Paul Crossley1

I spent quite a lot of time at our Infant school today. Had lunch with the kids. Southdown Infants was a pioneer in starting to provide healthy school food options to our children way before well publicised initiatives. We are now looking into local sourcing of the food as well as cooking it ourselves. About 50% of the children still bring in packed lunches though and a lot of these contained crisps, chocolate bars and fizzy drinks. There is still a long way to go in the food revolution in this country. So many people seem to have lost the skills to cook and prepare food or even the knowledge of where it comes from and how it is grown. I'm in Jamie's army on this issue. 

In the evening we had our AGM. I have been a governor at this school since 1990 and included in that time is two spells as Chair of governors. This year we all voted unanimously for Penny. 

Dine Romero and myself met up with the communication company looking to site a new mobile mast in Southdown for Hutchinson for the 3rd generation licence. Southdown has resisted the creep of masts so far and our first question was about possibilities of mast share elsewhere. The local Churches have declined the advances, as has the doctors surgery. The latest request though is for a siting in the footath - ie the public highway where they have utility access rights - nearby to the Beehive Surgery and Mount Road shops. We are drafting up a consultation document to put out to all local residents and the company have offered to attend our next but one surgery to meet with local residents and hear their concerns and opinions.

Its a pity that Gordon Brown in accepting his billions from the operators for the licences did not earmark a significant part of the proceeds to put back to the communities that are ending up hosting these new masts.

The YMCA centre at Mount Road is a very active community facility with a range of activities to meet all needs. However it is small and has a Council toilet attached which is attracting drug users. Cllr Romero and I met with YMCA reps and our beat bobby to discuss a possible enlargement to the building by taking in the space occupied by the toilet and the voids around it. The idea has our support so now we await the planning application.

The Southside centre is a Community centre in poor condition. We are currently doing widespread public consultation and preparing a feasability study to cost up knocking it down - rebuilding and getting together a business plan to make sure it can generate income to ensure its long term viability. There will be quite a big shortfall and so we will have to start a committe to seek out the cash required. However the first task is to get a scheme that everyone can support.

The bench that we had sited on the Roundhill has unfortuneately been pinched!! This is a great shame as we had had a lot of calls for seating here as the view out over the Englishcombe Vale is very nice. One disabled lady struggled up the hill every day to sit on the bench for 30 minutes and just enjoy the view. 

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Posted by: PaulCrossley    in: My entries