YOU know I have a lot to say about local councils, I was a town councillor  for a number of years here in Newton Abbot, a prolific letter writer in this esteemed publication from the 70s onwards, and when I moved to Ideford I became a parish (or village) councillor.

I learnt a great deal about councils. We have three tiers: firstly town or parish, unpaid and in the main ignored by the next tier, district council and on top of that county council. A councillor can be elected to represent the people of Teignbridge on all three levels.

Town and parish councillors know the people in their village or ward. They are in the main the first port of call for the electorate to bring their problems and I know that from great experience.

District never seemed that interested in the mundane. As I said, town or parish are unpaid, while the 46 members of district council have an allowance, expenses, top-ups if they find themselves chairman of a committee,. It’s the same for count.

Did you know that a councillor, whatever level, only has to attend two meetings a year, that is one every six months to retain their title and where applicable their allowances? 

A councillor if in employment cannot be stopped from attending a bona fide meeting.

I do get cross. Look at planning applications be they for an individual, or for a developer. The town or parish have planning committees on this. They would look at the application and decide what they think should happen in a village. 

Once a totally inappropriate application for something next to stables and a narrow lane servicing that application was placed before the parish council. 

No we didn’t want it and said so and why. However, one district councillor didn’t even know where the village was. 

Luckily the application didn’t go ahead. But it isn’t just that, the lowly town and parish council can say no to something but TDC have the final say and they can and will override any objections.

I have this nagging need to shout at Central Government ‘Will you please look at and make urgent changes to your local councils?’

Firstly allowance: a councillor only has to attend two meetings a year. Allowance should be paid as a basic weekly amount no extras committee chairman etc, but payable on attendance only. 

You have a couple of meetings that week you get your weekly allowance, you don’t attend any meeting in a week you don’t get your allowance simple as that. Genuine petrol from home to Forde House and return yes expenses, stationary, postage done at Forde House and through their franking machine, do you know I have reckoned that TDC councillors cost us around £350k a year just basic allowances and expenses we could save probably around £80k-plus a year. Just think of the services we could spend that on.

One of my major gripes is the constant cry that people would stand for council but they feel they haven’t a chance of getting elected because the same names are on the ballot papers. 

I would like to see councillors standing for re-election only twice. The term of office is four years, meaning a 12-year term of office then stand down allowing new blood. I think you would be shocked there are some that have been there for 25-plus years. 

And now the biggie: Party Politics. NO, a big fat huge NO. Everyone independent of party politics that way the council is working for the electorate and not their political affiliation. 

Ok it is up to you, stand up and be counted there is local elections in May put your name forward and shout from the roof tops, we need new blood, new ideas and standards people working for the people, go get ’em .