It will be the 50th Anniversary of Ottery St Mary Town Council in April this year.

Before the council came into office, Ottery St Mary was overseen by a series of "boards" and a "corporation" more closely linked to the church. I thought it would be fitting to bring a bit of history through a series of editorials dedicated to the subject to celebrate the anniversary.

As we know it today, Ottery St Mary Town Council was preceded by the Ottery St Mary Urban District Council. On Thursday, 1st January 1895, the first meeting of the district council was held in the Town Hall after 22 candidates contested for the nine available seats.

As per the report, there was a lot of anticipation for the upcoming meeting. It was hoped that the press would be allowed to attend this and all future sessions so that those interested in Parish affairs could stay informed about the business conducted and the decisions made during the meetings.

Thanks to David Stevens' ability to find the correct information, I was able to have an inside view of what it must have been like to be a councillor 129 years ago. The question is, have things changed?

The Exeter & Plymouth Gazette of January 1895 reported that the reverend G.M.L. Read was unanimously elected as chairman. In his acceptance speech, the reverend "deeply appreciated the honour bestowed upon him. He urged the members to support him loyally and to work towards making their council a model for others in the country. He hoped he would never give them any reason to regret their decision to elect him as the chairman." In my opinion, the most accurate definition I could find of what the council represents.

Interestingly, in the past, the appointment of a vice-chairman was not deemed necessary. However, it was suggested to increase the number of councillors and charge a 20s penalty for any member who wished to resign and apply for full powers under Section 33 of the Act. The district should be divided into wards, and the Notification of Infectious Diseases Act should be adopted. These last two topics may also be the subject of future editorials.

The council instructed the clerk to present a list of officials and their respective duties and salaries. Additionally, the surveyor was requested to inspect the roads in the Alfington district, report on the removal of mud heaps in the streets, and investigate nuisances arising from Oak Lane and High Street. The surveyor was also asked to assess the condition of Ash Lane and Hind Street, particularly as part of Hind Street's side had been washed away by recent floods.

Regarding finances, the council was in debt of £1800 due to loans. It was recommended to reduce the debt instead of increasing it. The collector reported that he had collected £80 12s 9½ d, while the treasurer had received £16 15s from an insurance claim for a fire at Whimple.

A council member, a medical officer, stated that the town was free from diseases except a few scattered measles cases and that the death and birth rates were not worth commenting on.

The following account from 1902 concerning planning caught my attention. A tank had been built on East Hill Road, and the Council believed urgent action was needed to remove it and prevent the alleged stream diversion in the area. However, whether the council owned the road needed to be clarified. Some councillors argued that permission should be sought before opening the road, while others believed this to be a "little game of bluff". The clerk expressed concern that carrying out the resolution passed at the last meeting without careful consideration might result in disastrous consequences. As a result, the council decided to hold a special meeting to discuss the matter further.

I leave you now to conclude but pay attention to my following two editorials.