My wife and I have lived in Newbury for the last twenty years, and I’ve worked for the last eight years for the Canal and River Trust (or British Waterways as-was). My work for the Trust involves me with volunteers which I see as a tremendous way for people to be involved in where they live. I have been an enthusiastic allotmenteer for more than twenty years and I’d really like to see the Town Council improve their allotment service by allowing the allotmenteers themselves to manage their sites. I’m not a big fan of the Council’s ceremonial mayor which is a substantial expense for some marginal civic colour and I think the money would be better spent on essential public services. It’s a shame how the town’s charter market has deteriorated and I’d like to see this thrive again, most probably as a self-managed cooperative.
