BEFORE I start, might I just say what a pleasure it was to read Nia Powell’s piece last week. I’m sure my fellow contributors won’t be too offended when I say that it was refreshing to hear from someone who left school this decade. Too often local newspapers seem to be full of old blokes having a bit of a moan so I hope to hear from Nia again soon.

Anyway, talking about old blokes having a moan, Wiltshire Council (where everybody matters) has just completed a series of local consultation events. There were 30 or so, I believe, and they were sold as an attempt to influence the future of our local communities.

As Devizes is the town I’m proud to call home and I care about what happens here, that was the event that I attended.

If Wiltshire Council do this again then I’m not sure I’ll bother with it.

I’ve spoken to a few people who were there and all of them agreed that our council paid little more than lip service to the idea of consultation.

For a start, I wouldn’t call the attendees particularly representative of the good people of this town.

Maybe that’s not the council’s fault, perhaps it was lack of interest; but I’m not convinced that that many people knew about it.

We were all put on a table according to our main area of interest. As one of my aims was to look out for the interests of CAMRA, more specifically the annual Devizes Beer Festival at the Wharf, I was in the group to discuss leisure and culture. Our table had eight people on it.

Two were Wiltshire Council employees who worked for the libraries, two others were from the museum. There was no one from DOCA or Devizes Festival, two groups who are normally pretty keen to be involved in something like this. The theatre, other performance groups and the Kennet and Avon Canal people also appeared to be unrepresented; big omissions.

The table that was to discuss the economy was equally odd. It comprised two from Wiltshire Council and the same from Devizes Town Council, the museum (also representing tourism) and small businesses. Iain Wallis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, and a driving force behind various Sidmouth Street initiatives, called it "totally and utterly bonkers!" He would have preferred something along the lines of the actual make-up of the local economy, say one each from Wiltshire Council, Devizes Town Council and the one from museum/tourism, four small businesses and one from big business.

It came across as a bit cynical to me. Wiltshire Council can put it a big tick in the consultation box but I don’t think it was consultation in any meaningful sense.

At least Wiltshire Council was a little more upfront when it called a meeting about the proposed new traffic light scheme where Windsor Drive meets London Road. As someone who gets the bus to work, anything that might alleviate the regular hold-ups is alright by me but lots of people have been shocked by the cost and made their feeling well known. Wiltshire Council called a meeting to explain the decision, not discuss it. Fair play this time; it is not going to listen but it has been honest about the fact.

Then there are times when it appears to listen but then come up with an odd answer. My road is a bit of a rat run and we’ve complained about it. So suddenly some planters appeared on the pavement to stop cars mounting it. That was alright in itself but did nothing to address the main problem. We said so and the planters were removed. Now they’re likely to be reinstated, albeit for a trial period.

I just find it all so frustrating. Nearly all of the councillors and officers I’ve met have been decent and caring people. Perhaps they just need a bit more training in listening.