Wilmslow Town Council has decided to purchase mapping software at a one off cost of £1975 and an annual fee of £235.
Town Clerk Matthew Jackson explained it would be a very useful tool for the Neighbourhood Plan and the majority of the work will take place over the next 12 months so it makes sense to purchase it now.
He also mentioned additional areas where the mapping software would benefit the Town Council including seeing exactly where the Christmas lights are located so they can identify where repairs and new lights are required and being able to identify visually where the planters, shrub beds, benches and street furniture which the Town Council needs to maintain. Also it would be useful to identify utilities going to and from the new toilet block coming to the Carrs and areas for litter picking.
Matthew continued "When we're creating events we hand draw where things are going to fit but of course it is not to scale so it would be helpful if we could do that. Also we do get questions about pieces of land as well, whilst the mapping won't tell you precisely who owns a piece of land it will tell you things like if it's registered, if it's registered what's the number so its taking the next stage.
"In terms of the Neighbourhood Plan we are already talking about who owns which buildings, we're looking at the town centre and how we map that in terms of coming up with some ideas and this will give us a tool to be able to do that. We're also talking about sites and routes of ecological merit and that is something it would useful to plot those as we go through the process. Also talking about existing and potential land use items."
He added "So there are the benefits, some are more direct to the Town Council and are ongoing and we would continue to use. Some are more specific to the neighbourhood Plan which is why the timing is probably right now in my option."
Councillor Gary Barton said "When I first saw this proposal I was a bit dubious because I thought most of the functionality you can do with a combination of Google Maps and the Electoral Commission has its own boundaries tool you can use and also Cheshire East has its own mapping tool. I don't know whether the public can use it I know councillors can use it but I thought there is the potential to access that then I thought our dealings with Cheshire East are so painful at the moment the ability minimise those would be useful.
"Then I had a call with a telecoms company last week and talked to them about mapping their assets and the technology they use. It then occurred to that actually for the reasons that Matthew outlined this would be a very sensible tool for us as we seek to be more ambitious as a Council and we've grown the number of assets and services we're involved with.
"Having a database, having asset tracking tool, having access to information quickly and easily would actually be a very sensible tool and frankly even if its most important aspect was to help the Neighbourhood Plan process I think it is important enough to Wilmslow to warrant the expenditure alone regardless of the additional benefit. I propose we go ahead with the purchase of this software."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Expect more projects and philanthropy before year end as WTC gets desperate to budget dump.
Maybe that members only shooting range in Stockport they donated to before needs more cash?
Re the 'members shooting club', I don't know anything about that (it must have been a few years ago before I joined. I'd be very surprised if we gave money to anything remotely like that now and it surprises me that they did before.
'Thirdly Wilmslow Rifle Club, which has 33 members and is a non-profit organisation, was granted £1440 to build a firing point structure'.
Taken from this website. The club now has 30 members and is in Handforth Dean.
The same year over £8k was spent on charities including rabbit hutches - just before year end.
Nothing wrong with charity giving but it should not be compulsory through taxation.
WTC was set up collecting more tax than it needed. This was deliberate. Based on want rather than need but surely if you have to resort to philanthropy to spend the cash you are collecting too much in the first place.
We all remember WTCs demands for thousands gold chains the elected officials and being told they were an investment.
It all adds up to an organisation with more money than ideas.
If WTC doesnt spend all the taxes it collects will you reduce the tax burden next year?
I don't agree that the council has more money than ideas and I don't accept that we are resorting to philanthropy to get rid of surplus cash. I have always considered the awarding of grants as being one of the most value-adding things that the council does. I think the volunteer groups and events that we fund or part fund (via the precept) makes the town a more vibrant and interesting place to live. I have never seen it as a means of spending, rather an integral and important part of what the council does.
However, you do make an interesting point that has made me think.
Is it our place to, as you say, 'tax' residents to fund local volunteer groups and, in some cases, charities?
I have to say that the more I think about it the more I'm struggling to reconcile the awarding of grants with any of 5 duties of the town council and I'm also struggling with the idea of compelling people to give to charity/ volunteer groups.
But, on the other hand, I believe the town would lose some of its shine if we didn't have the myriad of groups and events that we have (at least partly) as a result of the town council grants. We, as town councillors, are charged with supporting the 'economic vibrancy of the town' but should this not extend to supporting the cultural and social vibrancy of the town?
Personally I have a criterion which I use to decide which charities/causes I give my time and money to and I don't think any of the grants I've supported as town councillor would have qualified. However, I'm still more than happy for 5 or 6 quid (of the £21(ish) that I pay annually to fund the town council) to be used for these grants as I think the town benefits greatly. I would be very sad to see that funding and those groups disappear but I realise other people may rather have their precept reduced instead.
Therefore, as a result of this discussion, I've raised it with the other councillors and, whilst it was too late to include it as an agenda item for Monday's town council meeting, it may be discussed in the context of budget setting for next year and, if the council considers that it requires further consideration, it will be referred to the finance committee which has responsibility for reviewing grant applications.
Thanks for your views.
Cheers,
Dave