30 January 1961 — “Council Accused of Haphazard Methods”
On this day, Wembury Parish Council came under fire from resident Mr. W. O. Hitchens, who wrote accusing it of “haphazard methods” after the public was not properly informed about the setting of the annual rate precept. His letter, read aloud during the meeting chaired by Mrs. E. M. Burrowes, also questioned why a discussion on Footpath No. 31 at Heybrook Bay had been held in Wembury instead of Down Thomas, where more villagers could have attended. Mrs. Burrowes explained that winter meetings were held at Wembury because the Down Thomas hall was too cold, adding that she would no longer allow public comments during sessions after being “chided” for doing so. Councillor C. P. Soppet urged residents to speak to their local representatives directly and criticised those who had withheld documents that might have resolved who was responsible for maintaining Footpath 31—linking Heybrook Bay to the HMS Cambridge bus stop at West Hill.
The exchange reflected familiar village tensions over openness, representation, and the balance between formality and community voice during the post-war years of rural reorganisation.
Source: Western Morning News, 31 January 1961.
