Newbury Town Council; money to waste its catching!, Thatcham Town Council and 'the Priory' Options

[On the edge]

Newbury Today have just published an article about Thatcham Town Council wanting to restore an old building to use as council offices. Apparently, West Berks unloaded the boarded up building to Thatcham for some £400,000. Devoid of any other ideas, the ruling LibDems ae looking to spend even more hard earned community charge cash to do it up and so replace their existing, quite modern and adequate office. This is a PARISH council, with even less to do than Newbury!!! Is there no end to the vanity of parish ]councillors, or is it just an attribute of West Berks. LibDems?

[Andy Capp]

Newbury Today have just published an article about Thatcham Town Council wanting to restore an old building to use as council offices. Apparently, West Berks unloaded the boarded up building to Thatcham for some £400,000. Devoid of any other ideas, the ruling LibDems ae looking to spend even more hard earned community charge cash to do it up and so replace their existing, quite modern and adequate office. This is a PARISH council, with even less to do than Newbury!!! Is there no end to the vanity of parish ]councillors, or is it just an attribute of West Berks. LibDems?

... or you just putting an anti-Lib Dem twist on the story!

[On the edge]

... or you just putting an anti-Lib Dem twist on the story!

It's just another story about council waste and excess. With me you get the anti LibDem spin gratis!

Nevertheless they are the ones mewling about cuts and prudent financial management! Can anyone see why the parish council needs an office anyway?

Have a look at their web site; what do they actually do? I'm being serious, I honestly can't see what actual benefit they bring. Certainly nothing the unitary councillor couldn't cope with.

[Andy Capp]

The way you wrote it, anyone could be forgiven that it is a done deal.

"As part of its asset review, Thatcham Town Council has come up with various options for making best use of its resources. One of the suggestions was to convert the Priory building, located in Church Lane, for its own use, keep the adjoining Hub building for community use, and sell off or rent out the current council offices in Brownsfield Road."

"Members decided to delay the decision, but a working party has been set up to establish the accommodation requirements of the town council and gauge public opinion."

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2013/town-co...ell-off-offices


I don't know whether they need space or not.

[dannyboy]

Someone will have to do the conversion - isn't that a good old fashioned keynsian way for kick starting the economy?

[On the edge]

Someone will have to do the conversion - isn't that a good old fashioned keynsian way for kick starting the economy?

Oh joy! Back to inventing pointless jobs and double figure inflation. Don't we have short memories. Liberals are supposed to be the children of Bright not Hatton! Roll on the People's Republic of Thatcham.

[On the edge]

The way you wrote it, anyone could be forgiven that it is a done deal.

"As part of its asset review, Thatcham Town Council has come up with various options for making best use of its resources. One of the suggestions was to convert the Priory building, located in Church Lane, for its own use, keep the adjoining Hub building for community use, and sell off or rent out the current council offices in Brownsfield Road."

"Members decided to delay the decision, but a working party has been set up to establish the accommodation requirements of the town council and gauge public opinion."

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2013/town-co...ell-off-offices


I don't know whether they need space or not.

Andy! Not like you to let your alegiance show, if you'd pasted the whole thing, specially the Councillors comments, we'd see that the LibDems certainly see it as a no brainer and they have the majority.

Not knowing has never stopped comments before? Is that the party line!

[Strafin]

It seems sensible to me, if they can create an income from Brownsfield road, it could end up costing nothing. And I am pretty sure Thatcham is a town council, not a parish.

[Andy Capp]

Oh joy! Back to inventing pointless jobs and double figure inflation. Don't we have short memories. Liberals are supposed to be the children of Bright not Hatton! Roll on the People's Republic of Thatcham.

If re-commissioning a building is a made up job I'd agree, but that isn't what has been proposed. Their proposal looks conditional to me.

Andy! Not like you to let your alegiance show, if you'd pasted the whole thing, specially the Councillors comments, we'd see that the LibDems certainly see it as a no brainer and they have the majority.

Not knowing has never stopped comments before? Is that the party line!

