In the November Lenham Focus it was anounced that the Parish Council had decided to allocate £1,000 of Parish Council money to set up an entirely new Lenham website.

What a waste of taxpayers money!

This risks being a misuse of Parish Council funds that should go to something that will actively support the community.

Lenham.net has always stated clearly that all links to local websites are free. That any content about local activities, societies, clubs, shops, bars, whatever will be enetered for free. Over trhe years I have actively encourged participation from the Parish Council, I have been invariably ignored. This is a totally impartial website, there is no axe to grind and no profit. It receives 1,000s of visitors locally and from around the world.

I have repeatedly asked the Parish council for content. I have always been ignored apart from once - remember the bid to be Kent Village of the Year? Part of the application included local online activity - that was the once they sent a set of minutes! I've never heard from them since, in fact when I emailed asking for more copies of minutes I got a very snotty response saying not to contact them!

I have two questions to the Parish Council:

1. Why, when you have a free resource, is it necessary to spend a considerable part of your budget replicating it?
2. If you are incapable of providing content to a free resource, why do you think you will suddenly have content for this so far non-existant paid-for website?

The comment "Councillor Davison had investigated several site options" he didn't approach Lenham.net.

Clearly there is a £1,000 that is burning a hole in sombody's pocket. If anybody has a better use for the £1,000, please email me and I will post the 'sensible' suggestions.

In my experience, there is always a relative somewhere in the background of projects like this - can anybody enlighten me? email me here. .

January Focus states that this pointless excercise is going ahead!

As a resident within Lenham Parish who has contributed a resource for free, to be treated in this contemptible manner by the Parish Council is disgusting.

Over 8 years I have tried to interest the Parish Council in a web presence. My next door neighbour, a parish councillor did her best to promote the website, she was always ignored.

It might be that the PC would say that the website as it is doesn't offer what they require - but without approaching me or perhaps the person who runs the Community Centre website - anyway, words fail me.

What irks is that I must pay taxes, some small part of those taxes will pay for this entirely wasted effort.

It is January, perhaps there is still some opportunity to fix this problem.

Simon

What could we do with a concerted web activity within Lenham - click here for some ideas