Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette March 27th 2014

A QUIET week really, broken this morning with my council tax ‘demand’, (don’t you just love that word?) rattling through the letterbox. I read it, I digest it and do not know whether to laugh or cry. I suppose it is fair and I do not in any way begrudge paying for the services where those services are good value for my money. Some of those services are hidden and others are services I have no use for but am aware that others do have a need and I do not mind coughing up my share, but there is always a little niggle about some of these things and I will survive those irritations. Glancing down the list I note that Arun are not increasing their share which is just as well considering how much of it they waste. Littlehampton Town Council have increased their rate by 3% due to, according to whom you believe, the fact that Arun have withdrawn some of their support to the LTC coffers in order not to increase their own rate which in fact means there is an increase of 3% in the amount of money, combined, still taken from we council tax payers but now more by the backdoor than the front.  I suppose the LTC need that extra to pay for the bomb shelter laughingly referred to as a bandstand. The police share has increased by 2% which is a bit of a surprise as we are constantly being told that crime in the area is on the decrease. Perhaps some of that money could go towards new ‘no cycling’ signs in the town precinct where the law is broken daily. The Southern Water ‘demand’, came in at roughly the same time just to round off my the week.

GOOD news on the badger cull being called to a halt meaning our county badgers are safe for a while at least. And nature loves Western Road as we had a buzzard worrying the seagulls and pigeons the other morning, it must have heard the word from the peregrine falcon that the local prey birds were plentiful.

POTHOLES? Two men, a couple of shovels, a power roller, brooms, a small flatbed truck, a  large bag of filler and a road sign – job done, WSCC, brilliant, just like old times…