Please vote to save the chapel on Thursday the 7th in Kimberley Dear Supporters, I wanted to provide you with an update of the petition, and to remind you to vote this Thursday to save the chapel (for Kimberley residents only). Kimberley Town Council tried to dismiss the petition, but Broxtowe Borough Council clarified that they had to accept any petition. Therefore, in February it was agreed to set up a scrutiny committee to verify the petition and to feed back to the council. Please note that we had gained this online petition, signatures collected on the street and feedback from a newsletter; which totalled up to 841 supporters. On the 12/3/15 the results of the petition were presented and discussed. Cllr McDonald stated that Kimberley’s residents who had not signed the petition were seemingly in favour of the council’s plans for the chapel. This is ridiculous, particularly as the newsletter also invited positive feedback for the plans; not one single person did so. Nevertheless Cllr McDonald understands this silence as support. The community has strongly voiced their objection; the council has received numerous emails, comments during public question time and of course the petition of 841 signatures. When we voted on the petition, we identified several options, to keep it brief the following councillors voted to disregard the petition Andy Cooper, Sue Cooper, Sue Page, Jim McDonald, Christine Brown and Jeff Dickman. Council leader Dave Nunn was absent at the meeting, but has made his position also very clear, he supports the plans to renovate the chapel. Karen Tenant voted to consider amendments in line with the comments from the petition; whilst Jim Dymond and Ian Wilson wanted to defer the plans; and I voted to scrap the plans. The above councillors (sad to say mainly Labour Councillors) have made it clear if they get elected, they will pursue their plans to renovate the chapel. The elections are this Thursday and I hope that people will remember who on the council voted against the petition, which is an important democratic tool for direct democracy. Politicians should represent the community, and hence should listen to the people of Kimberley. Please vote to save the chapel. Kind regards Kat Boettge, David Kirwan and Janet Pearce.