Time called on clock bid (From Herald Series)

Time called on clock bid

3:00pm Wednesday 6th August 2008

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PLANS for a town clock in Didcot have been abandoned by Rotarians after talks with council planners collapsed.

Didcot Rotary Club had wanted to install the five-metre-tall timepiece in the town centre in memory of their former president Paul Tappin. It had always been the businessman's dream for Didcot to have a clock - and club members had earmarked £12,000 to pay for it.

My club members are very disappointed because we wanted to give something to the town.

Former Rotary Club president Les McDonagh

But the discussion with South Oxfordshire District Council over what the clock should look like and where it should go failed to reach agreement on the idea, despite the fact Rotary had already spent £1,000 on the project. In April, the council threw out a planning application for a clock, claiming it was 'out of character' with the area.

The decision sparked a public outcry and, a week later, council chief executive David Buckle called for a meeting between the parties so a suitable design could be agreed. But the Rotarians said the meeting did not go as planned and neither party could agree on a location, let alone a design.

Former club president Les McDonagh said: "The meeting with the planning officers on May 12 did not go as we hoped. I was under the impression it was to discuss the design of the clock, but in their view it was a question of the location.

"The design clearly wasn't up for discussion.

"Instead, they asked us if we would throw the money into the district funds for some artistic design piece for the town square, which we were not willing to do."

He said: "I am really disappointed. I took this on after Paul's death and hoped it was the ideal place for it.

"My club members are very disappointed because we wanted to give something to the town. People have always supported our events and we thought it was a nice timeless gift."

Rotarians wanted the clock positioned at the junction of Station Road and Broadway.

Mr McDonagh said: "Club members found it quite frustrating that we couldn't move forward quickly enough and we should have been doing something else to help someone else.

"If we had spent money on appealing the decision, we could have ended up in exactly the same position. We've spent about £1,000 on this project which could have been spent elsewhere."

The club has agreed to donate £5,000 to Didcot Girl Guides on top of the £5,000 it gave them in June. This will help the Guides secure a 99-year lease on their Laburnum Grove headquarters.

Mr Buckle said: "I'm disappointed to hear the Rotary Club's decision and I'm happy to meet with them personally to resolve any problems."

Mr Tappin's widow, Liz Tappin, said: "People in the town keep asking about clock and most would have liked to have seen it put up. As the town and district councils cannot agree about the clock, I am happy to see the money go to a better cause. But I think it's very silly that it has all come to this.

"The decision not to have a clock and to give the money to the Guides to secure Guiding in Didcot for the next 99 years has my blessing."

Mr Tappin, who died in May last year, sold Didcot family firm Tappin Coaches to Heyfordian in March 2007.

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