NTC Service Budget, brace yourself for an 11% increase in the precept Options

[Simon Kirby]

Besides, Simon punches way above user23's weight when it comes to an argument.

Weight, err, yes. I had a lovely 50 minute run up to the castle yesterday, and I'm still pushing 102kg! Now, where's those mince pies...

[Iommi]

I had a lovely 50 minute run...

Is that one of those oxymorons again!

[user23]

..then I'll be happy to discuss self-management on the terms I've already proposed.

Quite frankly I can't be bothered to read all that waffle, and given you'll probably be saying the opposite in a fortnight's time it's not worth wasting my time. You've totally reversed what your argument as as a result your power grab looks more desperate than ever. You've also outed yourself as a serial moaner, blowing any credibility you did have.

My advice is look at a few of the other posters on here for tips on how to effectively debate on a chat board, specifically how to keep it succinct and to the point and you'll be a lot better at it.

From what I can gather, it's about to become a lot easier for us to defeat the ideas of out-of-touch councillors. NTC simply won't be able to hold on to the allotments if local people want to run it themselves.

As far as I can tell they don't, one bloke does for his own interests.

[Iommi]

I nearly agree with user23. Simon, you don't need a good argument (you probably have that already), you need more support. Language like: 'I don't care about independents' (however honest) on a board like this, doesn't do that side of things any good. At the end of the day, you and independents probably have more in common than you might think.

You've totally reversed what your argument was and as a result your power grab looks more desperate than ever.

What argument has he reversed? I think he has been fairly consistent.

[Simon Kirby]

You've also outed yourself as a serial moaner

Unmasked! I am that superhero

[Simon Kirby]

Good news Simon is that you can soon put your ideas to the public vote when the Localism Bill goes comes into effect next summer.

From what I can gather, it's about to become a lot easier for us to defeat the ideas of out-of-touch councillors. NTC simply won't be able to hold on to the allotments if local people want to run it themselves.

I had been looking forward to the bill, but I don't see anything in it to help wrest local services off hopeless parish councils. At district level yes, but not at the parish level.

It's already possible to call a parish meeting on an issue of local interest and then we can call a local referendum if 10 electors vote for it so when the Town Council's deceit over last year's rent increase begins to unravel in the new year that might be the time to use these existing powers and launch a self-management campaign on the back of that publicity.

Of course what would help most is if there were some Tory councillors on the Town Council, because the Big Society is all their idea and they'd be sure to support it. Oh, hang on... They're in a right Pickle aren't they.

About the Localism bill, I'm not at all hopeful that it will deliver anything but a Big Fat Society.

[Simon Kirby]

Newbury Town Council's Policy and Resources Committee meets monday to agree the budget, but they're keeping the details of how they'll balance the precept freeze secret. Quite an effective way of defeating criticism that.

[user23]

Please stop replying to yourself to bump a thread to the top that no one else seems interested in.

[Iommi]

Please stop replying to yourself to bump a thread to the top that no one else seems interested in.

Why?

[user23]

Why?

It's selfish, putting something that just one person has an interest in at the top of the pile to the detriment of all the other topics.

It's frowned upon on many forums and would result in a ban.

[Bartholomew]

Please stop replying to yourself to bump a thread to the top that no one else seems interested in.

If no-one interested then they won't reply.

[user23]

If no-one interested then they won't reply.

Yes, you think he'd get the message, wouldn't you?

[Iommi]

It's selfish, putting something that just one person has an interest in at the top of the pile to the detriment of all the other topics. It's frowned upon on many forums and would result in a ban.

So would continually starting a new thread about a similar topic.

Just because people don't post a reply, doesn't mean people are not interested. I for one am. Bumping a thread, topic, etc, is only a problem if the person doing it is posting purely for the reason to keep his post, or topic from disappearing of the page. Clearly in this case that isn't the case. On top of all that of course, you are not officially a mod on here, so who are you to judge?

Perhaps you might be honest and explain why you really would like to see Simon Kirkby stop posting here?

[user23]

So would continually starting a new thread about a similar topic.

Just because people don't post a reply, doesn't mean people are not interested. I for one am. Bumping a thread, topic, etc, is only a problem if the person doing it is posting purely for the reason to keep his post, or topic from disappearing of the page. Clearly in this case that isn't the case. On top of all that of course, you are not officially a mod on here, so who are you to judge?

Perhaps you might be honest and explain why you really would like to see Simon Kirkby stop posting?

As another poster says, "If no-one interested then they won't reply", let's hope Simon gets the message.

I'm just saying that bumping threads is usually frowned upon on most forums as selfish behaviour.

[Iommi]

As another poster says, "If no-one interested then they won't reply", let's hope Simon gets the message.

You mean you hope; why?

I'm just saying that bumping threads is usually frowned upon on most forums as selfish behaviour.

Cobblers; he wasn't bumping, so what is the real reason? Come on, own up or shut up I say! What offends you about exposure of apparent anti-democratic behaviour of some councillors?

In my view only someone with a stake-holding or an affiliation with NTC of some kind would find Simon's posts here offensive.

[Richard Garvie]

If the budget setting process will be heard in public, there shouldn't be any reason why the information wouldn't be published in advance is there? Maybe it will appear before the meeting takes place? Are supporting documents usually published separately at NTC Simon, or within the main meeting document?

[Simon Kirby]

If the budget setting process will be heard in public, there shouldn't be any reason why the information wouldn't be published in advance is there? Maybe it will appear before the meeting takes place? Are supporting documents usually published separately at NTC Simon, or within the main meeting document?

In general supporting documents are published annexed to the agenda, but confidential documents get circulated to councillors seperately, and this is what's happened here. The adopted budget will be published with the agenda of the Full Council meeting that sets the precept, but by then it's a done deal. It's more than usually important this year to know how exactly the Council propose to balance the budget, and have that information available before the meeting so that members of the public can exercise their right to put relevant questions to the Committee as well as understand the context of the debate.

The real con here is that the full costs of the Council's services are never made public and never come up for debate because all you see in the budget is service revenues and running costs, you don't see the full service cost with the administrative and staff costs rolled in, and this is where Newbury Town Council is so appallingly inefficient.

[Richard Garvie]

Have any of our local councils started publishing the information as demanded by Eric Pickles?

[Simon Kirby]

Have any of our local councils started publishing the information as demanded by Eric Pickles?

Ooh, what information is that?

[Richard Garvie]

About all local government spending over £500 has to be published.