By all accounts, the Pevensey Parish Council meeting held at St. Wilfrid’s Hall in Pevensey Bay last night (10 January) was a lively positive event with the co-option of a new councillor, together with presentations by two other potential candidates which have been described to Bay Life as interesting and engaging.—Bay Life, 11 January 2017
As well as a new chair of Council in Daniel Brookbank, Bay Life understands that Peter Lowton, the co-owner of the Priory Court Hotel has been appointed vice-chair of the body that presides over the affairs of the parish.
In Daniel Brookbank the parish now has a dynamic, full engaged chair. Daniel works with The Senior Support Group in the parish and is at the core of of activities related to support for senior citizens in the parish. His day job is work as the Chief Executive Officer ay East Sussex Association of Blind and Partially Sighted People.
Over the last few years, Daniel has reached out to the community and been directly engaged with campaigning questions related to the purchase of the Beach Tavern, the campaign to restore the local library and the move to see that during the debates that took place locally during the work undertaken by SGN that he was centrally involved in the local ad hoc group that came together to see that services at the Ethel Wood Centre were maintained.
His public comments both as a Pevensey Parish Councillor and as an individual show foresight and the ability to understand the vital social context in which parish councils must now work.
When news first broke about the success of work with East Sussex County Council, he said about the re-opening of Pevensey Bay Library, in May 2016, “this is great news, well done to all the people and organisations involved in this, the Friends of the Library, Anderida WI, Pevensey Parish Council and all the others who have campaigned, spoken out and worked with East Sussex. Thanks too to East Sussex for hearing us all.”
In Peter Lowton, as the vice-chair of Pevensey Parish Council the parish is now blessed by the appointment of someone whose understanding of the social context of the locality is informed by a national perspective.
Whilst he has never sought to take credit as being a key prime mover in the regeneration of business activity in Pevensey with the restoration in the fortunes of the Priory Court Hotel and all the investment that has taken place, without question his decision and tireless work along with his partner Vicky, has restored not just the fortunes of the hotel and restaurant, but to a small extent, the fortunes of Pevensey as well as a centre of economic activity and a location now once again on the visitor map of national significance.
The moves within Pevensey Parish Council are of significance. There is much work to be done to support local residents and local businesses in the common cause to celebrate the rural location that is “the hidden jewels in the crown of Sussex”. The struggle to survive and protect and preserve the identity of the location is a fight that will now see Pevensey Parish Council at the heart of the matter.
One other person who works tirelessly behind the scenes with toil and an understanding of the context of the situation, is clerk to Council, Malcolm Lawson, whose work should be given full credit.
His Facebook feed is already an acknowledged source of authoritative and well written information that is reaching parishioners, a local textbook example of how to utilse social media, comprising the two vital social media elements that mark success, personality and meaningful dialogue.
Pevensey Eagle eyed observers will have noted that in the interests of transparency, as new Government guidelines suggest, that the precept (the sum of money that comes to the Council to support activity on a yearly basis) is now clearly detailed on the Council website. Observers will also have noted that staff costs are now also transparently stated.
In Malcolm Lawson, we have a clerk who is worth every penny. Whilst there are no awards for Parish Council clerks (why not?), he would most certainly, in the view of Bay Life, be a contender for at least an award within East and West Sussex.
The Localism Act of 2011 is the most important piece of legislation with regard to Parish Councils across the country since 1896.
The days in which parish councillors could sit under old oak trees in stretchable terylene trousers from Marks and Spencers on balmy summer evenings comparing cricket scores, voting for another park bench and patting themselves on the back for the way in which they have once again maintained the status quo for the month, are gone.
In essence, although you will not see this point outlined in the summary of the Localism Act of 2011, it would be true to say that unless parish councils get inolved in local partnerships, fund raising and work with local residents and business that directly engage with the issues that rural people face, then they are dead in the water.
We are perhaps 2-5 years from the precept beginning to disappear altogether. Parish councils, district and county councils will all have to work together and find new ways in which they can support and enable rural communities if they are to survive and thrive.
Perhaps an example of a moving force in this field is what is happening in Devon with the Libraries Unlimited Trust. The organisation now supports and supplies library services right across the county, involving not just the county council but all the parish councils in Devon, as well as commercial partners.
The days in which a local parish councillor can minute a comment that ‘we do not get involved in local library campaigns’ are gone.
One of the purposes of the Localism Act is to see that parish councils become campaigning bodies locally.
In the drive ambition and sense of purpose with local campaigns lies their future.
In Daniel Brookbank Peter Lowton and Malcolm Lawson, we have an understanding of this crucial point. There is potential for a pro-active parish council that is both engaging and dynamic.
Perhaps one of the first questions that the new Parish Council will consider is the moribund nature of the Pevensey Town Trust.
There is a need, with immediate effect, to address a situation that has become something approaching a public disgrace. Questions about the detail in the management of monies into the organisation and the profiling of our precious civic asset to visitors from across the world. are now of vital importance.
There would appear to be a strong possibility that the meeting of the Pevensey Parish Council last night (10 January) is a seminal local event of some description. Perhaps now we will be seeing some more pro-active work that will benefit all residents.
In Daniel Brookbank we clearly have a pro-active new chairman.
Congratulations to Pevensey Parish Council with the implementation of a transparent co-option process and the appointment of a new Chair and vice-chair to Council, all moves that are likely to be welcomed across the community.
Simon Montgomery
editor, Bay Life
IMAGE CREDIT: Daniel Brookbank
