Newbury 2025 Annual Conference, 2025 Vision Options

[Simon Kirby]

But their further support is subject to a so called Base line agreement, this means the council - West Berks had to agree to continue with the delivery of certain services such as street cleaning for example, cart park provision etc, this base line agreement ensures that they can not walk away from pre BID services and leave the BID to pick up the cost, I hope that the town council continues to support the Christmas lights for example.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that the Town Council is not obliged to provide any services and is not subject to a baseline agreement, but I would certainly like to see some scrutiny of the value for money of the services they do provide. The £40k contract the town council awarded for cleaning up after the market looks like very odd for starters - two days a week for a man with a broom? That blows almost the entire market revenue. Actually I'd be really interested in seeing if BIDCo could run the whole market more efficiently and effectively than NTC with some appropriate support from the precept.

And I can understand you wanting the town council to continue to support the Chrimbo Lights, they're a very welcome promotional event for the town centre businesses which the town council have provided effectively gratis, paid for by the domestic council tax payer. As a tax-payer I'm happy enough to make a contribution (they're jolly, and it would be a bleak Chrimbo highstreet without any lights) but I'd like to see BIDCo providing the lights with a modest contribution from the town council - £10k - £15k sounds about right, and that'll save a shed-load on NTC's administration costs.

[Simon Kirby]

Surely there is a wider point to be made here - NTC spend over a third of their annual budget on staff and administration costs (over £350k). If you are concerned about taxpayers money then focus on the wastage of the many Council employees who struggle to fill up their day with things to do.

In fact of a total £1,183,724 spend, NTC spend £553,320 on wages and administration, and £630,404 on running costs delivering the services. That is a deeply unimpressive costs ratio for an organisation that does little more than manage the contracts that deliver the actual services. That's a total admin cost of 47% of revenue, and for comparison BIDCo delivers its services with a total admin cost of 22% of revenue.

[dannyboy]

Aren't you minister for misinformation at Townhall Towers?

No. Or is that Yes?

[Cognosco]

No. Or is that Yes?

Come on keep up the standard...it should be no no no no Yes!

[dannyboy]

Come on keep up the standard...it should be no no no no Yes!

surely yes, yes, yes, yes, no.