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LOCAL SHOP

FRESHBROOK CENTRE tel 873066

S' 'ANI)ARI) 10

O ED IvER SWINDON
WESS
LEWORKS

Toothill Residents Organisation

The officers of the Toothill Residents Organisation have decided that in view of recent events they have no option but
to resign their positions and ask the Director of Finance for the Borough of Thamesdown to act as trustee for the
property and finances of the TRO.
When the TRO was formed three years ago on 4th July 1979 the Evening Advertiser carried a story under the headline
"TOOTHILL FOLK FIND THEIR VOICES", and those same "Toothill Folk" might be interested to learn how that voice came to
be gagged. At the Annual General Meeting of the TRO held last November, the following resolution was carried 16 votes
for to NONE against: "In view of the apparent lack of enthusiasm by the residents of Toothill to organise or run a
community centre, the Borough of Thamesdown are urged to divert the money which has been set aside for the centre, to
the Toothill Farm Steering Committee, for their project, with the proviso that community rooms be included within same.
Bearing in mind that it was the TRO who in January 1980 called the meeting that began the Farmhouse community project,
the resolution was totally consistent with previous TRO policy... The officers of the TRO have always regarded as their
duty to campaign for those things which residents have expressed their support for.
On 28th June 1982, a meeting of residents was called to discuss the future of the TRO. During the course of the
meeting several attempts were made by a group of residents, supported by Cllr. Midwinter, to divert the discussion to
the question of the community centre. These attempts were ruled out of order by the chairman. At the end of the
meeting, under an item of any other business, the following motion was moved and seconded: "This meeting has no
confidence in the officers of the TRO because of their attitude towards the Councils proposals for a community centre
on Toothill". The motion was carried by 7 votes for to 5 against. Not only did Councillor Midwinter vote for the
motion, he also insisted that since the officers themselves had not raised their hands, that they be recorded as
abstentions. Thus the TRO was killed off by a minority vote, most of whom had never been to a TRO meeting before.
We would like to thank all those residents (especially street representatives) who have given us their support over the
past three years; that support was not enough to prevent the stilling of Toothills' independant voice by politically
motivated forces. This is even more ironic when one remembers that as recently as March of this year, an attempt was
made in Council to deprive the TRO and similar organisations of their yearly grant, on the basis that we were not
Community Councils and might therefore become involved in Political activities.
We wish all Toothill residents, • and our friends in Freshbrook and Westlea, good luck for the future, but TAKE CARE.
Bob Banister (Chairman) Tony Dole (Secretary) Arthur Wilkinson (Treasurer)
________________,4 'SP4 by Councillor Midwinter - - - - - - - -

My name is mentioned in connection with the TRO meeting of the 28th June called to discuss its future. Far from
diverting discussion, the majority of those present in fact wanted to talk about the Toothill community centre and the
TROs attitude towards it. I supported them and was sorry that there was little chance for full discussion. On the
question of voting, it is not normal for officers to cast their votes after a vote is taken and I pointed this out. As
a resident of Toothill and thearefore a member of the TRO like everybody else at the meeting, I think I had a right to
vote - there was nothing wrong in that. Also I am disappointed that the TRO officers fail to admit that I voted at
council to give TRO a grant and in fact £150 was given.
I refute any suggestion that the TRO has been killed off by some kind of conspiracy. Toothill residents should give
credit and thanks to the officers of the TRO for the hard work they put into representing the views of Toothill in the
past. But interest in the TRO and attendance by residents at monthly meetings had dropped to nothing over the last 15
months. In the end I am afraid the TRO represented very few people.
I believe it is important to have a residents organisation to give Toothill residents a voice, to bring individuals and
community groups together to discuss common problems and to take responsibility for the new community centre which is
now going to be built. This happens very successfully in Freshbrook and Westlea and I shall support any organisation
in Toothill that makes a genuine 2ttempt to bring residents together for the good of the area.