Expecting response from council

The action group, formed before the parish poll, was disbanded the day after. This present situation has nothing to do with the vote.

Incidentally, we only have one member of the action group on the hall committee. The parish council has three!

We are very upset with the parish council, as it has not even had the courtesy to reply to our letters, invoices or statements.

The council is being treated exactly the same as any other hirer who does not pay the bill, and as the council was told, when the account is settled we can resume the electricity supply.

It must be understood our ultimate concern is our charity and to make sure it is run to the best of our ability. This includes ensuring accounts are settled on time. We have disgruntled hirers who now realise their hiring fees are contributing to parish council funds. This cannot be correct.

The village hall can’t go on subsidising the parish council any longer. In answer to the alleged meter readings, if meter readings had been taken there would be a fluctuation in the costs, yet the cost to the council was a flat £23 from 2006-10 when the new committee took over, and therefore not true.

It was also stated that a reading was taken a month ago – not by us, so who is tampering with our equipment?

An accusation was made that the democratic process of the village was being stopped.

The clerk always worked at home prior to this cabin being plonked on the village hall and the chairman of the parish council said this is what would have happened if the ex-treasurer of the hall, Mr Sharp had not also been a councillor and agreed to this debacle.

We could go on, but feel the way forward is not via the columns of the local newspaper but by the parish council making contact with us and settling its bad debts.

Brenda Whiting

chairman

Robert Wood

vice-chairman

East Preston Village Hall executive committee