SAMRA magazine

I must say that the presentation of the SAMRA magazine has improved in leaps and bounds. Presumably there has been a change in editorial control, if so congratulations to the new editor it now makes a good read. I was slightly worried as to the references to the political nature of CBC as the magazine clearly states that the association is non-political. By intimating that a residents association can be the vehicle whereby residents can oppose Council policy cuts right across that position of neutrality. I also have to comment on the article detailing the SAMRA AGM in January. Whoever wrote this piece must have been at a different meeting, and were certainly not aware of arrangements made with the President and Vice President in respect of time allocated to the Council presentation. Perhaps they were unaware that senior CBC members have met regularly with the P and VP and at the meeting immediately prior to the AGM it was agreed that the CBC presentation would take 45minutes. This was accepted and just as CBC had done across the Borough was presented accordingly. At no time was it agreed by CBC that the presentation should only last for 15 minutes. We completed in 50 mins including questions from the floor, and good questions they were! There is a touch of irony here though that throughout the articles is a constant theme that Council does not involve resident associations enough and yet here are criticised for too much involvement. Interesting also that at the last agreed meeting between CBC senior members and SAMRA no one from SAMRA bothered to turn up! CBC presented the roadshow in the same format to eight groups of residents across the Borough, officers went out of their way to detail the financial problems and the challenges ahead. In every area, bar SAMRA apparently, the presentation was accepted in good heart with the residents understanding the tough decisions CBC are forced to take in view of the dramatic central funding cuts. Dreams about starting museums in Mike's old house, continuing to dump black sack rubbish containers into landfill or ignoring the question of how do we house our homeless and developing young population are simply wishful thinking in this hard economic climate. And finally if CBC did not listen to the community how is it that Mudeford Wood Community Centre proceeded as it did with the Council giving a fantastic opportunity with all the challenges that that means, to a willing and enthusiastic Community Group. According to another article, this as a priority of this administrations community agenda, appeared to have happened without political energy from councillors or indeed the skills and enthusiasm from officers. Good magazine though, I look forward to the next one in the autumn.