Wednesday 15 January 2014

The Latest from Your Parish Councillor - Martin Corney

I understand that there is a lot of disquiet in the village about the future of Millennium House. There have been a number of changes in the staff and running of Millennium House which were essential to reduce costs. Change is never easy, but it will be a lot easier and more successful if we work together. Millennium House is our parish community centre and is subsidised by us through our council taxes. Local sports teams and many other groups in the community benefit from the subsidised facilities. As well as paid staff, we rely on volunteers to keep Millennium House running. Without volunteers we would have to employ more staff, paid for by increased taxes. So please volunteer.

I'm still comparatively new to the parish council, and don't know the history and personalities involved, but it is obvious to me that some people are still upset about some of the changes that have happened. I would like them to contribute to the future of the parish. Remember that Parish Councillors are volunteers and are all trying to do their best to make things better for the community. It's not all sweetness and light. Parish Councillors have different opinions. We disagree about many things, have our say, vote, and go with the majority. That's democracy. There are places vacant on the council, so I suggest that anyone who wants things to be run differently volunteers.

Millennium House has been our community centre for the last fifteen years. Built by Lottery and European grant funds, it is an asset that other communities envy, with reason. This facility exists and is not going away, so let's use it and enjoy it.


The December storms destroyed two greenhouses at The Growing Project, but I will help replace them with something even better. We’ve also started on the Incredible Edible Pensilva scheme for free fruit and veg in the village.

Don’t forget the parish website st-ive-parishcouncil.gov.uk with council meeting agendas and minutes; also downloadable copies of the Parish Pump. For those of you who do Facebook, our St Ive Parish Council page is still being updated with parish news.

Phone me, email me on martin.corney@btinternet.com or "martin corney blog st ive" in search engines will find my blogs for you to comment on.