re the ones who have to work with it. He answered it was “much better,” and waved me on. Bingo; no hour long debate from a councillor, just straight from the horse’s mouth!
If you’re going to throw your toys out of your pram, you should note, to separate the metals from the plastics. Equally, if councillors are worried about going against the ballyhoo of popular Facebook warrior whinging, they should note their seats go into the scrap metal bin, but really, it’s a storm in a teacup, people, become accustomed to change, it’s what makes the world go round; and if the staff there prefer it, I support it.
The only issue with it I found was that Wiltshire Council can’t spell Stanton St Quintin on their website!
Sheez, I go away for five minutes and look what happens. Devizes Facebookland turns into the Ok Corral! Seems I must interrupt my lovely mountaineering holiday to broadcast an alternative viewpoint from what’s being said on a local Facebook group…again!
This, providing the post remains, proves what we’ve been saying about the political bias of Devizes Issues. Ooh, handbags at dawn; forever bad loser, the Munster of Lavington got his knickers in a twist with the head of Wiltshire Council Ian Thorn, took to poisoning Facebook with another rant, which, against every self-made rule of an apparent unbiased local information group, was successfully shared onto it.
As if Facebook isn’t toxic enough already with national politics, it seems local Tories are inclined to slander their opposition parties like they’re Andy Burnham before he’s even put his toothbrush in the holder at number ten.
I get that Thorn isn’t flavour of the month, and even MP Brian Matthew wrote to him to express concerns over the booking system trial at our recycling centres. For my tuppence on this, I agree with concerns about the flytipping it could encourage. Though Ben Reed for Devizes North points out “this pilot phase will be used to better understand the habits and needs of residents and ensure the service is tailored to their needs. It’s important to say up front that this is not a permanent change at this stage; if the trial doesn’t bring benefits, then the booking system will be amended or scrapped.”
That’s not a “u-turn” as suggested by Devizes Conservatives on that same Devizes Issues Facebook group, a group clearly so governed by the Devizes Conservatives it may as well change its name to The Devizes Daily Mail. It’s a trial. You don’t u-turn a trial, you try it, and if it doesn’t work, you scrap it, just as Ben said.
But we’re not waffling about recycling centres, it’ll cost nought to book a slot, ergo it’s a post-lockdown niggling storm in a teacup; flytippers are pricks, and will do their dirty business booking slots or not.
No, we’re more concerned with airing dirty laundry in public and the Council’s time it wastes; W (Worrow) entered the chat. I might occasionally slobber it, but I don’t retype drivel. So, through the powers of screenshot, here’s the glorious package of allegations in full technicolor, as shared on the ominous Facebook group:
How did he get away with that utter baloney, on a group clearly stating no political misinformation, plus lifetime banning others who do similar?!
Could it possibly be, and this is purely speculation based on an assessment of frequently recurring incidents, that this vicious attack of hearsays, in which it must be noted the Munster himself uses the word “perceived” to loophole the fact what he’s saying hasn’t yet been proved, has been allowed by admin of the group to stay, because it has been immaturely presented by a fellow Conservative still grumpy the Lib Dems democratically won control of Wiltshire Council?!
I don’t know. Sounds like the whimpering of a spoiled toddler to me, but you be the judge. Conservatives had their own way for generations here, their silver spoons plopped from their mouths, and it’s understandable they’re tetchy about change; bless their cotton socks. But we should be concerned about the fairness of using a popular local Facebook group to level allegations that, as of yet, are unfounded. The group’s own rules should have meant that this post was not suitable for publication.
Ben Reed criticised the admin of the group, Conservative Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis, for his usage of the group as a biassed political platform. In a submitted post to the group, Mr Reed stated this would “probably” be his “last post on this group, since in my view it has become a Conservative mouthpiece.”
Yeah, it’s not your choice to make there, Ben! You have to ask yourself, given all the evidence, if Ben’s post will ever make the final cut and if he’ll be a group member for much longer. So, for your perusal, shock factor, or amusement, here it is:
As for Munster’s allegation, despite how he might perpetually cry about it, assume that for now, it is only an allegation because it’s only an allegation.
I will not side with any political party, I will form my opinion based on wider sources. But should it be proved correct, and Thorn is doing a dirty deal, I would gladly stand side by side with Dominic Muns at the Black Dog Crossroads or any other location of his choice, declare he was right, maybe eat a hat, and agree something needs to be done about it.
For now, I’ve probably got more important things I should do. There’s better than treating local council level like it’s the Imperial Council of the Galactic Empire on Coruscant. But, I guess this was always going to be a repercussion by some Conservatives when their majority befell to a democratic election.
“I’ve spent the last few weeks reflecting on the tone of our politics, and frankly I’m deeply troubled,” Cllr Taylor Wright mused on the subject.
“It has become far too common for politicians to casually throw around allegations of corruption, back-room deals, “brown envelopes” or other forms of dishonesty without producing a shred of evidence. Sometimes, those accusations are made directly. Sometimes they’re encouraged through innuendo. Sometimes they’re allowed to spread because too few people are willing to stand up and say, ‘No. That’s not true.’”
Taylor rightly added that it “should concern every one of us.”
In a heartfelt opinion, he stated that threats have been made against Cllr Ian Thorn’s home. “As someone in public office myself, there are times I genuinely wonder whether it’s sensible to take my three-year-old son into town because of the hostility that now seems to surround politics. That should horrify us all.”
“I have defended Cllr Ian Thorn because there has never been any evidence presented that he has acted corruptly or improperly. I will continue to do so. But my defence doesn’t stop there.”
“I extend exactly the same principle to every councillor serving Wiltshire Council, regardless of party. Unless there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, I will not stand by while colleagues have their reputations dragged through the mud by rumour, insinuation, or politically convenient fiction.”
Head of Devizes Guardians, Jonathan Hunter, has also spoken to us about the fiasco. “Local politics should bring communities together, not drive them apart,” he said.
“Residents rightly expect their elected representatives to debate issues, but always with courtesy, integrity, and respect. Healthy debate is an essential part of democracy. However, personal attacks, division, provocation, and inflammatory language help no one. Also, the promotion of personal attacks in any setting causes great harm.”
“Behind every social media post and every public role is a person, with family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues. The way we speak to each other, and also about one another, has a real impact, not only on those directly involved but also on the tone of the communities we serve. This reported behaviour is not what Devizes is about.”
It’s a shame, councillors stepping on thin ice formed by other vengeful councillors. But we, as the general public, need to not be convinced by this verbal sparring, because if we back it, it will only normalise petty squabbling, and just like national politics our council will get a revolving door system where nothing practical gets done.
