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Letter: Parish Councillors Are Dedicated Volunteers
Published on: 25 Jul, 2025
Updated on: 25 Jul, 2025
From Jan Messinger
In response to: What Do Parish Councils Do?
I am incredibly saddened by what I read here. I am a former Worplesdon Parish councillor and I know the voluntary work that dedicated parish councillors do throughout the country.
Brian Creese’s wife was a former Worplesdon Parish Councillor and is now a Guildford Borough Councillor so should know more than most what a parish councillor does.
What is the hidden agenda for this letter I wonder? Do remember, unlike borough councillors, most parish councillors receive no financial rewards.
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Responses to Letter: Parish Councillors Are Dedicated Volunteers
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Brian Creese
July 25, 2025 at 4:12 pm
My apologies to Jan if she felt I was belittling the time, effort and motivation of local parish councillors. I remember just how long those meetings used to take!
My question, really, is what do parish councils achieve? We do need to think about that before spending yet more money on setting up new parishes for the rest of Guildford.
Brian Creese is a former chair of Guildford Labour
Jan Messinger
July 25, 2025 at 11:50 pm
I am quite sure the majority of parish councillors understand that the time meetings take are due to respecting other councillors views over important matters that are so very important to the residents they represent and how to distribute the precept accordingly for the good of those parish residents.
Parish councils do achieve a lot. Sadly it often takes time because of other tiers of local government. Parish councils do have a lot to offer and certainly local knowledge. Often because those involved are totally passionate about where they live and want the best for all residents or businesses.
Three dedicated Worplesdon Parish Councillors have died, in service, in the last nine months. So I would urge everyone who is eligible to stand for co-option to do so.
Jan Messenger is a former Worplesdon parish councillor.
Angela Richardson
July 25, 2025 at 4:42 pm
Jan Messinger was the first person I thought of, who is a regular contributor to The Guildford Dragon, who might put this to rights.
The second person I thought was Peter Trevena, the most wonderful groundsman of Worplesdon Parish who went so far above and beyond that I took him to meet the Prime Minister. Everyone at Worplesdon Parish Council deserved that honour.
Having been a parish councillor in Cranleigh and an MP who has worked with parish councils, I know the value they add. It’s why I’ve suggested several times in The Dragon that Guildford Town centre needed a town council.
Put simply, the Borough Council was letting Guildford Town centre down on so many things. I agree though that a town council needs an asset base to generate income so it doesn’t have to charge a high precept. Depoliticise it, like we did in Cranleigh, and Guildford could flourish, but the boundary needs to be tightly drawn and those who have mismanaged Guildford’s finances need not apply.
Where is the outrage at the new overspend on the HRA account? Have we become blasé about missing millions?
Angela Richardson is a former Conservative MP for Guildford