Consultation needed over land deal

Despite continual questioning by the public at parish council meetings, Anston Parish Council refuses to furnish answers to the public.

The chairman, Dominic Beck, has stated quite clearly that the public will not be consulted on this matter. There are rumours in this village that the land is of very substantial size. It follow, therefore, that the purchase price will be a great deal. This needs to be put before the ratepayers of Anston.

After all it is ourselves the ratepayers who will have to foot the bill, which could amount to many thousands of pounds, possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds.

This money will have to be borrowed and, obviously, paid back with interest. This will be over many years. An onerous burden for the residents of Anston.

Anston Parish Council seek to justify this secret purchase using the following figures, which were discussed at the meeting of Monday 15 October.

Out of about 3,500 households surveyed. only 300 replies were received (less than 10 per cent). And of the 300 replie,s not all were in favour of the parish council purchasing land. The results of the whole survey have not been released to the public - WHY?

However,  despite the fact that Anston Parish Council refuses to tell the public where the land is, ex-chairman John Ireland gave the game away at Monday's meeting.

Cllr Ireland said we want to create a buffer zone to protect Anston Stones Wood . It does not need much stretch of the imagination to work out where this land is and, given the rumours circulating around the village, it appears to be on Rackford Road.

The residents of Anston should be made aware of the financial burden that Anston Parish Council is intending to place upon them in this difficult financial climate.

It is worthy of note that four of these councillors, three of whom are Rotherham Borough councillors, do not live in the Anston catchment area, so no problem for them.

Come clean councillors - it is Anston ratepayer's money. Consult with the Anston ratepayer.

Hilary Estrada-Haigh, The Green, North Anston