Tell the Melksham Chamber or you only have yourself to blame
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-05-26 11:53:01 - Graham Ellis
I'm following on from my post on the history of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce yesterday, looking back at the time that Leekes came into the town nearly 20 years ago. Even two decades later, it has sparked discussion.
The Chamber exists to look after the interests of:
(a) Its members
(b) Other businesses in Melksham
(c) The wider Melksham Community
and that's in that order.
Where there's a planning application, a consultation, a situation to be looked at the Chamber welcomes the views of its members - we meet every month. And our meetings are open ones - so anyone can come along and give their inputs. And we can (and do) provide feedback into planning applications, and the other consultations, based on our members and wider inputs.
But please bear in mind that we can only take into account views that we hear. It's no good coming along after a well publicised plan has gone through and saying that the Chamber didn't represent your interests - how could it possibly represent your interests if it didn't hear them?
I don't know the "history" of Leekes. I do know that I have personally being involved / invited to comment on subjects such as car parking, Asda, Waitrose and Countrywide within the last year. And I know that we (as a Chamber) have sought views on them. We heard a lot on Countrywide - and we took forward the view of the overwhelming majority; this planning application resulted (against the recommendation of the planning authorities in Wiltshire) in Countrywide being allowed to remain in Melksham. Inputs on Asda were more muted; more finely balanced from the traders, and very positive from other businesses, and from the Town Council - so we came down in favour.
There are plans to build a new section of canal up from Semington, past Berryfield, to join the river Avon just below the bypass bridge. Boats would then travel through the town, before reconnecting to the old path of the Wilts and Berks canal towards Lacock. What do YOU think?
The coming of a navigable canal and river could bring huge benefits and huge changes to Melksham, and Melksham's businesses. But where there are changes, there are potentially down sides as well as up.
The Chamber of Commerce is VERY concerned to hear from all members who wish to provide inputs and those inputs WILL be put into our melting pot. If you're not a member, please let us know. If you want to add weight to your views, please consider joining.
Please don't let this opportunity pass you by, and please don't say nothing to us during future consultation processes - if you stay silent, and we then support a view opposite to your, you'll really only have yourself to blame, won't you?