Reject the idea of community councils

Recently there has been a leaflet extensively circulated by the Central Ashford Community Forum (CACF) on the subject of the creation of community councils (Urban Parishing).

This document was full of exaggerations and inaccuracies such as the statement: “Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has recommended that democratically elected community councils be set up in the urban areas of Ashford.”

This statement is completely untrue. In fact ABC has shown complete impartiality on this matter by instigating a public consultation exercise in the form of an information pamphlet and ballot.

The CACF’s leaflet also says that the precept which will be incurred by local council taxpayers “will be no more than 50p per week”, this again is incorrect.

When one considers the precept in Tenterden is £89 per year and that the central Ashford area has a similar-size population, this would equate to a rise in the council tax bill in excess of £50 per year.

They also affirm that setting up community councils will allow local people to make decisions regarding local issues. But in truth these councils will have hardly any powers whatsoever.

Do the many thousands of residents in the urban area of Ashford really want to pay over £50 per year for another layer of local bureaucratic government?

In my view it is a complete and utter waste of taxpayers’ money and I would urge you to send back your ballot paper before October 12 rejecting this idea. Lee Murphy, Godinton Park, Ashford

His wife was Agnes Rennie. The 1881 Census for Ashford shows them living with their children at 118 New Town and the 1891 Census at 142 New Town.

By the 1901 Census they were back living in Scotland.

James was born at New Lanark in Lanarkshire, and Agnes was born at Mearns, Lanarkshire. They lived in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire from their marriage in 1861.

They were the parents of 25 children, although I have only been able to confirm 18. The two youngest, Ellen and Robert being born in Ashford about 1881 and 1883 respectively.

The older daughters married in Ashford. Agnes to George Black in 1887, Jane to Henry John Cobb in 1885, Mary to William Walker Ferguson in 1885 and Isabella to Edward James Keene about 1888.

Isabella’s husband Mr Edward J. Keene was a well-known football player and referee.

He was tragically killed in an accident in the Ore Tunnel on October 22, 1909 while travelling home from refereeing a Mrs Elizabeth McInnes, 28 Loreny Drive, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, KA1 4SU, Scotland - telephone 01563 528009.