Living off the fat of the land.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by g jones

Part of it (there is much more to come - there will be a big announcement next week);

1. To remove £650,000 Council tax relief private landlords (2.5% of Council Tax) get when they can't rent their houses. The discount is 50%. Part financially fair, part regeneration.

2. To introduce a Town and Site Planner so we don't have to stick with Government outline planning law but can make our own planning laws for neighbourhoods and towns. The Tories recently had to out source this for one small site at a cost of £20,000.

3. Railways - To persue with Burnley Borough Council the completition of the Holroyd Junction by 2014 so there is for the first time since Beeching in 1962, Accrington is connected directly to Manchester. Again Andrew I have been instrumental in leading this from the top in Hyndburn.

4. Look to extend rate relief to Working Mens Clubs, Cricket Clubs and Conservative Clubs. Currently at 50%, 80% and 0%. Cost implications are 75% from Government (100% =extra £18,000 for WM Clubs), 25% from Council (100%=extra £6,000 for WM clubs).

5. Work with PCT to provide free sports facilities for all across Hyndburn. In fact we have already achieved this, Blackburn have taken the plans I thought up and they start in April this year. Furthermore they have taken onboard a lot of work I did around who will benefit and will not benefit as much to try and tackle that issue.

and your costed council tax rise will be...

[ClarePritchard]

Andrew,
As I am Shadow Portfolio holder for Finance and Asset Management, I am putting together the Opposition budget. I have been working (bloody hard !!!) on this for over 6 months and I can assure you that its fully costed and indeed approved as a fully balanced budget by the Chief Finance Officer at HBC. If you want to find out the details then you need to wait until its ratified by the Labour Group and maybe tthink about attending the Overview and Scrutiny meeting on Monday 23rd February at 3pm at Scaitcliffe House when I will be scrutinised by the commitee on our budget proposals

[andrewb]

I will attempt to get back home for said date. It is however tricky as it costs a fortune to go East-West. I look forward to a fully costed opposition budget, as last year none existed.

[shillelagh]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I will attempt to get back home for said date. It is however tricky as it costs a fortune to go East-West. I look forward to a fully costed opposition budget, as last year none existed.

on the train website

Hull (HUL) to Accrington (ACR)

£37.90
Cheapest available fare
This total fare is for 1 Adult.

and thats travelling on the monday .. and going back on the tuesday.....

and without a 16-25 railcard ...

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I will attempt to get back home for said date. It is however tricky as it costs a fortune to go East-West. I look forward to a fully costed opposition budget, as last year none existed.

If you set off early enough you could always follow Norman Tebbit's advice.

[Mancie]

Originally Posted by andrewb

I will attempt to get back home for said date. It is however tricky as it costs a fortune to go East-West. I look forward to a fully costed opposition budget, as last year none existed.

Yeah mate.. must be hard work.. try Garinda's advice.. nay Tebbits ..or you could even walk .. some in the past have done that .. to ensure your education.. that has sadly turned sour on them!

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by shillelagh

£37.90

and thats travelling on the monday .. and going back on the tuesday.....

and without a 16-25 railcard ...

Exactly...

[claytonender]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Exactly...

Andrew, when is half term at Hull? Just thought that you might be back in Accrington next week, so as the Overview and Scrutiny meeting at 3pm (for the budget) is a week on Monday (February 25th) , you could travel back either on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

Also do you not have a student's railcard? Railcards are well worth the money.

[lancsdave]

Looks like somebody is going to come out of this smelling of roses, think of a figure, blame the national government, who just happen to be the opposition party, let the opposition 'leak' it to the local community then we can come along and reduce it so we look good. Not that I'm cynical of course

PLANS to raise the council tax precept in Hyndburn by seven per cent have been strongly criticised.
The rise by Hyndburn Borough Council would be significantly higher than council tax rises from Lancashire Police Authority, which has plans for a four per cent rise, or Lancashire County Council’s part of the bill, which is set to be a 2.9 per cent rise.
Leader of the council, Coun Peter Britcliffe said the council would be working hard over the next two weeks to bring the figure under five percent and blamed cuts in funding from central Government.

[claytonender]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Looks like somebody is going to come out of this smelling of roses, think of a figure, blame the national government, who just happen to be the opposition party, let the opposition 'leak' it to the local community then we can come along and reduce it so we look good. Not that I'm cynical of course

I am sure no one would ever consider you to be cynical.

[g jones]

Originally Posted by andrewb

and your costed council tax rise will be...

Have you read past the first one or do you need glasses??????

Doahha ... Its a budget saving Andrew !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[g jones]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Looks like somebody is going to come out of this smelling of roses, think of a figure, blame the national government, who just happen to be the opposition party, let the opposition 'leak' it to the local community then we can come along and reduce it so we look good. Not that I'm cynical of course

You're almost right Dave. The Council are £2million short they admit (on a £15 budget). So 8% cuts and 7% Council tax rises balances things.

However for the last 4 years it has gone 5% and cuts have been in excessive of 5% each of those years.

What they are doing is precisely that. It will be 5% on the day. Rabbits and hats. You know, when they voted down our Landlord Policy because it arrived on the day!!

Secondly by trying to square it this year plus a little bit over and no elections this year, The Tories are going to ride out the damage and put through a 0-2% Budget next year to capitalise on a big David Cameron push on low Council tax. Unless it goes up big this year they can't do that next year.

Once again our local Tories have proved they will scrape the bottom of any barrel to con the public.

[garinda]

In this weekend's Observer the row contnues, regarding the story that some councillors recently voted to award themselves higher allowances, than were recommended by an independent panel.

In a somewhat weak defence Cllr. Britcliffe criticises the cost of a recent meeting about the Rapid Bus Transport scheme, which he 'estimates' as costing £3,000.

As well as the previous quote, about how someone should write a guide book, if they know anywhere in London where you can eat for ten pounds, there's a new quote, that in London £10 was barely enough for 'a hot dog and a can of Coke'.

We have no idea if the estimated claim for the bus scheme did cost that much money.

What we do know is that two wrongs don't make a right, and is a very poor excuse.

They must have provided very poor nibbles at Downing Street, if afterwards a hot dog and a can of Coke was on the wish list.

[Bernard Dawson]

Originally Posted by garinda

In this weekend's Observer the row contnues, regarding the story that some councillors recently voted to award themselves higher allowances, than were recommended by an independent panel.

In a somewhat weak defence Cllr. Britcliffe criticises the cost of a recent meeting about the Rapid Bus Transport scheme, which he 'estimates' as costing £3,000.

As well as the previous quote, about how someone should write a guide book, if they know anywhere in London where you can eat for ten pounds, there's a new quote, that in London £10 was barely enough for 'a hot dog and a can of Coke'.

We have no idea if the estimated claim for the bus scheme did cost that much money.

What we do know is that two wrongs don't make a right, and is a very poor excuse.

They must have provided very poor nibbles at Downing Street, if afterwards a hot dog and a can of Coke was on the wish list.

I think that Peter Britcliffe's excuses for justifiying the increase in allowances are getting just a touch desperate.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Robert Owen

I think that Peter Britcliffe's excuses for justifiying the increase in allowances are getting just a touch desperate.

'Yes Mummy, we did take the sweeties, but so did those other children.'