My Day as a Councillor

Lib Dems have started their Voting Campaign. Knocking on Doors is not my favourite past-time but I do like keeping my blog up to date. So I thought I would start my personal campaign with telling you about my day in the life of a Councillor.

From time to time I do get asked what is it like being a Councillor. What does my work entail? So I will re-tell a particularly happy sunny day during October. The sunshine does a lot for my well-being and fuels imagination and inspiration.

A Day in the Life of Anne Lonsdale Liberal Democrat Councillor.

I was elected in May 2007 as a new Councillor for the Town of Kingsteignton and District Councillor for the district of Teignbridge South Devon,
My background being Carer for the elderly and with concerns for the mentally ill, a volunteer working for the Citizens Advice Bureau helped along with studies at the Open University in Social Sciences.

Today my day starts with a telephone call to the Planning office about a badly maintained hedge and we don’t know who the owner is. It borders a new development.

My second telephone call is to our local PCSO regarding a tree being used as a tree-house and den by the children of the neighbourhood.

I receive a call from a resident in my ward about wire protection fences which have been erected. Do they need planning permission? They seem to be over 6ft high! Is there to be a development there?

One more call to be made about noisy neighbours to the local housing association on behalf of another resident. Should their son be living in their touring caravan at the back of house?
The mail arrives but I have to leave it this morning. My e-mails will have to wait also until I get back.

I have been asked by our Town Mayor to attend a PACT drop-in event at our seaside town of Teignmouth arranged by the Police and Community Enforcement Team. I want to report the coastal road from Kingsteignton to Teignmouth is being used at night time as a race-track by youths out in their cars for a fun night out. It is dangerous and frightening to drivers who keep to the road traffic codes and mph.

I meet the Town Clerk who explains that the premises in the high street are to be the new control centre for close circuit television. He demonstrates the new CCTV system installed this year by a local firm and we see an offender being apprehended during the past weeks. This was interesting to me as I had been a member of the Overview and Scrutiny Review Committee on Close Circuit Television.

I speak to the Enforcement Officer and relay the problems we have in our area. I am introduced to the Neighbourhood Beat Policeman and have a chat with the Teignbridge Neighbourhood Watch Liaison person. Also in attendance is a member of the Fire Service.

Time for a snack lunch and I head for the Promenade and find a seat. A couple from Cwmbran in South Wales join me and we are soon in conversation about Car Parking charges.

I take the Stagecoach double decker bus home finding a seat upstairs to see the Teign estuary, passing Shaldon, Coombe Cellars and Hackney Marshes in Kingsteignton which continues through to the parish of Teigngrace. This area is of particular interest to me as I have taken on a new responsibility as Town Council representative on the Teign Estuary Forum.

Once home and the kettle is on for that welcome cup of tea and a chat to a family member about a meeting I attended the day before with the Devon Partnership NHS Trust on improving mental health services in particular single room occupancy.

I have to make one more telephone call to the local housing association regarding a resident’s, shower room that had been installed by Social Services.

However that is not the end of my day. It is Wednesday and at 7pm I have to attend the Community Hall/ Fountain committee followed by the Footpaths/leisure committee.

This has been an interesting day but the highlights of my Councillor career was an evening with Vince Cable and a meeting with Lord Ashdown.


For my other activities please view my blog, for older posts.


Anne Lonsdale
Based on a day in October 2009

Photo above;
Community Action Day - Promoting the Senior Council for Devon. Cllr Anne Lonsdale (middle) with Mayor of Newton Abbot Carol Bunday (second left) and Newton Abbot Senior Forum members, then chair Jeana Johnson, Bob Newman and Don Polman.