I'd rather this was in anything goes!

[garinda]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Well Rindi, to all intents and purposes this is the kind of thing the lottery was set up for, but it seems that the people dolling out these grants care more about funding diverse groups than for what it was meant. If councils over the years were to have funded the upkeep of the parks to the level required, the Rates/Council Tax would have had to increase proportionately. Its really a catch 22 situation your damned if you do and your damned if you do, but this problem isn't just confined to Hyndburn, its a national thing

Well for at least the first ten years that Hyndburn was formed, and before that when it was the responsibilty of the Urban Council, money was found to ensure the park was kept in a much better state than it is now, and the rates weren't sky high to pay for it.

Paths were patched up and repaired to a good standard. They weren't allowed to be made worse by successive winter frosts and storms, so that they are now so bad some people are unable to use them because they aren't safe.

Hell long before the lottery came along money from the rates ensured the park was safe, had it's own greenhouses and gardeners, tennis courts, paddling pool, pitch and put, and magnificant floral displays, and even employed a man in the office in the pavillion, who was there every day, and who you paid your tennis/pitch and put/bowling fees to.

Strange how money was found in the past from the rates. Perhaps they were just better at managing the tax they were given, and of course they couldn't then pin their hopes on winning the lottery.

Some progress.

[SPUGGIE J]

Maybe its time to reflect and see if some of the older ways of doing things can return. Regular maintainance of paths flowerbeds parks etc can be cheaper over the long run than trying to find the cash to do major repairs. The little dude in the hut could keep the place tidy keep the riff raff at bay, well untill dusk and was there to help.

Wonder sometimes if there is any people in the council that care about our facilities esp the parks.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

It seems rather an odd situation, hoping for a win on the lottery.

It is not quite right saying a lottery win.

Grants are the way things work now.
LCC are totally reliant on a Government grant to pay for its Rapid Bus Route it is trying to implement.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

Well for at least the first ten years that Hyndburn was formed, and before that when it was the responsibilty of the Urban Council, money was found to ensure the park was kept in a much better state than it is now, and the rates weren't sky high to pay for it..........
Strange how money was found in the past from the rates.

Over the years the parks department has been slowly reduced in terms of man power. As costs to the Council increased it was an easy target that took years for the effects to show up.

I bet in the good old days the current percentage of taxes raised was not spent on employee pensions like it is now.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

It is not quite right saying a lottery win.

Well even though money for essential maintenance has apparently been witheld, in the hope of the park being deemed a worthy enough cause to qualify for funding from the profits from the lottery good causes fund, no money has so far been secured this way.

Which in my book counts as a loss, rather than a win.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

I bet in the good old days the current percentage of taxes raised was not spent on employee pensions like it is now.

...or indeed the percentage spent on councillor's expenses, for that matter.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

...or indeed the percentage spent on councillor's expenses, for that matter.

Could be although my suggestion is probably a larger expense.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

Could be although my suggestion is probably a larger expense.

Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves.

There then might be enough money to fill in the odd pothole...or twenty.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves.

There then might be enough money to fill in the odd pothole...or twenty.

The pot holes would soon reappear if you filled them in with pennies

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

The pot holes would soon reappear if you filled them in with pennies

Better filled with pennies than the blood of some poor old dear whose fell and cut her leg in one.

...and in the long run cheaper than paying out all those uncontested claims that regularly wind their way to the offices of H.B.C.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

Better filled with pennies than the blood of some poor old dear whose fell and cut her leg in one.

...and in the long run cheaper than paying out all those uncontested claims that regularly wind their way to the offices of H.B.C.

Its bad enough with people stealing man hole covers, we can't fill holes with money

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

Its bad enough with people stealing man hole covers, we can't fill holes with money

No but in modern Britain it allows you to pay a little man, or woman, to come along and fill it in with the correct materials, thus allowing more people to safely use the park without fearing that a short walk may be their last stroll on Earth.

[accyman]

I'd rather this was in anything goes!

yet here it remains

[Mr Aleks]

Just another thing that makes the site what it is. A forum for people who moan about things that have no affect on their small and sad lifes. They have nothing better to do than try to look good in front of their little web buddies. These are also usually people who hide behind their pc's acting all tough but are fairly quiet at the meets when your face to face (strange!). Then you get the moderating which is a joke if im honest with no clear cut right and wrong it goes off who you are and if they like you or not (well it seems that way anyhow). This site is going down hill and im not the only one who thinks and i think that more people should just be more honest with people and stop being so dam over PC all the time. rant over and cue the oh why do you come on here you moron and the usual dont like it go somewhere else then rubbish.......

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Aleks

This site is going down hill and im not the only one who thinks and i think that more people should just be more honest with people and stop being so dam over PC all the time.

I think all forums have up's and down's. I don't this one is going down at the moment though. Just look at the number of active members and the ammount of usually useful posts we get daily. We have serious posts and just plain daft ones. I think it is what makes this a good forum. I think people get bored with forums and just move on somewhere else.

As for fair and balanced moderating and I think the mods do let some things go a little and stop some before they think they go off the rails. It works well except that some people think they can break the rules without being pulled up for it, a slight side effect I think when you do use a sensible and flexible approach. I hope you wont be upset when your post gets edited to remove the *'s you used instead of swearing. If I was a mod and had to keep editing peoples posts for doing things like that I would probably give them a little less leway as well. After all swearing with *'s just makes more work for them to do.