Forum for Boscombe residents is resurrected

2:00pm Saturday 12th January 2013 in News

A FORUM for Boscombe residents to air their grievances and ideas for improving the area will be resurrected this weekend.

Bournemouth council withdrew funding from the old Boscombe Forum three years ago following controversy about whether it was representative enough or had enough local participation.

The new forum will hold its first meeting tomorrow, and is intended to encourage better communication between councillors, community groups and local residents.

Chairman and local historian John Browne said: “The forum will not be political or council-led and it will be run independently by a small committee.

“We’re hoping it will create an opportunity for Boscombe residents to report issues of concern through effective engagement with the council and other public bodies.”

Boscombe West councillor Chris Wakefield added: “It’s nice that this has been resurrected. This will be helpful for residents to get an idea of the bigger picture of what’s going on.”

The bi-monthly meetings will include updates from police and ward councillors.

The first, with a presentation on regenerating Boscombe by Sue Bickler, takes place at the Well Spring Centre, St George’s Church, in Haviland Road, from 10am-noon.

Comments(14)

pete woodley says...
2:44pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Obviously residents come first,but surely everyone who uses the area can have a say.

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pete woodley says...
2:44pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Obviously residents come first,but surely everyone who uses the area can have a say.

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Azphreal says...
4:41pm Sat 12 Jan 13

What evidence is there that the council will take any notice of what the people say? Remember the online thing about what to do with the Imax site? Well apart from having to choose from what the council said they are not doing what the people wanted.

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muscliffman says...
4:46pm Sat 12 Jan 13

All this means is a shed load more 'Boscombe blah, blah', nothing will really happen apart from a few media opportunities for certain individuals and agencies.

Far too many vested interests, at the highest levels now, want Boscombe to stay exactly as it is - making them money!

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Lord Spring says...
6:20pm Sat 12 Jan 13

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

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karenzbrown says...
7:51pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Oooops . . . it appears there may be a bit of a boo boo here - the first meeting of the newly formed Boscombe Forum was today! It's not tomorrow as advertised here. The next meeting of Boscombe Forum is being held on Saturday 9th March at 10am - 12noon at Kings Park School. Today's meeting was well attended and eagerly and passionately contributed to by many that attended. I look forward to the next meeting.

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markelkins says...
8:49pm Sat 12 Jan 13

I regularly attend the Springbourne Forum the next meeting of which is on Wednesday 23rd January at 1900 hours in the Bourne Spring Centre, St Mary's Road. The 3 Borough Councillors for the ward attend. Therefore they are made aware of the views of those attending. Thus I would have thought the same would go for Boscombe. I guess though the local view from the Forum is only as good as those attending.

That said I guess there are all kinds of reason for low turnouts so this is not necessarily a reason to disregard the views of those who do attend because of that. However if people feel that it is not worth attending because the Council will not take any notice of the Forum then the Council should take action so that the views of those attending are acted upon. There is some evidence of a growing disconnect between what the Political Parties think and what the electorate thinks nationally which may be one reason why what might be said by the public at local Forums might be disregarded by local politicians. For example many people I know locally don't relish housing development as they feel the area is already over populated but the local politicians are possibly constrained over refusing housing development due to the rules set by national politicians.

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verityvita says...
12:02am Sun 13 Jan 13

muscliffman wrote:
All this means is a shed load more 'Boscombe blah, blah', nothing will really happen apart from a few media opportunities for certain individuals and agencies.

Far too many vested interests, at the highest levels now, want Boscombe to stay exactly as it is - making them money!
Exactly muscliffeman-

How about the Dr's surgerys that have set up in Boscombe,and are being paid extra money by the Government to treat addicts;the landlords being paid top wack to house said addicts;the 'counsellors/treatme
nt centers being paid to treat said addicts and all the others bloodsuckers who feed off Boscombe's problems to make money or to boost their egos by promoting themselves as 'Saints' at the cost of the ordinary Boscombe residents (what few there are left) coming clean and admitting how much they stand to gain by keeping Boscombe just as it is?Also, how many of these people actually live in the areas of Boscombe that are blighted by their money grabbing or do-gooding twaddle? My guess, none! They have cosy little homes in Southbourne, Queens Park, Boscomb Overcliffe etc, I bet!

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elite50 says...
10:24am Sun 13 Jan 13

Why is there any need for a forum?
All anyone needs to do is take a short walk through a formerly (anybody remember that far back?) nice area and see what happens when greed gets to a council.
Everyone knows that the council turn a blind eye to the residents and their complaints so as the druggies can get their benefits and the landlords can rip them off.
The only thing that I cant understand is why the people keep voting these deadbeats in!

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Hessenford says...
1:15pm Sun 13 Jan 13

The people of the encompassing area have aired their voices on numerous occasions over the last few years on this issue and the consensus is that Boscombe will remain a run down cesspit until the drunks, drug users and alcoholics are removed and bedsit land is demolished, how many more times do they need to be told and how many more times until they listen.

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jinglebell says...
2:47pm Sun 13 Jan 13

When issues are raised at a recognised local Forum to various authorities, those authorities have a legal obligation set by Parliament to respond. They can come out with obscure answers but they can be asked again to produce clear answers.
Obviously, the more people attend, the more they become aware whether local Councillors are acting in their interest or not. When election time comes around, it is unlikely that Councillors who have towed the Party line in favour of listening to the views of the electorate will find themselves out in the cold.
Forums, therefore, are only effective if they are well attended and those running them keep minutes of questions and publish them and the responses.
As for Boscombe being a "cesspit" and those wishing Boscombe to stay the way it is because they make money out of it, its up to the people of the area to raise those questions and ensure they get the answers they seek. Those that hold power can only do so if the people let them. All over the world we have witnessed in the last couple of years what can happen when those in power ignore the people.
Boscombe is in no way in the same dire straits as these places but that doesn't mean people should simple take what is handled out and say or do nothing if they think it is wrong.

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Earl says...
4:33pm Sun 13 Jan 13

verityvita wrote:
muscliffman wrote:
All this means is a shed load more 'Boscombe blah, blah', nothing will really happen apart from a few media opportunities for certain individuals and agencies.

Far too many vested interests, at the highest levels now, want Boscombe to stay exactly as it is - making them money!
Exactly muscliffeman-

How about the Dr's surgerys that have set up in Boscombe,and are being paid extra money by the Government to treat addicts;the landlords being paid top wack to house said addicts;the 'counsellors/treatme

nt centers being paid to treat said addicts and all the others bloodsuckers who feed off Boscombe's problems to make money or to boost their egos by promoting themselves as 'Saints' at the cost of the ordinary Boscombe residents (what few there are left) coming clean and admitting how much they stand to gain by keeping Boscombe just as it is?Also, how many of these people actually live in the areas of Boscombe that are blighted by their money grabbing or do-gooding twaddle? My guess, none! They have cosy little homes in Southbourne, Queens Park, Boscomb Overcliffe etc, I bet!
Enough said !!

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pete woodley says...
4:51pm Mon 14 Jan 13

When it comes to the shopping aspects of certain areas,i am concerned that the chamber of trade looks after its own,and supports areas that they have personal connections with.

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pete woodley says...
4:51pm Mon 14 Jan 13

When it comes to the shopping aspects of certain areas,i am concerned that the chamber of trade looks after its own,and supports areas that they have personal connections with.

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