Disposing of our gems demoralises people (From Bucks Free Press)

Disposing of our gems demoralises people

12:00pm Sunday 5th February 2012 in Your Letters

RECENTLY I learned that many significant open spaces, historical and archaeological sites, are being disposed of by Buckinghamshire County Council to charities, some whose interest is far wider than that of our county.

Foolishly, taxpayers in Buckinghamshire felt public ownership of such sites like Whiteleaf Cross, the Hampden Memorial and Iron Age Forts were safe in public ownership and indeed, gave them a feeling of pride in their county.

Attention is also pointing at the growing number of charities who constantly seek grants from the public purse, at all levels of government, which obfuscate where taxpayers’ money is going. Furthermore, these charities are encouraged as well, to seek donations.

Everyone realises this usually means from business so that its name is connected with a popular cause – ‘publicity’ in other words.

Meanwhile less attractive, but possibly more important, causes are ‘orphaned’ in this world where people are now being forced to be beholden to charities and the ‘largess’ of big business and the super rich, rather than have councils responsible to their citizens and directly accountable for the money they spend.

People see their standard of living falling and when Bucks County Council divests itself of the gems of heritage that belong to this county, it further demoralises its citizens.

If councillors are preoccupied with their cabinets, committees and perhaps their loyalties to their parties rather than their constituents, is it little wonder the concerns of citizens and feelings of pride where they live, are so overlooked as to be ignored?

Will people have to form their own associations to make their local and county councils govern in a way that puts the interests of citizens first?

Merelene Davis, Pednor Bottom, Chesham