Barmy Bureaucrats throwing away our cash

Tealeaf · 19-04-2004, 09:22

I've just read saturdays Telegraph website. The Bureacrats at County Hall in Preston have decided to spend money on putting up road signs reading "Welcome to Lancashire" on all the major roads coming out of "Blackburn-with-Darwen". They're already up on the roads coming out of Blackpool.

Is this not the most incompetent piece of bureaucratic nonsense yet devised? How much will this cost us, and why? Can anyone think of other examples to match this loonacy, from either Lancashire or Hyndburn Council?

Darby · 19-04-2004, 10:05

I want new signs at each boundary for Church. "You are now leaving CHURCH, pray to god or we won't let you come back again"

ShortStuff · 19-04-2004, 21:12

Tealeaf - think of all that money that will be made from passing trade - who otherwise would not know what county they were visiting! Obviously, when they realise they are in Lancashire they will pull over & start spending!

Tealeaf · 22-04-2004, 15:44

I've just read in tonights telegraph that the council are organising a 3 day jamboree to mark their 30th anniversery......How much will this lot cost us? And where have they got the money from - the black hole in the accounts? What the hell is there to celebrate - the fact that they occaisionally manage to empty the bins? Well, I won't be celebrating, that's for sure. This is madness.

janet · 22-04-2004, 16:28

If we are all supposed to live in Hyndburn then how come i have never had the word Hyndburn on any mail addressed to me. My view is that only the council know's of it's existence.

Acrylic-bob · 03-05-2004, 10:10

Speaking of wasting public money on useless projects, I noticed that all the traffic bollards, you know the yellow and white ones in the middle of the road, are all numbered. They all have self-adhesive numbers on them ---- WHY??? What possible use can this be to anybody?

Acrylic-bob · 03-05-2004, 12:15

While I am at it, I noticed in The Telegraph that HBC are planning to demolish the fountains outside the Globe Centre and replace it with a sculpture formed from parts of an old steam engine given to them by William Blythe's which has been rusting away behind the coachhouse at Howarth Art Gallery for the last twenty years. So thats £150,000 for the fountain, plus the cost of attempted and abortive repairs, plus the cost of demolition, plus the cost of moving the steam engine and assembling it, plus the cost of landscaping after it has been cobbled together. There won't be much change out of a quarter of a million there I should think. Still, it should keep vandals occupied for a few minutes while they figure out the best way to deface it.

Tealeaf · 03-05-2004, 12:22

..And what is really disgraceful is that that steam engine was given by Blythes to the Council on condition that it was erected in Church (They even offered to pay for the concrete foundation, erection and weatherproof painting)....but that was 20 years ago, because the council, having got it, said it would be better to put it somewhere else.

I have just had a quick look on the Telegraph website....these crazy fools on the council are not even looking at erecting the entire steam engine...just the wheel. This is madness and outrageous...if it is going to be re-assembled, then it should be re-assembled in full. Who do these council nutters think they are to decimate our heritage like this?

Acrylic-bob · 03-05-2004, 13:32

They are all Tony Blair wannabe's who imagine that they can run the place by dictat when in reality,as we have seen all too often, they would have difficulty organising a paper bag. Did you see the report of that Rix character's shamefaced apology over funding in Clayton?

Tealeaf · 03-05-2004, 13:38

Not seen it yet Bob...I'll have to have a lookee on the Observer website

Acrylic-bob · 30-05-2004, 06:57

Further to the Fountains Saga, did anyone see The Observer yesterday?
It was announced that the inactive fountains at the bottom of Ormerod Street by the Globe Centre are going to be replaced at a cost of £30,000. According to the Observer, "...when the fountain is removed the area will be paved over and replaced with seating, trees, plants and floral borders."

Oddly enough, Peter Britcliffe (the leader of the Conservative group, for those of you who have never heard of him.) is quoted as saying "I am querying the price because I think £30,000 is a bit expensive."

Jean Battle, (who has been on a course and has a certificate, so she should know everything about being a councilor.) is quoted as saying " Anything will be better than what we currently have. It is a shame that we won't have a water feature because, personally, I like them. Also this plan will still require lots of maintenance."

Right, Jean. Lets forget about the fact that the Pavement on broadway is an absolute disgrace and a hazard to pedestrians. Or that the whole of the town centre is going down the toilet. Or that violence in the town centre is spiralling out of control. Lets worry about whether we get the environs of the Globe centre right. That is obviously much more important than the personal safety of your constituents or the economic survival of the town.

And Peter Britcliffe? Thirty grand might be a bit expensive? A pity you weren't afflicted with such scruples before squandering £150,000 on the fountains in the first place?

The thing that really makes my blood boil is that these two are supposed to represent the best that Accrington has to offer. Some days you can feel the will to live just drain away.

mez · 30-05-2004, 07:42

and all i want is a replacement fence costing approx £50 but they say they havnt got the money (wots new) & that they had a quote 12 months ago & they said it would cost £500 cos they have to contract it out, & im still loath to replace it myself, but its now a disgrace

, i was told the other day when id rung up yet again bout the fence, that they havnt got enough to repair the roofs or the central heating systems. WERE IS OUR MONEY /////

Acrylic-bob · 30-05-2004, 09:05

It is interesting to note that the council admit to owning 3600 council houses, At an average rent of say £50 per week, that yeilds £180,000 per week or £9,360,000 per year. I'll repeat that for the sake of clarity:-

£9,360,000.00 per year!

You tell me what they do with it. I can tell you what they don't do with it.

Tealeaf · 01-06-2004, 14:21

Does anyone ever remember a fountain or a monument of any sort being outside the Town Hall?.....I certainly don't...why do we need this nonsense outside the Globe Centre?

Bazf · 01-06-2004, 14:28

Dont forget to add council tax to the rent amount! Why not use this Forum to get a feeling of peoples views make up one of those polls and then print off the results and send it to Britcliff and Battle you never know, as the old saying goes "Power to the people" you can bet they wont come on here and argue the toss.