Rumours. Inevitably there are always rumours in a small town. Sometimes there is no smoke without fire. However this time I sincerely hope this is not the case. I was asked the other day about the town centre car park having parking charges imposed. This car park is administered by Stratford District Council, and of course they can impose charges if they choose. However I have checked and no one is aware of any such proposals. This of course would be a serious blow were it to happen, but both ATC and SDC are aware of the implications for a thriving market town. Let’s hope this one goes away but we are now forewarned.
Still on thriving market towns, we were recently visited by Wooton under Edge council to see how we are managing to make a success of our town, especially the High Street, while they are struggling. A number of our councillors met them and they went away very impressed, with hopefully some thoughts and ideas for their town. My view is that it is all down to the residents making full use of our excellent shops. We were invited to pay a return visit to Wooten under Edge and gained a fascinating insight into how they run their town. Thanks to all those who could go. One very interesting and relevant item was their community cinema. Even mid-week it is busy and runs as a going concern. Food for thought.
We held our first Council drop in session at Waitrose on Saturday. I felt that it was a success, as we managed to talk to quite a number of people and gain an insight as to the concerns they have. We will be moving to other locations so please do feel free to suggest somewhere. Drop in sessions are held once per month and include councillors and representatives from the police. It is your opportunity to put your questions and concerns to the people representing you.