Southerness Community Council News (March 2022)
Southerness C.C. Meetings
This is another short newsletter from the Southerness Community Council.
The Council will reconvene their bimonthly meetings since the Covid 19 lockdown.
The first meeting shall take place on Thursday 31st March 2022 @ 7:30pm. ( Paul Jones Hotel )
This surely has been a very challenging time for our Community, family and friends but it’s now time to gather once again to discuss ways forward for our Village.
Over the past two years it has been pleasing to see the pride our residents have taken in looking after their village.
Looking out for our vulnerable & elderly residents in the early months showed what a great community we have here in Southerness.
Volunteers stepped forward to ensure the village still looked tidy and in bloom over the spring and summer months (you know who you are) and we thank you all. Thanks also to ‘Santa’s helpers’ who as always made sure the trees arrived and were erected in time to give us all a lift over both Christmases.
Prior to the first lockdown, it was voted for and agreed that we shall reduce the number of times the Community Council meets, to once every 2 months. Therefore, meetings will now take place on the last Thursday of the following months: January, March, May (AGM), July, September & November, at the Paul Jones Hotel 7:30pm. Your input and support is greatly valued and very much welcomed, so please come along.
Kind Regards
Davie Thomson Chairperson Southerness CC.
The website address is www.southernesscc.com
Parkdean water and sewage charge hike
This is a brief newsletter from the Southerness Community Council.
I hope everyone is keeping well and feeling okay as we begin to look forward to hopefully getting ‘Back to Normal’ after Lockdown.
WATER & SEWAGE CHARGES by PARKDEAN 2020 & 2021
Recently, most households under the Parkdean banner have received their annual water and sewage bill for last year.
This newsletter is in regard to the 34% increase for the period May 2019-May 2020. We were never advised of this in advance and the Committee has concerns regarding the matter.
A number of individuals have tried different approaches via Parkdean in an attempt to get answers and all have been treated with contempt, dismissing their complaints with little or no regard.
Citizens’ Advice, Trading Standards, Scottish Public Services, Ombudsman, Dumfries and Galloway Council and others have also been made aware of the situation.
It is clearly apparent that the Parkdean, Southerness site and management team do not want to have anything to do with this matter and therefore as a united village, we have decided to write this letter, seeking your support to take this matter to Parkdean Head Office and above if necessary. Firstly, by e-mail and failing that through a solicitor who specialises in this field.
We have identified a sum of money which we are planning to use if need be, to support this route however do not wish to go ahead without firstly making everyone aware of the situation and gathering people’s views.
We intend to contact Parkdean Head Office ASAP to try and get justification for such a noticeable increase. Our ageing population have suffered more than most throughout this past year and we feel Parkdean are showing no compassion and appear to be happy adding more stress, to what has already been a stressful 14 months. During an emergency meeting of the Southerness Community Council, on Monday 19th April it was agreed that we need to unite and make a stance against their bullying tactics.
Therefore, if we get enough support from yourselves, we propose to go ahead by firstly contacting the Head Office and if unsuccessful, then investigate further taking the legal route. Any objections to the above proposal can be put in writing and e-mailed to myself DAVIETHOMSON1961@AOL.COM or any other committee member by Sunday 25th April 2021.
Kind regards
Davie Thomson
Southerness CC Chairperson