Author Topic: Openness and transparency in local government ??  (Read 1762 times)

Cee Gee

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Openness and transparency in local government ??
« on: Jun 30, 2020, 09:49:41 AM »
What is your opinion and experiences of your local council?

Diasi

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #1 on: Jun 30, 2020, 10:14:05 AM »
What is your opinion and experiences of your local council?

The bin collection is very efficient, the street lighting on our road is off late at night & apart from that we don't use any other services.
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klondike

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #2 on: Jun 30, 2020, 10:19:19 AM »
Same here except mine are also efficient at drawing down on my direct debit. They were very efficient at shutting down and offloading non statutory services such as public toilets and libraries but as those have all gone  I can't comment on that any more.
So long and thanks for all the fish

Ashy

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #3 on: Jun 30, 2020, 10:25:04 AM »
They do anything they can to make life difficult.

sparky

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #4 on: Jun 30, 2020, 11:21:58 AM »
They come from the same Mutthead stable as those in national government, paper qualifications coming out of their ears, but not an ounce of common sense.

GrannyMac

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #5 on: Jun 30, 2020, 11:23:37 AM »
They do anything they can to make life difficult.


In what way?  Like Diasi, we have regular bin collections, the street lights work, plus we still have a local library!  We don't use anything else.
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R. Gervais

Scrumpy

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #6 on: Jun 30, 2020, 11:47:32 AM »



Reigate and Banstead Council are fine..


Refuse is collected.. Our parks are beautifully kept.. We have libraries.. Toilets
 The only thing that is sad is the loss of our shops.. Rents are so high that small business are forced to close.. But posh restaurants and coffee shops thrive..
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klondike

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #7 on: Jun 30, 2020, 12:23:37 PM »
Only because folks go into the posh restaurants and coffee houses. Of course once all the shops are bust the need to go into town at all reduces and the low footfall may put those posh shops out of business too.
So long and thanks for all the fish

biglouis

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #8 on: Jun 30, 2020, 12:45:59 PM »
Manchester are too ready too spend my tax dollars on whacky local events and statues in which I have no interest. Like all local authorities thay are good at spending other peoples money and taking decisions without consultation.

Without any public consultation they decided to swap the large grey bins for general rubbish for much smaller ones, in an attempt to "persuade" people to recycle more. This is a bit like bringing in the bedroom tax to "persuade" people to move to smaller properties if they had an empty bedroom. No matter that there are no smaller properties avail;able in the area. Lets just punish people.


The result had been a growth in fly tipping. Other people just dump their excess general waste in the recycling bins and then cover it up with a layer of what is supposed to be in that bin.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

klondike

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #9 on: Jun 30, 2020, 12:49:28 PM »
The result had been a growth in fly tipping.
You can't just say that! You need a committee set up to research why there has been such an increase once a focus group has identified there may have been an increase naturally.
So long and thanks for all the fish

Raven

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #10 on: Jun 30, 2020, 12:50:27 PM »
Those small bins are a real pain, the councils in Scotland pulled that trick too. Then they started to charge to get the garden waste bin emptied. >:(  My son refuses to pay and puts his lawn cuttings in a black bag then bungs it in the land fill bin. I guess he's not the only one.

klondike

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #11 on: Jun 30, 2020, 01:00:11 PM »
With a fully paved front and back I only ordered a garden waste bin when most of our container bushes succombed to a heat wave while we were away. I used to have an automatic watering system until a connector bust and cost me over £100 by my reckoning in water charges. Prior to that we bagged the small amount of garden waste and it went in the landfill bin. Then they wanted us to pay so it will be back to sneaking it into the landfill bin again.
So long and thanks for all the fish

Michael Rolls

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #12 on: Jun 30, 2020, 01:07:18 PM »
Those small bins are a real pain, the councils in Scotland pulled that trick too. Then they started to charge to get the garden waste bin emptied. >:(  My son refuses to pay and puts his lawn cuttings in a black bag then bungs it in the land fill bin. I guess he's not the only one.
Yes  - I did write to P&K asking how much the change had cost and what evidence they had of its effect - hold your breath - never got an answer. Veronica was still alive at the time, so it must have been getting on for three years ago at least - can't be bothered to chase it up - any reply is bound to be rubbish.
Judging by the amount of rubbish one sees on some roadsides, its only effect was to increase fly-tipping which anybody with even a quarter of a brain, never mind half, could have foreseen. As one who was a local government  officer for 20 years, starting in 1954, I am disgusted at how it has deteriorated over the years
Mike
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GrannyMac

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #13 on: Jun 30, 2020, 02:22:50 PM »
Scrumpy, you live in a Conservative run area, so more money for the 'nice' things.  Those of us in some cash strapped Labour councils have seen more swingeing cuts.  Fortunately we've retained our library, although some are now run by volunteers.  I also refuse to pay for a garden bin, our cuttings go next door into his compost bin, or bagged up in general waste.  We only have a small garden.

biglouis - the misnamed 'bedroom tax' is based on a reasonable principle.  No-one's rent increased, no tax was applied, it just made a small household think about whether or not they needed a large family home.  If they were actually paying rent, it made no difference, but if the rent was covered by taxpayer funded housing benefit, then a smaller sum would be awarded.  Most councils offer exchanges.  If I was on benefits I'd rather have a smaller home to heat for starters.    Homeowners whose income reduces through job loss or retirement often have to think about downsizing too.
Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.

R. Gervais

klondike

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Re: Openness and transparency in local government ??
« Reply #14 on: Jun 30, 2020, 02:29:56 PM »
My Conservative council were close to bancrupt and had an administrator imposed. From bits I've seen on local news the current lockdown is likely to see others in the brown stuff too. Contrary to the obsession of one poster here councils are not saving money from the lockdown they are haemorrhaging it.
So long and thanks for all the fish