Two items dropped through my letter-box today, amongst the usual bills, junk and dross. One was a call to arms about the rec - don't know who wrote it but well done, full of suggestions about what to say in letters of protest and crucially giving out the address and contact details of the district council. So there's no excuse for not knowing who to call and by when. It's:
Chichester District Council
Planning Dept
East Pallant House
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1TY
and objections must be in by 2nd March. I had an interesting chat with a 'Herald' reporter today who is writing a story about this blog and was keen to hear about the survey and what it told us. Check out the next edition.
The other thing which slid on to my doormat today was the 'Lantern'. On its front cover it says that it's 'A community newsletter reporting on happenings in the parishes of St Peter's Lynchmere and St Paul's Camelsdale'. It's only if you look at the small print inside the front cover that you discover it's a 'Christian publication prepared and financed by'.. the respective churches. 'As both a church and a community resource'. Here's where the possible proposal to concrete over the rec within the next ten years - the most devastating thing which could happen to our community gets a mention - page 12. The vicar doesn't give it a nod in his introduction and you have to wade through yards of stuff about prayers and church before you get to any mention of what might be going on in our community. Apparently not a community that includes secular people, agnostics, muslims, jews and so on.. and in my case I'm happy to say that Charles Darwin is the only one who made sense of it all to me.
My point here is that we need leadership from our community which is for all the community if we are to defeat the proposal to build on the rec at some point in the future. This means it needs to be inclusive and that means we need a website and a newsletter from the Parish and District Councils which tells us all, regularly about plans which may affect our village. Without fear or favour. Then we won't have to rely on the 'Lantern' for the occasional hint.
Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins be with you all.
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5 comments:
I agree about the Lantern - I appreciate the effort that somebody puts into it and it may well serve the needs of the church, but it really needs separating from VITAL information that affects the WHOLE community.
Communication about such matters needs to be updated and comprehensive.
We are getting some good publicity in the papers - an article and letter in the Herald, and an article in the Midhurst Observer. Maybe one to follow in the Surrey Ad? This is good - to reach as many people as possible before March 2nd - let's hope they write!
I think any way we get the message across is good. The people who write the lantern do so in good faith, although it could do with broadening its outlook (possibly), we are only noticing because of this recent development. At least they have been trying to get their message about their faith into their community, maybe they can teach us a thing or two? Please lets not alienate certain sections of our community. We could use the Lantern as great publicity for our cause. So pleased to hear about the coverage in the papers, that will be such a positive way forward.
...you might also like to know that each week the church "internal" newsletter has reminded people of the 2nd MArch deadline for comments.
please send material for publication in lantern to lanterneditor@btinternet.com
Far better than criticising it!
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