Burnham: Dig deep to save our town- residents urged to pay for legal consultant (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)
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Burnham: Dig deep to save our town- residents urged to pay for legal consultant
8:59am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in Local News By Emma Robinson
Cllr Jack Sheppard with business-owner Chris Fugeman urging people to contribute a few pounds each
Burnham residents are being urged to fork out £2,000 to fight against the plan to build 450 new houses in the town.
Parish councillor Jack Sheppard suggested homeowners could contribute a few pounds each to spend on a legal consultant, who could fight their cause.
This comes after several hundred residents voted to spend the extra £25,000 of the parish council’s precept on a planning consultant at an August council meeting.
But councillors decided last month they needed more time to consider how to spend the money.
Disappointed councillor Sheppard believes residents should now take the idea into their own hands.
He said: “People want to know what we are going to do.
“I am happy to be associated with a group to raise the money.
“Some councillors think a consultant is a waste of time, but any effort is useful effort."
See this week's MBS for the full story.
Opsiomath says...
10:42am Wed 10 Oct 12
I'd rather the money was invested wisely in hiring an independent planning consultant to protect the character of the town rather than being wasted on yet more building work on the Burnham town council offices or other spurious purposes
I believe the next Burnham council meeting is on Wednesday October 17 at seven in the evening .. I suggest as many electors as possible participate in that meeting to underline to councillors that they should listen to their Burnham electors not Maldon district council they should hire our own planning professional to represent our views and preferences.
If this fails then I'm sure we'll pay ourselves to get a truly independent planning professional and also vote out most Burnham councillors at the very first opportunity .. They just don't listen and learn!!