Neighbourhood Management

[BERNADETTE]

It just seems that any chance to have a dig at the opposition seems to be the order of the day with Hyndburn councillors. Thank goodness politics isn't my cup of tea, I think I'd end up wanting to bang heads together if I had to sit through meetings.

[Bernard Dawson]

Originally Posted by Gayle

The other side of that, though Bernard, is that the majority of people who live in Hyndburn judge Hyndburn on all of the services - but a lot of the services are provided by LCC. This clouds the issue somewhat.

That's true Gayle, interestingly Lancashire County Council was at one time classed as an excellent council also. And I wasn't convinced of that either.

You have probably deduced that I'm not a big fan of this local authority grading system. It's just basically in my view a local authority beauty contest

Council's should always be looking at ways to improve the services they provide to the public. For me it's about service provision, and that's where the resources of the council should be going into.

[Gayle]

I'm not a fan of the grading system either. There are a lot of different factors involved that aren't measured by the system - for example, an area is excellent if it has good schooling, good facilities, exciting nightlife, good road systems, etc. A council may be excellent if paper is pushed in the right direction at the right time.

However, I do think that it is a step in the right direction. We have to start believing in ourselves and if it takes an outside body to come in and tell us that Hyndburn is an excellent place to be then that could be the first step.

[Bernard Dawson]

Originally Posted by Gayle

I'm not a fan of the grading system either. There are a lot of different factors involved that aren't measured by the system - for example, an area is excellent if it has good schooling, good facilities, exciting nightlife, good road systems, etc. A council may be excellent if paper is pushed in the right direction at the right time.

However, I do think that it is a step in the right direction. We have to start believing in ourselves and if it takes an outside body to come in and tell us that Hyndburn is an excellent place to be then that could be the first step.

I would agree with that Gayle.We all want Hyndburn to be an excellent place to live in.

One of the problems also with calling ourselves an excellent council can be complacency.We should always be trying to improve the service we provide to the public

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson

...the name change. A lot of money spent,and then it disappears without a trace. Why because people didn't want the change.

Do we know how much was spent on that particular piece of thwarted megalomania?

Oh God, do I really want to know?

Next I'll be asking how much the public consultation about town councils cost us. The one which paid for the printing and delivery of questionaires to 'every home in the borough', but which vast swathes of residents never even got.

What we need is a bright young thing, with a keen interest in politics, to find out for us under the Freedom of Information Act.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson

The Audit Commission doesn't look at service delivery. That's part of the problem.

If the council's delivery of service isn't part of the equation, which it most certainly should be, if they are going to label a council 'excellent' or not, what criteria do they use to decide their verdict on?

If the desks are kept clean, and the pencils are sharpened?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Gayle

We have to start believing in ourselves and if it takes an outside body to come in and tell us that Hyndburn is an excellent place to be then that could be the first step.

Absolute bunkum.

You could tell her, day in, day out, that she was the most beautiful girl on the planet.

She's still never going to win Miss World.



That's the sort of namby pamby patronage that means real progress is never achieved.
Like telling every competitors in school sports day that 'they are all winnersreally'.

We have to start by actually striving to achieve excellence.

Congratulating ourselves with a pat on the back, makes no difference what so ever.

Especially as the criteria used is so suspect to begin with.

[garinda]

Walking is becoming more and more difficult for me, and there are many more people with poorer mobility than myself, or sight that isn't perfect.

I might be more inclined to judge H.B.C. 'excellent' if the borough didn't have the worse pavements in the country. Many of which are in areas that have been recently 'refurbished', at some massive cost.

They are a disgrace, and dangerous.

There's nothing excellent to report about them.

[garinda]

Blimey, that was quite a run of spleen venting.

I'd better clock out now, before Bernard Ingham starts his day shift tomorrow.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson

Bernie, it's not so much what the audit commission look at, more what they don't look at.

The audit commission only looked at a couple of areas of council activity. A council can be quite good in some areas, and not so good in other areas.

What they don't do also is talk to people who receive council services,the Public.

If the council tax payers of this Borough think they are getting an excellent service from the council then fine. I would more than willing to recognise this council as an excellent performing council.

But I'm far from convinced that's the case.

The audit commission now say HBC is an excellent run council and your not satisfied with that Bernard, it must have been in a hell of a mess when the Tories took over from your lot when it was classed as a very poor council