Is Every Service at Council to be Privatised?

The Liberal Democrats and Trade Union has expressed concern over draft proposals to outsource many services provided by Conservative run Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Althgough the plans are yat to be finalised, the concept is to reduce the Council down to a Core of just 700, with many direct facing services, such as home care and street cleansing to be privatised or delivered in partnership with other orgainsations.

The draft policy document, The Future Council, says: "The future council should be strategic rather than operational - focused on convening and working with its partners to prioritise and commission public services rather than delivering services itself."

Other councils that have gone down this route, services that had been privatised included home care, sheltered housing and social services.

The Conservatives have said the authority needs to make 5% efficiency gains in the coming year. By Privatisation of services savings might indeed be made, but at what cost to delivering services to our residents?

Even between services the holistic approach of being one council does not exist, you only have to look at the fiasco with waste collections and cleansing. If the waste collection team arrives to collect your waste and your bag has been split they leave it to the street cleansing team, but do they think to actually let them know that a mess exists for them to tidy up?

Don't let the Tories Airbrush History

The Conservatives' new video claims history shows that they're a progressive force. If anything, it shows the opposite.

Let's just look at the history of Conservatives in power...

Conservatives Turn Backs on Charities

Senior Conservative Councillor Barry Macrae has recommended that empty shops in Bath should not be used for Charity organisations to use.

In a council watchdog committee looking at how the Council uses it large property portfolio to benefit local communities and charitable organisations, Cllr Macrae stated that he did not want to see empty Council properties use for charity shops.

Cllr David Dixon hit back at this saying, “During these difficult times there is a risk that the number of empty Council owned properties will increase and we should be looking at innovative ways to use these. If we can encourage charities to take up some of these locations then that would only be a good thing. A charity shop is better than an empty shop and I am surprised by the line that the Conservatives are taking on this.”

Cleveland Pools - request for help!

The Cleveland Pools Alliance was formed last year after several meetings between Prince's Regeneration Trust, Trevor Osborne Property Group and the Trustees of the Cleveland Pools Trust.

Everyone played their part in working on a new bid to the council but The Princes Trust's 'writing' of the final bid was instrumental in the CPT becoming the preferred bidder.

Heads of Terms have been signed and the lawyers are debating the final details of the 150 year lease. So major progress since the members who now make up the Cleveland Pools Trust started the campaign over five years ago and we have to be grateful to the Prince's Regeneration Trust for moving things on!

In addition the Cleveland Pools Alliance have been offered a substantial grant from English Heritage to prepare the next stage of the Feasibility Study and Business Plan. There is a just small downside to this generous offer that the Cleveland Pools Alliance have to come up with 20% of matchfunding ie £14,500!

Fundraisers among you please put your thinking caps on and come up with some innovative ideas.

Since early 2009, the Cleveland Pools Trust have been registered to be part of this years National Heritage Open Days, previously organised by the Civic Trust but now by English Heritage and we understand that the Cleveland Baths are included in this years B&NES promotional flyer. You can imagine the dismay when they were told a few days ago, in response to a request for access to do a risk assessment, that all access was denied!

Fortunately one local councillor persuaded 'the powers that be' to allow them on site for the few days before and the actual HODs.

So this is the preamble to the request for help. Those who have volunteered before will know the sun nearly always shines and it is not hard work really, more keeping an eye on people and making sure they are sensible. As before, have maps, photos and possible plans to inform people of the history and the plans will be available. Not being allowed on site until after 8th September makes it extremely difficult to predict how much weeding, moss clearance and grass cutting will be needed and therefore how many workparties might be required.

At a minimum Thursday afternoon and evening seem possible occasions.

The days which the Pools are advertised to be open are the afternoons of Friday 11th, Saturday 12th, and Sunday 13th between 2pm and 5pm.

There is a limit to the numbers of people allowed on site (about 80) and several stewards needed to keep the public safe. It would be great to have a life saver present and some firstaiders too, of course. If we could try and get the swimmers among you to come at the same sort of time, say on the Saturday or Sunday afternoon, it could be really useful to have a chat about your hopes and dreams. Any offers of help would be wonderful and as before you can choose your day and time slot of as little as an hour or a whole session if you would like. Please just let us know and we'll put you in touch!

