Council tax only frozen for a year, who will pay next year??? Options

[Richard Garvie]

So Alan Law says the Conservertive administration should be congratulated for being able to "freeze" council tax for the coming year. Isn't it true that this has nothing to do with the local council, who have actually raised council tax by 2.5%??? It's only a grant from the Government that is freezing council tax for a year, but who will pay the extra 2.5% per tax payer next year?

That means that we face a council tax rise of at least 2.5% next year, so realistically it could be 3, 4 or even 5%??? Hardly the picture perfect image you present via the NWN then Cllr law!!!

[Andy Capp]

It's usually the shadow party that has second go, isn't it?

[user23]

It's usually the shadow party that has second go, isn't it?

That'll be the Lib Dems then.

[Andy Capp]

That'll be the Lib Dems then.

The point is, the incumbent party go first, which I'm sure you know is what I meant.

[NWNREADER]

The point is, the incumbent part go first, which I'm sure you know is what I meant.

But, when one is expressing a personal opinion, why wait to see what everyone else says? Does that change your opinion?

[Richard Garvie]

But, when one is expressing a personal opinion, why wait to see what everyone else says? Does that change your opinion?

I disagree with some of what Labour did nationally when in Government, but there is nothing to disagree with here in West Berkshire as we are all pretty much on the same hymn sheet with regards to priorites of what should be done in the district and future direction.

As for the Party, we have got a budget in place ready to go, but it was put together using last years budget books. As you will know, there were various in year "savings" that had to be made, and some of them were very vague. When the budget books are published, we just need to check that we have altered the figures correctly and that the two match up. One thing the party will not do is publish a budget that doesn't add up.

The Lib Dems are in the same boat as everyone else, they will get the budget books at the end of this month, after the budget has been passed at council!!! True democracy.

[NWNREADER]

I disagree with some of what Labour did nationally when in Government, but there is nothing to disagree with here in West Berkshire as we are all pretty much on the same hymn sheet with regards to priorites of what should be done in the district and future direction.

As for the Party, we have got a budget in place ready to go, but it was put together using last years budget books. As you will know, there were various in year "savings" that had to be made, and some of them were very vague. When the budget books are published, we just need to check that we have altered the figures correctly and that the two match up. One thing the party will not do is publish a budget that doesn't add up.

The Lib Dems are in the same boat as everyone else, they will get the budget books at the end of this month, after the budget has been passed at council!!! True democracy.

But what is your opinion, as you post on here as yourself?

Does the Party lead the membership, or do the Members inform the Party?

[Richard Garvie]

But what is your opinion, as you post on here as yourself?

Does the Party lead the membership, or do the Members inform the Party?

The party is influenced by the membership, and that's how it should be. Otherwise we would not be relevant to the views of people who live here. We've had members join from the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, and we have people who have never been interested in politics. All of them have joined to help shape a party that reflects what people want in West Berkshire.

My own personal view is that we should sell Faraday Road estate, sell the Bus Station and sell the waste depot on Pound Lane Thatcham (all for more than £1!!!) to pay off the debt which woud save us upto £10m in debt interest payments each year. I'd give the Nature Discovery Centre to the RSPB or similar organisation saving us £200k a year, and I'd give the corn exchange, Arts Centre, Museum and Shaw House to be run on long term leases to reduce the contribution from the local authority and increase the amount of external funding to those facilities. I'd like to see the number of councillors reduced to around 30, and three exec positions and a shadow exec position removed. Those are a few things I hope will be included by all parties, but whether they do or not we will have to wait and see.

[NWNREADER]

The party is influenced by the membership, and that's how it should be. Otherwise we would not be relevant to the views of people who live here. We've had members join from the Conservatives and the Lib Dems, and we have people who have never been interested in politics. All of them have joined to help shape a party that reflects what people want in West Berkshire.

My own personal view is that we should sell Faraday Road estate, sell the Bus Station and sell the waste depot on Pound Lane Thatcham (all for more than £1!!!) to pay off the debt which woud save us upto £10m in debt interest payments each year. I'd give the Nature Discovery Centre to the RSPB or similar organisation saving us £200k a year, and I'd give the corn exchange, Arts Centre, Museum and Shaw House to be run on long term leases to reduce the contribution from the local authority and increase the amount of external funding to those facilities. I'd like to see the number of councillors reduced to around 30, and three exec positions and a shadow exec position removed. Those are a few things I hope will be included by all parties, but whether they do or not we will have to wait and see.

Thank you, for a segment of opinion on how the Council should be funded. No doubt you have an opinion on the provision and funding of adult care services, youth and community, support funding to community groups, etc.....?

Which Exec positions? Do you mean Officers or Member titles?

If the ideas you have are included by all three parties, what will be the difference between them?

[Richard Garvie]

Thank you, for a segment of opinion on how the Council should be funded. No doubt you have an opinion on the provision and funding of adult care services, youth and community, support funding to community groups, etc.....?

Which Exec positions? Do you mean Officers or Member titles?

If the ideas you have are included by all three parties, what will be the difference between them?

What I like most about being a member of the Labour Party is that we want what's best for the people on the street, so if the other parties proposed what we will then that would be great.

Exec positions: Portfolio holders. But in relation to senior officers, would it be so bad for a senior management pay cut? All local authorities were supposed to implement that before cutting key services according to Pickles.

I would take a million pounds from the proceeds of the sale of assets set out above to create a community devolution fund / big society fund if you like. Basically the money would be used to facilitate the adoption of services by community groups. I've already said I'd like to see day care facilities for the elderley in the East, West and Central areas with a community transport operation bringing people to the centres. I'd also like to see Hillcroft House and the Ormonde Centre replaced by a new facility at the community hospital site with the Phoenix Centre retaining it's existing facilities and services. If we get control of the council, we have already said that we will try everything we can to keep the Ormonde Centre and Hillcroft House open in some way, until a replacement facility can be provided. To keep the Ormonde Centre and Hillcroft House open for an additional twelve months would cost aroun £300k all in.

Youth centres should not be sold off, but given on lease to community groups in all cases. The Waterside Centre will have to go eventually, so we need to start planning now at where an alternative facility could be provided. My own personal opinion is that the Waterside should not be sold until a replacement facility has been identified by the authority.

As for the support funding to support groups, I belive we should continue to fund at present levels. I've said already that I'd like to axe free parking for council employees whilst another layer is added to the Market Street car park. That will add a net benefit to the council of around £1.3m a year apparently. The council would not recieve much in the way of payment for the improvements at the Market Street Car Park, but it would be funded by the other party who would see a benefit in revenue if the project went ahead. A rolling bus station would be required in return for allowing the project to go ahead.

Some will say that my ideas are a bit radical, but we need to think outside the box and look at what we will be in a position to provide as an authority in years to come. Regardless of who controls the council, our funding grant will be cut by around forty million over four years. If the other parties claim there are no big cuts planned, that can't possibly be true. I'm trying to prove the old saying wrong about telling the truth, if we didn't get elected it would be no big loss for the party nationally as we're not expected to do very well. But the signs on the doorstep are positive, and if we do as well as the indicators suggest, there will be some very surprised faces in West Berkshire and nationally and it will show that you can be honest and still make big wins.