Public art in the age of austerity, Localism failure at town hall Options

[Bofem]

Another own goal from our hapless town council folks.

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=14517

The issue raised by this story demands further examination.

1. Having read through planning stuff, Sovereign MUST provide a £20k contribution for 'public art'. Should we really be commissioning statues when so many people are losing their jobs?

2. The Town Council really doesn't get this localism thing do they? The report says the council will explore what kind of statue they feel we need. So instead of asking the people for opinion, it's back to the "we know best" mindset eh boys?

A minor irritation during boom years, but of far greater concern during the current belt-tightening. Remember, this gang are also after lighting up the Clocktower all night, and happy to slap a 47% increase on allotment rents.

3. Why is Newbury Town Council pleading poverty when they've just stuffed an extra £200k of OUR money in the bank, on top of the £250k it already stashes there. What business would keep 45% of turnover back 'just in case'.

IMO, all statues should be put on hold until we've paid back for Labour's spendathon. If it really has to happen, then local people should choose what goes where. And finally, NTC should be discussing chopping 25% of its budget not wasting money on pet projects.

[Andy]

I don't really have, or see, a problem with this if Sovereign is paying for all or even most of it.

[JeffG]

I don't really have, or see, a problem with this if Sovereign is paying for all or even most of it.

Ah, that development opposite the old hospital which has involved the demolition of a couple of streets of perfectly good old peoples' bungalows and other residential accomodation at I don't know what cost.

An additional £20K is not going to make a big dent in that budget, though it could be far better spent.

So who pays for Sovereign? Presumably the taxpayer who funds the benefits of the people living in their housing.

[Andy]

So who pays for Sovereign? Presumably the taxpayer who funds the benefits of the people living in their housing.

Frankly a very naive and ignorant statement if you think that.

[Jayjay]

Imagine the maintenance staff at Sovereign who did not get a pay rise this year and have already been told they will not get one next, are really impressed.

Jeff are you really so ill informed that you think all Sovereign Housing tenants are on benefit or are you just doing a wind-up?

[JeffG]

OK, maybe I shouldn't have said that. But is Sovereign entirely self-funding from rental income? Where did they get the money for the major redevelopment (of perfectly viable existing housing as far as I'm aware) we are discussing?

Whatever the situation, I think they could find better things to spend £20K on than a statue.

[Strafin]

The sovereign set up is the pretty much the same as the old council house set up, in fact isn't it just basically the result of outsourcing the council tennants? So yes ultimately the tax payer is funding it.

[Roost]

The sovereign set up is the pretty much the same as the old council house set up, in fact isn't it just basically the result of outsourcing the council tennants? So yes ultimately the tax payer is funding it.

I guess that in the longterm the taxpayer pretty much funds any and everything......!

Of course instead of paying out for this 'art', they could always take the sofas from another current thread, arrange them artistically a la Tracey Emin and Robert is your mother's brother

[Iommi]

SHA has charity status.

It does seem an extraordinary gift and certainly insensitive, considering the current economic climate!

[Andy]

The sovereign set up is the pretty much the same as the old council house set up, in fact isn't it just basically the result of outsourcing the council tennants? So yes ultimately the tax payer is funding it.

At a fraction of the cost though

[On the edge]

At a fraction of the cost though

Appreciating that the sum is small in the grand scheme of things, even if this doesn't eat into any subsidy Sovereign might get the money comes from somewhere. So, say if i were an employee, or indeed rented a house, I might have something to say.

I must admit, even with individuals making vast 'donations for the public good' I feel uneasy. Always worth looking where the money came from in the first place before being over lavish with praise.

[Bofem]

Well said OTE.

Should we be building statues when unemployment and taxes are rising? It's not quite fiddling while Rome burns, but my view is we have more pressing priorities no matter who's paying for it.

Others feel uneasy about 'donations for the public good' too. But I don't see a connection between NTC - who recently sold land to Sovereign (Western End Rd I think) - and a £20k gift to the town, do you?

[blackdog]

Others feel uneasy about 'donations for the public good' too. But I don't see a connection between NTC - who recently sold land to Sovereign (Western End Rd I think) - and a £20k gift to the town, do you?

If it's a S106 payment then it is not a gift but a requirement of the planning approval.

[pinkfluffyclouds]

Speaking as a Sovereign tenant I think this is possibly one of the silliest things I have heard of. I have been asking for a new front door for 10 years because my one is wood, the letterbox does not fit and it is like sitting in the arctic in winter with the draught coming through - reply - no the door is not old enough. I have been asking for 10 years to have my economy 7 heating replaced with oil fired central heating because it is costing me a fortune to heat my house due to the fact that most of it is going out the front door - reply - no the heating is not old enough so to spend £20k on a useless piece of "art" absolutely ludicrous....... I am sure other tenants also have alterations they would like doing but are being told no.

[On the edge]

If it's a S106 payment then it is not a gift but a requirement of the planning approval.

S106 payments were supposed to pay for additional support for the potential additional load on the local infrastructure which would become apparent when the development was upand running. Public art fit that category? I don't think so!

[JeffG]

Aw c'mon, don't be so negative. People driving past are going to slow down to admire it, so it will act as a traffic calming measure

[Exhausted]

I have been asking for a new front door for 10 years because my one is wood, the letterbox does not fit and it is like sitting in the arctic in winter with the draught coming through - reply - no the door is not old enough.

Let me see now, heating bills are high because the front door is poor and leaks warm air out to the street. Why not replace the door yourself. Joy all round. You save, the housing association saves.

[Jayjay]

Let me see now, heating bills are high because the front door is poor and leaks warm air out to the street. Why not replace the door yourself. Joy all round. You save, the housing association saves.

A draught proof, PVC double glazed door, is about £900. Quite an output and several years to get any savings. The common perception is Council/Sovereign/social housing is cheap. My friend is paying as much to Sovereign as you would private. What she does get is security of tenure, not a landlord that decides he needs to sell and she has to move. You also need planning permission to make alterations to the exterior of the property and this is often refused due to the fact of who would be responsible for the alteration when a new tenant moves in.

[Iommi]

Hang a heavy curtain over the front door?

A friend of mine is with Sovereign and recently they embarked on a loft insulation program. This included houses 15 years old; I'm surprised houses that young didn't have sufficient. To the same houses, they fitted draught excluders to the front doors.

[Andy]

We were with SHA a couple of years ago and they inspected and offered us a new PVC front door!!!

Our old wooden one was in pretty good order, albeit a bit draughty, but that was just solved using a heavy curtain.