Failed Labour Ministers £1.4m Pay Out!

Labour ministers who have been fired or left their jobs have enjoyed £1.4m in severance pay, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

When MPs are appointed as ministers they get an extra salary and pension in addition to that earned as an MP. When they are fired in reshuffle, forced to leave under a cloud or resign, ministers get a severance payment equivalent to one quarter of their final salary, provided they do not take another ministerial appointment within three months.

Nearly 100 ex-ministers have benefited from the handouts. High profile beneficiaries include Peter Mandelson (twice), Charles Clarke, Alan Milburn, David Blunkett, Peter Hain, Margaret Beckett, Estelle Morris (twice), Lord Sainsbury, and the recently resigned James Purnell, Hazel Blears and Caroline Flint.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said:
“People will be shocked to learn that former ministers get these pay-offs even when they have been sacked or left of their own free will.

“Ministers should not be rewarded for failure.

“While thousands are losing their jobs, failed ministers get a huge payout on top of their salary as MPs. This can’t go on.”

Cardboard Collections Missed

Well we though that we might see an improvement in cardboard and green waste collection in Walcot with new routes and collection day. Apparently not!

The Conservative run Council have once again punished Walcot residents for putting out too much cardboard and green waste and have failed to supply enough vehicles to collect waste and many roads in Walcot have been missed today:

Seymour Road, Belgrave Crescent, Perfect View, Frankley Buildings, Chilton Road, Brunswick Street, Hanover Place, Kensington Place, Beaufort Terrace, Eastville Terrace and Upper East Hayes.

The line is that this will be collected tomorrow (Friday) however is has rained and I am sure that it will end up being brought back in or mashed into the ground.

Please call Cllr David Dixon on 07900 974975 if your waste has not been collected on Friday!

Tories Plan to Cut Mobile Library Services

The mobile library service for Walcot will be cut if new proposals from the Conservative administration are approved.

A Consultation period is now about to start on the proposals.

We would ask that anybody who has an opinion on the mobile library service responds whether you are a current user or not.

The mobile library currently visits:
Morrisons (Weekly on a Tuesday one week and Thursday the next)
Grosvenor Bridge Road (Fortnightly)

Let us know your views by emailing david_dixon@bathnes.gov.uk and we will make sure that they are shared. You can read the decision paper at http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/committee_papers/Executive/WL/2009/090717/02E2015MobileLibrariesRoutesReview.htm if you want to see the report in full.

To help keep residents up to date with local issues, your local ward Councillors have monthly e-newsletters, with information about some of the hot topics throughout the Walcot Ward.

If you are interested in receiving this please email Cllr Dixon on ddixon.bathnes@blueyonder.co.uk and ask to sign up.

All emails will be treated confidentially and you are able to unsubscribe at any time.

Beetroot Bread

Cllr David Dixon writes,

Thank you to The Thoughtful Bread Co for the idea of beetroot bread, we were wondering what to do with all the beetroot we have had growing in the garden so this was the perfect recipe.

Delicious.

Problems turning right?

Local residents have told us how difficult it can be to turn right out of Forester Road.

We have visited with a highways engineer who will look at how this might be made easier. The most likely solution is to extend the yellow hatched box across both lanes of the carriageway.

We are still not 100% happy with the whole layout of the traffic system that was put in by the Conservatives, but will continue to work to tweak things to make life easier for those who live locally.

We have also spoken to highways officers to support them in the work that they are doing to improve routes to Bathwick St Mary and King Edward’s School, so that walking to school is a safer option.

Cllr Dixon Responds to Labour's Defence of £1m Bus Lane

Cllr David Dixon writes,

"Always interesting to note which parties are in bed together. The other week Labour Councillor John Bull jumped to the defence of teh Conservative's bus lane in Odd Down, I could resist but to respond.

The 700-yard bus lane on the A367 into Odd Down only serves to allow cars coming to Bath to overtake slower moving buses which does nothing to improve journey times for buses.

He also seems to think that because the £1,300 a yard bus lane is not being paid for by council tax payers in Bath and north east Somerset that it OK to spend so much on it.

Where is the value for money? The bus lane may have been funded by Government but maybe the Labour and Tory parties on the council forget the Government's money is also the money of the taxpayer.

