For your information, I I did not say that the budget should be slashed for Collet Park.
However, I do think that it needs to be better managed. Over 50% of the town's money goes on the park and at a time when we are having to look at all budgets, we need to come up with some good solutions. One would be asking for volunteers to help with the maintenance i.e. planting the beds, weeding asking for donations of plants. There are many other things in the town that need attention, like the broken paving slabs; at lest 10 elderly people have injured themselves in the town over the years. This is something that I feel is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. Somerset County Highways do not have the money, so we need to take the bull by the horns and take some of the responsibility and at least get urgent repairs done. All we ever seem to do is sit on our asses and do nothing. If you had your way, John, you would spend all of the £230,000 we have on new toilets in the park. You need to remember that it was you and your party who wasted £63,000 on a defunct Academy, when we could have spent it on the Market Cross or the paving.
And why aren't you telling the people of Shepton about your idea of selling of the car parks, because your party has made such a mess of our finances up at Mendip. At least I am being honest, so if I was you, I would take a good hard look at your own judgements, before you look at others. You must be very desperate if this is all you and your party can do to attack me.
Will Dunscombe

As the park is a registered charity it is possible to access some external funding for ongoing works. Creative thinking will enable some of the cost of planting to be covered from 2012 onwards. I also think that you will find that the scope of the Market Cross works have expanded to include some additional paving. Over the past two years it has been possible for young people (aged 18 - 25) to be employed on duties within the park with the full cost of wages paid for by the government. The present government scrapped the scheme (despite both coalition partners stating that they would keep it - two yeses equals a NO!) but the fact cannot be escaped that Shepton Town Council was either unaware of or unwilling to access the scheme. That criticism is aimed at all who served at that time. I accessed funding for nine jobs in my previous position - three of whom are now in full time permanent work. It is this sort of fresh look at things - from a can do and non YAH BOO SUCKS perspective that is needed. It needs some councillors who are truly independent. It also needs some one to state that if all of these things need doing money has to be found from somewhere. Adopting the stance of a municipal meter reader and saying "no" to everything (which one candidate appears to be doing in East Ward) is not the way forward. There has to be a balance and the prak should be near the top of everyones list. It is on mine - under the additional resources for Shepton heading but that may be because I am Independent Thank You For Your Vote.

We are in danger of re-rehearsing the discussion regarding what is independent. I find it difficult to view, as independent, any one who has their leaflet delivered in the same folded sheet as candidates for a declared party. That is what I found yesterday, and Monday, when leafleting. It should be possible for the Town Council to work together regardless of political views. And, when they don't work (as with the Future Jobs Fund - outlined above) it requires comment. Turning to my answer above I have agreed with Mr Dunscombe on planting (and developed his idea); I have observed that external funding sources can be used for facilities (so obviating the need to spend local money which can be used for something else - see my leaflet for an idea) and I have also shared my knowledge regarding some of the paving slabs (obtained as a result of doing some voluntary work for the charity that owns the Market Cross). Like you I like consultation but there also has to be realism in what can be delivered. This weather I would like free ice-creams for the immediate families of all teachers but I can't see it happening. I happen to include you in the 'can do, NON YAH BOO SUCKS, part of my post. There are some political candidates who also fall into the 'can do' part as there are some Independents who fall out side the non yah boo sucks. I like your use of my ballot paper statement and wondered how long it would be before I could get that into some one elses post. Every ballot paper, in the Town Council East ward election carries, under my name, Independent Thank You For Your Vote.