'˜Loony' doubling up of Petworth promotion work is slated

Groups working to promote Petworth and stepping on each others' toes have been criticised by town council chairman Chris Kemp.
Petworth Town Council chairman Chris KempPetworth Town Council chairman Chris Kemp
Petworth Town Council chairman Chris Kemp

He hit out at identical work being carried out by the Neighbourhood Plan and the Vision groups after a report from Vision representative Juliet Fynes last night (Thursday, January 12).

She told a full council meeting one of the projects under consideration was to work with West Sussex County Council library service to provide computer literacy sessions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Mr Kemp said this was being done through the Neighbourhood Plan: “The Vision group is doing its own little thing on the site, repeating everything else, it’s mad.”

He said there were members of the Vision group who knew about Neighbourhood Plan work and they needed to communicate.

“It strikes me as a ‘loony’ process going on here. Everyone is involved but they are not actually having a conversation.”

He said the National Trust also appeared to be running annual town meetings despite the fact this was a statutory town council duty: “It irritated me that they are doing something so people are saying they are dealing with the National Trust and they won’t come to us.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Vice chairman of the town council Roger Hanauer said there were “too many power bases in the town.”

Fellow councillor Michael Peet added: “duplication of effort is not what everybody needs.”

Cllr Fynes said she believed there should be more co-ordination to ensure “people are not all doing the same thing in a different way.”

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/

3) Follow us on Twitter @mid_pet_obs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Midhurst and Petworth Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: