Not sure if this belongs here or in the politics thread - it is not intended to be party political.
Local authority a few years ago wanted to merge with adjoining local authority so called a referendum.
The people voted against the merger.
Over subsequent years the two authorities have been getting closer together & merging more & more departments.
In the other local authority they are apparently they are holding some sort of new referendum. In our local authority they are holding some sort of "consultation" but this has been discrete to the extent that nobody has heard of it.
The 2 local authorities have produced twisted reports to their councilors to convince them to vote to move offices. So, without the public approval, both councils have vacated their offices in market towns and moved to the centre of the adjacent borough to share office space with the county council.
From my point of view, I now have difficulty accessing the Planning & Building Control departments. Where it used to involve a 5 minute drive and free parking or a 10 minute walk, I now ould have a half hour drive & town centre parking costs.
The same applies to other residents for their various requirements. Apparently they have set up drop in centres for easy access to council services - I understand though these are next to useless.
Taking hundreds of council employees out of the market towns has an effect on the small businesses in those market towns.
The Building Inspectors I know now have to travel to the county town, use park & ride in the morning. Hot desk when they arrive for a couple of hours, then return to their cars via park & ride to carry out inspections. After inspections they are expected to return home to "work from home". One I am aware of has refused to work from home as it is his home & not their office so he returns on the park & ride to hot desk.
Last week (after a recent rise in council tax) we learn that the combined local authorities have set up an internal company to invest in properties. Good, they are investing in their districts surely - but no, they are investing in retail units elsewhere in the country. So far they have spent £25m for am annual return of £1.4m and they are expecting to spend a further £25m to raise the annual return to £2.8m.
Now, do us council tax payers pay our council tax expecting to get local services or are we "investing" is a property company which in turn is investing in the retail sector. By my last count, retail is not the best place to be investing.
Rant over.
Comments appreciated.
Local authority a few years ago wanted to merge with adjoining local authority so called a referendum.
The people voted against the merger.
Over subsequent years the two authorities have been getting closer together & merging more & more departments.
In the other local authority they are apparently they are holding some sort of new referendum. In our local authority they are holding some sort of "consultation" but this has been discrete to the extent that nobody has heard of it.
The 2 local authorities have produced twisted reports to their councilors to convince them to vote to move offices. So, without the public approval, both councils have vacated their offices in market towns and moved to the centre of the adjacent borough to share office space with the county council.
From my point of view, I now have difficulty accessing the Planning & Building Control departments. Where it used to involve a 5 minute drive and free parking or a 10 minute walk, I now ould have a half hour drive & town centre parking costs.
The same applies to other residents for their various requirements. Apparently they have set up drop in centres for easy access to council services - I understand though these are next to useless.
Taking hundreds of council employees out of the market towns has an effect on the small businesses in those market towns.
The Building Inspectors I know now have to travel to the county town, use park & ride in the morning. Hot desk when they arrive for a couple of hours, then return to their cars via park & ride to carry out inspections. After inspections they are expected to return home to "work from home". One I am aware of has refused to work from home as it is his home & not their office so he returns on the park & ride to hot desk.
Last week (after a recent rise in council tax) we learn that the combined local authorities have set up an internal company to invest in properties. Good, they are investing in their districts surely - but no, they are investing in retail units elsewhere in the country. So far they have spent £25m for am annual return of £1.4m and they are expecting to spend a further £25m to raise the annual return to £2.8m.
Now, do us council tax payers pay our council tax expecting to get local services or are we "investing" is a property company which in turn is investing in the retail sector. By my last count, retail is not the best place to be investing.
Rant over.
Comments appreciated.
