Rushden Research Group: Rushden ratepayers Association 1967

Graham Penness, 2010

Rushden Ratepayers Association


Graham J Penness age 29 North Ward Councillor since 1964	Frederick F Heald age 44 : Vice-chairman Leicester Area Power Engineers Association & Member of No.6 District Joint Board for the Electricity Supply Industry

Dear Voter, Three years ago I received your overwhelming support and was duly elected to the local Council as its youngest member. During this time I have gained valuable experience of local Government by serving on the Highways, Planning, Health, Parks and Housing Committees. Now I ask again for your support so that, I may serve your interests with the knowledge I have gained from my first term of office. Being a Cost Accountant means that I need to be Cost Conscious all the time and naturally I apply my Industrial experience to matters affecting local expenditure. This means arriving at decisions based on economic facts, not on sentiment or history, for being a member of the Council is not part of a "Social Status" game but the serious business of allocating and spending your money wisely and for the benefit of the whole town. Following my success in the North Ward in 1964 the Ratepayers Association have this time added the name of Frederick Heald with mine and I am sure you will give us both a repeat of the support you gave to me at the last elections. Yours sincerely, Graham J. Penness	Dear Voter, The Rushden Ratepayers Association has been requested by many of you to increase its representation in the Council Chamber and in view of your unanimous response to their objectives in the past, have accordingly nominated an additional candidate in the forthcoming Elections. It is with pleasure that I have accepted their nomination. Like my colleague I have always been extremely Cost Conscious, I honestly believe that money should be spent wisely and not in a haphazard way and I firmly believe that by supporting this Association we can exercise considerable influence upon Local Government in this direction. You ably supported my colleague Graham Penness in the last election, now I ask for your additional support. If elected I shall do my utmost to further the best interests of all the residents of Rushden and in particular those of this ward. Yours sincerely, Frederick F. Heald
To All Ratepayers of Rushden It is said that Vigilance is the price of Liberty. If you substitute the word Economy for Liberty, you will have the motto of the Ratepayers Association. Vigilance, however, is not enough and now we have representation on the Council we want to help shape the decisions which will affect us all. Being only three in number, our Councillors have had a difficult time in getting some of their proposals adopted; next time we hope it will not be so difficult. Here are some matters of topical interest with the views of the Association on how they should be tackled.
Rushden Hall The Council have voted to restore this building at an estimated cost of £23,500. This money will be raised by means of a loan from the Government and the interest on it paid out of the rates; running costs will be paid from the same source. It is unlikely that the Council will get their loan at present and costs are rising all the time. We would like to see the Council test the strength of public opinion on the wisdom of this project by sponsoring a Public Fund before going to the rates. If the loan is refused they should think again about the whole plan.
Bedford Road Rubbish Tip The Council are putting aside a penny rate every year (over £5,000 to date) for the purpose of turning this site into a sports ground. The Rugby Football Club want to lease part of it for their exclusive use but the Council are running into trouble with the Ministry of Transport about providing them with a special access. The future of the project is in doubt but the spending goes on. We want to see this ugly site improved as soon as possible but it will be years before it will be ready for development. Why not grass it and rent it for grazing so that further expenditure can be halted?
Amenities On New Housing Estates Thanks to the intervention of a Ratepayers Councillor the Council have speeded up the provision of some services on the Wymington and Home Farn Estates. New Telephone Booths are to be built, a survey is in progress on the need for more Post Boxes and Bus Services to the Estates start in April. The Association will continue to press for the provision of further amenities in these areas. We hope this sample of our views will interest you; think it over and in the meantime remember that if we are to stay in being as an effective voice for Rushden ratepayers we need your vote on May 6th.

Back in the 1960’s Business Rates charged by the local council were becoming increasingly a burden on small businesses in particular. As a result SID WRIGHT, the owner of Whipple Engineering, a small engineering firm with a factory in Sartoris Road, decided to do something about it.

He called a meeting of like-minded/interested parties/people in the Scout Room on Thursday, March 7th, 1963 and from this meeting the Ratepayers Association was formed. His factory manager, DICK SUTTON, became Chairman and I was appointed Treasurer. I only attended the meeting because my father was Mr Sutton’s neighbour and I went to support them both.

On April 10th, 1963, a full Public Meeting was held at the British Legion Hall and many who attended joined the Association for a small membership fee.

On January 28th, 1964, I, along with ROD GILHOOLEY and DEREK SAVORY (I think!) were selected as candidates to fight for seats on the Rushden Urban District Council at the elections in May 1964 in 3 of the 4 Electoral Wards.

At the Election all 3 of us were elected for a period of 3 years – indeed I was fortunate enough to top the poll in the North Ward – an area where I was born, brought up and worked since 1958. In 1966 I believe we put forward a candidate in the East Ward, but he was not successful.

During the period 1964-1967 we were just 3 of 20 councillors and had little impact on matters, although I believe we did OPPOSE the restoration of Rushden Hall on the grounds of cost to the Rates, not something I would do now!!!

At the 1967 elections the Association tried to expand its Council members by putting forward 2 candidates in each of the 3 Wards, but this failed spectacularly due to block voting by supporters of the Labour and Conservative parties. I lost my seat, as did Derek Savory, I believe, leaving only Rod Gilhooley (I think) as our sole Councillor. I resigned from the Association in September 1967 to become the Chairman of the Rushden Branch of the Save the Children Fund, with whom I remained involved, in different parts of the country until 1998.

As far as I can recall – other readers may be able to help – the Association fizzled out after 1967.

Above is the Election leaflet produced for myself and FRED HEALD for the May 1967 local elections.

Graham Penness, Little Sutton, Cheshire.