West Berkshire Council has announced a massive public spending spree amid fears that Whitehall is about to turn off the money tap.
The Tory leadership intends to bring forward £66m of work in the next 12 months, rebuilding schools, fixing the district’s potholed roads, and repairing dilapidated council buildings. After that, there will be a slump in ‘bricks and mortar’ projects to keep council tax increases below inflation.
The council is using up more than £43m of government subsidy, £20m of council bank-loans and reserves, and around £3m of the £15m ‘developer tax’ handed over by builders to absorb the local impact of new development.
Big ticket items expected to happen in the next year are:
£27m spending on schools, including rebuilding Winchcombe and relocating Speenhamland Schools.
£18m spending on ‘special projects’ such as the rebuilding of St Bartholomew’s School.
£9m spending on road repairs, floodworks, and a £580,000 junction upgrade at the Hambridge/A4 crossroads.
To stay out of the red, the council has deferred the annual efficiency savings it needs to 2012, and raised fees widely, from the cost of getting married – up £50 – to above-inflation rises for developer contributions and planning applications.
Other notable Newbury projects include:
£400,000 refurbishment of Greenham House
£400,000 revamp of Oxford Street.
Improvements to Kiln Road/B4006 junction at Shaw.
However, car park charges have been left alone for the first time in five years, despite continuing pressure to cover the £200,000 cost of hiring an army of ‘green meanie’ parking wardens.
Even without the big infrastructure costs, West Berkshire says it needs £119m a year to run on, of which two thirds is covered by council tax, compared to just over a third for an average area.
To balance the books here, the Tories have ordered a pay freeze and axed 12 managers and four youth workers. However, West Berkshire expects to save £135,000 from outsourcing Newbury’s CCTV system – paid for by local retailers – to be run by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
All councillors will vote on the final budget next week – including a 1.9% council tax increase – but with a massive Conservative majority of councillors, few changes are predicted.
To balance the books here, the Tories have ordered a pay freeze and axed 12 managers and four youth workers. However, West Berkshire expects to save £135,000 from outsourcing Newbury’s CCTV system – paid for by local retailers – to be run by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
If the CCTV is paid for by local retailers is it not the local retailers who will be saving £135K?
Even without the big infrastructure costs, West Berkshire says it needs £119m a year to run on, of which two thirds is covered by council tax, compared to just over a third for an average area.
Did they really do this or is it just a good news item.
BBC Berkshire suggests it's the tip of the iceberg and up to 100 jobs could go at WBC! Now we're talking.....we could soon look forward to the 4% council tax CUT Windsor and Maidenhead are getting this year.
Whether we need them or not WBC has to run a tourist information service - like most other things WBC does it is a requirement handed down from Whitehall.
What other services are 'luxuries we cannot afford'?
They don't have to be shut, many could be sold off/outsourced etc.
Libraries - run by a charity along lines of community furniture project Swimming pools - sell to private sector. They will run them better and invest more. Museum/Shaw House - run through a charitable trust who can secure more grants. Car parks - outsource to NCP or somesuch Taxis - deregulate rather than setting prices and introducing silly rules Buses - outsource to community group and tender to private firms (not Reading council!)
They don't have to be shut, many could be sold off/outsourced etc.
Libraries - run by a charity along lines of community furniture project Swimming pools - sell to private sector. They will run them better and invest more. Museum/Shaw House - run through a charitable trust who can secure more grants. Car parks - outsource to NCP or somesuch Taxis - deregulate rather than setting prices and introducing silly rules Buses - outsource to community group and tender to private firms (not Reading council!)
Potentially anything could be outsourced:
Care Homes: Sold off and run by private companies for a profit, those that can't pay are shown the door. Roads: Some roads could be sold to private business and a toll introduced to pay for their upkeep. Planning: De-regulate planning altogether rather than introducing "silly rules" Rubbish Collection: Scrap it and let people dispose of their own rubbish as they see fit.
All of this would cut our Council Tax more than the things you've suggested. In fact why have elected representatives running anything at all, why not hand it all over to money makers or scrap it?
Museum/Shaw House - run through a charitable trust who can secure more grants.
While there may be advantages in trust status it does't effect the main grant funding sources for museums. What matters is that the museum meets the basic minumum requirements to be accredited by the Museums Libraries and Archive Council - without accreditation many funding sources dry up. Since the museum closed it has lost its accreditation, which is why they currently are struggling to find £16.000 to buy a painting of Sir Jacob Astley (Royalist general at both battles of Newbury). If they were still accredited they would only have needed to find 10% or so locally - now they need to find the lot (last I heard they had reached 20%).
Many museums have converted from local government to charitable trust - the big advantage is freedom from Council red tape and bureacracy, the huge disadvantage is a hand to mouth existence financially, never knowing if funding will be available next year. Given the mess that WBC have made of the museum it might be better off as a trust - or back in the control of the town council. But Shaw House would be a big millstone to hang round its neck.
Care Homes: Sold off and run by private companies for a profit, those that can't pay are shown the door. Roads: Some roads could be sold to private business and a toll introduced to pay for their upkeep. Planning: De-regulate planning altogether rather than introducing "silly rules" Rubbish Collection: Scrap it and let people dispose of their own rubbish as they see fit.
All of this would cut our Council Tax more than the things you've suggested. In fact why have elected representatives running anything at all, why not hand it all over to money makers or scrap it?
All I can say is be careful what you wish for.
I was suggesting what WBC CAN do easily than statutory duties, so that we can have more of our money back to spend as we wish. I wouldn't expect you to agree as it will put your wife out of a job!
I was suggesting what WBC CAN do easily than statutory duties, so that we can have more of our money back to spend as we wish. I wouldn't expect you to agree as it will put your wife out of a job!
You could have far more of it back if all the things I suggested were implemented.
Granted you'd probably have to phone some call centre on another continent to report a pot-hole, the repair crew would be based in Scunthorpe and you'd have to pay through the nose for your elderly relatives care, but at least you'd have the choice whether to do it or not.
Not sure you'd be so keen about your neighbour not disposing of their rubbish for six months or their new 4 story extension overlooking your garden, but hey, that's their choice and you've got more of your money back which is what really matters.
Granted you'd probably have to phone some call centre on another continent to report a pot-hole, the repair crew would be based in Scunthorpe and you'd have to pay through the nose for your elderly relatives care, but at least you'd have the choice whether to do it or not.
As opposed to reporting traffic light faults to a call centre in Reading, hoping the CCTV in Windsor is making sure you get home safely.
Granted you'd probably have to phone some call centre on another continent to report a pot-hole
I expect a degree educated Indian in Bombay is as capable of taking a message and passing it on as a WBC Streetcare employee. That is after all all that Streetcare do.
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