One of the Town Councils the Borough Council is using as a comparison for the Community Governance Review is Snodland Town Council.
We asked their Chairman David Lettington to tell us more about his council.
“Snodland Town Council was created in 1988, because the local population had increased to the point where it became eligible for the status. Prior to this, it had been a Parish Council since 1895.
We hold considerable land assets; Nevill Park, Willowside Park, the Cricket Meadow, the Recreation Ground, Holborough Park, Potyns Sportsground, two sets of allotments (Birling Lands and Sloughfields) with other 120 plots between them, and the Cemetery. We also own several community buildings; the Devonshire Rooms (two small community halls / function rooms), the Museum, Brooklands Cafe, the Cricket Pavilion, the Community Hub, Cemetery Lodge and Cemetery Chapel.
The sportsground is home to Snodland Football Club and Snodland Bowls Club (we own the land, the respective clubs owns the buildings), and also home to the Community Centre (we own the land and the building, but the Community Association runs the Centre on a very long lease at a peppercorn rent).
We run community events too; the Summer Fete, the Christmas Lantern Parade, a free fireworks display in November, the Remembrance Parade, and a “Christmas in Snodland” event with Santa’s Grotto etc.
We enable other events such as the Cricket Club fun day, and occasional dog shows and beer festivals which are held on our land at low cost / no cost to the organisers.
We are just about to launch a food bank service from the Community Hub.
We organise monthly litter picks around the town.
The Council has 3.2 FTE administrative staff, 1.5 FTE ground staff, and various ad hoc irregular staff for locking-up facilities etc
All of our meetings have a Public Question Time, and residents often attend to ask questions or to have the Council make representations to other authorities on their behalf.
The Council is not particularly party political (there are two Labour Town Councillors and 13 Independents, although Sue Bell is an Independent on the Town Council, as is Shaun Loader who is a Labour Party member). As recently as 6 years ago though, all Town Councillors had a party political affiliation.
The Band D equivalent Town precept is £87.08, which is approximately in the middle of the pack of Parish precepts.
The Councillors tend to “muck in” and even assist with the work of the Council occasionally (grass cutting / painting / locking facilities / allotment & building inspections / manning road closures at events / running stalls). None of the Councillors get an allowance, it’s all voluntary.”
David Lettington