WHEN historians look back on the early 21st century, they could well be surprised at first glance just how fast-moving and dynamic our whole culture must have been.

Everywhere you seem to look, just about every public body in the country - be it the multitude of Government departments and associated bodies, health services organisations or the police - is coming up with ever-more imaginative schemes, action plans, initiatives and dedicated teams of specialists.

Set up a new organisation with a catchy title, tell the criticising public that yes, we are doing something, plans are under way, and of course, we are being 'pro-active'. In short, everything really is going to be all right.

But how will our great new ventures be seen with a bit of hindsight, once the PR-friendly veneer has started to crack? When we have problems with our public services or a plain old shortage of cash, is it really the answer to give old services a new brand name, spend more money on spin or set up a commission to find out where the first commission went wrong?

After a while, the whole concept of the Great New Initiative can only be met with scepticism.

The Parish Plans on which Ilkley and Burley people are currently working hard could be just such an example. Not that the commendable efforts being made by members of the community to see their neighbourhood at the forefront of any such Government-encouraged national initiative can really be criticised. But at the end of the day, will these plans really bring into Wharfedale what Wharfedale people want - and will they really result in more money, better understanding of local issues and an altogether better provision of public services? Or could they be a cunningly-disguised way of temporarily silencing disgruntled rural communities while promoting public bodies as being up-to-date, positive-thinking and, above all, caring and sympathetic to the community.