Huge turn-out to hear shop fund concerns
Villagers were queuing down the street amid disputes over a taxfunded community shop.
Around 20 people were turned away from the Detling Parish council meeting as there was not enough space in the village hall.
This comes as the editor of the parochial magazine is accusing the parish council of “creative accounting” to fund a shop with taxpayers’ money.
Detling Parish Council increased its council tax precept by 46% despite having underspent by more than £6,000 last year and plans to build a community hub, with a post office, cafe and shop inside two converted containers. It will use grants and has taken out a £10,000 loan.
The shop will be run by a community interest company which has two councillors on it - Richard Finn and Brian Seymour.
John Watson, editor of Detling News, is concerned taxpayers’ money is going to be used to keep the community hub afloat through the £10,000 loan with its repayments covered by yearly rent of £2,500 paid by the parish council for an office.
Mr Watson believes the council could use the village hall instead of paying for a room in the hub.
But chairman of Detling council, Irene Bowie says the village hall charge £10 a hour to use the space and added: “You would find it hard to find an office space where we can have 365 day access for £2,500 a year so this is quite good news. At the moment we have only agreed to a year.”
She added the loan was to ensure taxpayer money is secure and the facilities are more of an investment. Cllr Bowie said: “Originally it [the company] asked for a grant but to ensure the council gets its money back we agreed to a loan.”