You sometimes post some rubbish and this is a good example. I have no allegiance, especially to the Lib Dems, but I try not to allow my disregard for the Lib Dems to post exaggerated rants like your OP.

I posted above what I saw as the salient points; what the councillors quoted is otherwise moot.

It seems sensible to me, if they can create an income from Brownsfield road, it could end up costing nothing. And I am pretty sure Thatcham is a town council, not a parish.

Exactly Starfin, but when OTE goes on one of his anti-Lib Dem blood lettings, there's no stopping him!


PS - OTE, I have never had any affiliation with any political party, ever.

[On the edge]

PS - OTE, I have never had any affiliation with any political party, ever.

Phew; I was worried! Just that I did have* once and it makes you very wary

(*= no prizes for guessing which one!!!)

[On the edge]

It seems sensible to me, if they can create an income from Brownsfield road, it could end up costing nothing. And I am pretty sure Thatcham is a town council, not a parish.

That's a very big if. Would love to see the business case and certainly round here what Council has ever produced such a result? I really don't think the good burghers of Thatcham gave them any mandate to go into property speculation; specially now.

Parish Councils and Town Councils are the same and have the same powers. These are very limited, in summary cemeteries/parks, allotments and markets. They can make observations on local planning matters, but the District Council is under no obligation to take notice. So, in operational terms, having had many years experience in related processes, I can see no justification for any more than one staff member, if that.

This is empire building, pure and simple and I'd say that no matter who was running the thing.

[Andy Capp]

This is empire building, pure and simple and I'd say that no matter who was running the thing.

I tend to agree, but I also recognise that councillors do have obligations and they need the space to do that. The building is listed and if it can be commissioned while the cost can be off-set by the current building, then I see no problem. Even better if the building can be used for other affairs.

[blackdog]

This is empire building, pure and simple and I'd say that no matter who was running the thing.

Have you ever considered that doing up the Priory and using it would enable the council to sell their existing offices - quite possibly achieving two useful results: a white elephant building put into good use, and cash in the bank.

[Richard Garvie]

How much have TTC borrowed so far and how much more do they plan to borrow on this property?

How many times have they / planned to mortgage this building?

Lib Dems are addicted to spending yet they claim they want no further council tax rise? I guess theyplan to bankrupt us, then??

[sdm36]

Lib Dems are addicted to spending yet they claim they want no further council tax rise? I guess theyplan to bankrupt us, then??

Haha!
They've been learning from the best, if memory serves a Labour government spent all the cash and left the next lot to cut spending (back to sustainable levels) and raise taxes not too long ago?

"Dear Chief Secretary, I'm afraid to tell you there is no money. Kind regards and good luck!"
Liam Byrne

What is the party line on that?

[Andy Capp]

Haha!
They've been learning from the best, if memory serves a Labour government spent all the cash and left the next lot to cut spending (back to sustainable levels) and raise taxes not too long ago? What is the party line on that?

They did, but only because they bailed out all the banks that could have gone under, due in part, to both government's deregulation policies.

[dannyboy]

How much have TTC borrowed so far and how much more do they plan to borrow on this property?

How many times have they / planned to mortgage this building?

Lib Dems are addicted to spending yet they claim they want no further council tax rise? I guess theyplan to bankrupt us, then??

I think blackdog gacve you the answer to your last question.

What would Labour do with the building then?

[Cognosco]

I think blackdog gacve you the answer to your last question.

What would Labour do with the building then?

Arrange a secret meeting and give it away?

[Simon Kirby]

They did, but only because they bailed out all the banks that could have gone under, due in part, to both government's deregulation policies.

Agreed. You have to go back to the 70s at least, and maybe back to the 20s to set the current situation in the context of home ownership, bank regulation, lending, and credit. If you're an acconomist who knows perfectly well the path to our current predicament then blaming Labour is an excusable bit of politicking, but just repeating what someone said on the telly isn't informed debate.

Like OtE, I'm sceptical that this is the kind of thing a parish council should be getting involved in.

[dannyboy]

Arrange a secret meeting and give it away?

no-one wants it.