It seems to me that the contractor for the scheme saw the Conservative leader of council, Cllr Francine Haeberling (Con, Saltford) coming, knew how much was available to spend on it and thought, "We'll have it all, thank you".

Are the Labour and Conservative groups on Bath and North East Somerset Council going to continue with this blatant misuse of taxpayers' money?

With their only line of defence being that it's not council tax money being spent, moving on to the controversial BRT Middle Bristol Road and the expansion of the park and rides, if these schemes are going to go ahead, we want to see value for money, not squandering of it.

Considering the rest of the Bath Package, such as a rapid transit link along the London Road, a new park and ride site at Mill Lane in Batheaston we should all watch out for the way our money is spent."

Longacre Tavern for Sale

An offer has been accepted for The Longacre Tavern on London Road after its owner, the Wadworths brewery, decided the pub no longer fitted with its portfolio of properties.

It had been run by landlord Mervyn Thomas for more than 30 years until his recent retirement.
Wadworths conducted a review of the premises and decided a sale was the best commercial option.

Pub, hotel and restaurant specialist Fleurets is marketing the pub and a spokesman for the agent confirmed the buyer was a small business but had not yet stated if the intention was to keep the premises as a pub.

The property was on the market for around a month and attracted strong interest before the deal was struck in the last week.

Alex Schlesinger, chairman of the London Road and Snow Hill Partnership, said the pub had become a focal point for the community for many years.

He said: "I have got no objection to it being a pub. I certainly object to what has become attached to it in recent years. A lot of the community have been unhappy with the ambience of it and we look forward to some change. You can't blame the pub or the licensee, it is the people who are using or abusing it that are the problem."

Local councillor David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) said he hoped the building would remain as a pub.

He said: "I know the area has had its issues in the past but I would not like to see it turn into anything but a pub. A strong community is one that keeps talking to each other. The Snow Hill area has had its issues but this is a community that knows each other."

Felled Trees Leaves Councillors Stumped and Residents Fuming

Residents were left fuming as 11 trees in the Snow Hill Estate disappeared with no notice whatsoever.

The trees, which offered shelter for wildlife and security for residents of Thomas Street and Snow Hill were felled by landscape contractors working on behalf of Somer Community Housing.

Somer have since apologised and have agreed to replace with 11 new trees in suitable locations and of suitable type in the Autumn. This has also been registered as a Partners and Communities Together (PACT) priority.

Cllr David Dixon said, “I was astonished to find out that this took place with no discussion with neighbouring residents or local Councillors. I have asked that work takes place to see that this scale of tree removal does not happen without full discussion again. Somer have agreed to this. We still have a security concern for a number of residents which Somer must resolve. This is a conservation area and a sensitive location within it. More than the bear minimum must be done.”

New Waste Collection System Coming In!

WASTE DAY CHANGE: Find out your new day online

Find out your day by clicking on this LINK and entering your post code or street address for your collection day. In addition to your new waste collection service you can also get a lot of other information including planning applications.

Most of Walcot will have it's collecion day changed to Thursday, with Friday for the Bathwick Estate.

Further information about the changes is available now through various leaflets and households will also be issued with a letter in the week commencing 25th May 2009 confirming which their new day will be from 8th June. Residents can also call Council Connect on 01225 394041 to find out their new day.

From the 8th June 2009, households across the district will put out their refuse, the green recycling box, and cardboard and garden waste on the same day - although the cardboard and garden waste will be collected every fortnight. The Council is asking residents to put out their waste by 7am on the right day every week and to check which week their cardboard and garden waste will be collected as this may have changed from current arrangements. Collection times on each street will be different to what people are used to at the moment so its important waste is put out early so as not to miss the collection.

This change was planned for two years ago but the new Conservative administration delayed implementation. We are delighted that it is arriving at last - better late than never. Same day collection improves re-cycling rates by as much as 6% and also allows greater flexibility and opportunity to collect more materials as recyclable. Most importantly though is that it makes it easier for residents who now will only have to remember one day for all their waste materials.

The Middle Bristol Road

You've probably all heard about the £12m Bath Rapid Transit Route and know that many people do not think it is needed. Well this afternoon Cllr Caroline Roberts and I went for a drive and filmed it....



Do you think it's really needed? We don't!