Author Topic: CCBC costs and cutting  (Read 150688 times)

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Offline FatAndy

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #120 on: June 03, 2014, 06:32:53 pm »
I'm led to believe all the plants have gone over to Colwyn bay in an attempt to brighten up the area around 'Port HairyArse' ( the skip)

I believe some of the residents of Colwyn Bay pay council tax and some businesses there pay rates so I think they're well within their rights to expect a few flowers get passed their way.  As a council tax payer who doesn't live in either Llandudno or Colwyn Bay I congratulate Conwy CBC on remembering that there are towns other than Llandudno within the county borders.  It's about time!
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Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #121 on: June 03, 2014, 07:06:30 pm »
I'm led to believe all the plants have gone over to Colwyn bay in an attempt to brighten up the area around 'Port HairyArse' ( the skip)

I believe some of the residents of Colwyn Bay pay council tax and some businesses there pay rates so I think they're well within their rights to expect a few flowers get passed their way.  As a council tax payer who doesn't live in either Llandudno or Colwyn Bay I congratulate Conwy CBC on remembering that there are towns other than Llandudno within the county borders.  It's about time!
How much in the way of Business Rates does Colwyn Bay pull in compared to Llandudno, I wonder?


Offline llewelyn

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #122 on: June 04, 2014, 12:41:51 pm »
There should be enough for all areas, in Oswestry last night a number of gardeners edging lawns and weeding borders at 8pm, their park makes our displays look pathetic.  :-[

Offline FatAndy

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #123 on: June 04, 2014, 03:42:05 pm »
I'm led to believe all the plants have gone over to Colwyn bay in an attempt to brighten up the area around 'Port HairyArse' ( the skip)

I believe some of the residents of Colwyn Bay pay council tax and some businesses there pay rates so I think they're well within their rights to expect a few flowers get passed their way.  As a council tax payer who doesn't live in either Llandudno or Colwyn Bay I congratulate Conwy CBC on remembering that there are towns other than Llandudno within the county borders.  It's about time!
How much in the way of Business Rates does Colwyn Bay pull in compared to Llandudno, I wonder?

I don't know but if you're proposing apportioning spending based on contribution it's worth bearing in mind that Llandudno only accounts for about 17% of the population of Conwy County so perhaps Llandudno should only be entitled to about 17% of the expenditure funding from Council Tax.  I'm sure 83% of the population of the county would be more than happy to see that happen.  And as the combined population of Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn and Llysfaen is roughly the same as that of Llandudno then they should get roughly the same expenditure.  That clearly hasn't always been the case when you consider that Llandudno's underutilised seafront monstrosity was built on a far greater scale than Colwyn Bay's underutilised seafront monstrosity. 

But that aside in these austerity times the council shouldn't be wasting money on planting flowers when there are far more pressing needs - social care, education, highway maintenance, etc.  What Conwy CBC need to do is follow the lead of other councils which have flower bed sponsorship schemes set up.  Get the likes of M&S, McDonald's and the St. George's Hotel pay for the flowers so the council can fritter it's money away on trivialities like care homes, social workers and schools.
"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing."

Emo Philips

Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #124 on: June 04, 2014, 04:46:34 pm »
Here are the  stats from the 2011 census for both towns.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline born2run

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #125 on: June 04, 2014, 04:51:27 pm »
What are the 'caravan or temporary structure' stats about? I thought it was the law you couldn't live in one year round?

Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #126 on: June 04, 2014, 04:53:46 pm »
If you look at spending, then Colwyn Bay gets far more than Llandudno for capital projects.

*takes deep breath* Porth Eirias, the entire promenade being rebuilt at a cost of £81m*, the new Rugby centre in Eirias Park, a completely revamped Theatr Colwyn, a completely revamped Station Road, a completely revamped Penrhyn Road, a completely revamped Sea View Road, Market Hall project, millions spent on the Townscape Heritage Initiative project, many more millions spent on renovating housing within central Colwyn Bay, acquisition of Government Buildings in Coed Pella road.....and probably a few more than I've missed!

Costs of all the above? Well, I found these two articles:

*"Conwy Council’s coastal defence strategy proposes  a programme of phased improvement works to bolster  the existing sea wall and maintenance of defences over the next hundred years. The Council has estimated that the construction and long term management of the Colwyn Bay defence strategy will cost around £81m."
http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/environmentandcountryside/2014/140227colwyn/?lang=en

"The award of a £594,900 development grant is part of a wider £56 million regeneration of the town."
http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-05-24/grant-for-historic-pier/

If I look at Llandudno in the last 10 years, I can think of the Railway Station (£5m), the Swimming Pool (£6m) and Venue Cymru (£11m). That equates to a total of £22m spent in the last ten years, compared with £137m in Colwyn Bay.

Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #127 on: June 04, 2014, 04:57:16 pm »
in these austerity times the council shouldn't be wasting money on planting flowers when there are far more pressing needs - social care, education, highway maintenance, etc.  What Conwy CBC need to do is follow the lead of other councils which have flower bed sponsorship schemes set up.  Get the likes of M&S, McDonald's and the St. George's Hotel pay for the flowers so the council can fritter it's money away on trivialities like care homes, social workers and schools.
You just don't get it, Andy. Tourism is the lifeblood of Llandudno..and North Wales, for that matter. Without attractive, well maintained public areas, visitors will simply not return. It's that simple.

Offline wrex

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #128 on: June 04, 2014, 06:30:46 pm »
Unfortunatley like Fatandy CCBC don,t get it either.

Offline FatAndy

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #129 on: June 05, 2014, 12:29:30 pm »
Here are the  stats from the 2011 census for both towns.

And here are the ones for Old Colwyn and Llysfaen which for some reason have been seperated out of Colwyn Bay.

http://www.conwy.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/538/2011_Census_area_profile__Old_Colwyn.pdf
http://www.conwy.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/535/2011_Census_area_profile__Llysfaen.pdf
"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing."

Emo Philips

Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #130 on: July 22, 2014, 10:03:34 am »
Interesting post from Guto Bebb in which he makes public the fact that the retiring Chief Education officer - Geraint James - is to be given a redundancy package of £40,000 despite the man being about to retire, and having notified the CEO that he would be so doing some months earlier. In short, Bebb thinks this seems suspicious, since James (among others) was only appointed when Conwy was formed with the initial (but incredibly naive) hope that Conwy would keep costs down by sharing services.  Of course, that didn't happen, as CCBC people wanted to build their own little empire, so filled the place with spurious and unnecessary appointments. 

In short, CCBC are going to keep doing what they do best: spending Tax-payers' money completely unnecessarily and Guto Bebb deserves Kudos for having made this entire lamentable affair public.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #131 on: July 22, 2014, 10:07:52 am »
As I said on the other thread, very wrong!  &shake&
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Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #132 on: July 22, 2014, 11:13:42 am »
Don't you think an MP should live in the Constituency that he serves? Mr Bebb lives in Caernarfon, I believe.

Offline Yorkie

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #133 on: July 22, 2014, 11:26:43 am »
Don't you think an MP should live in the Constituency that he serves? Mr Bebb lives in Caernarfon, I believe.

Not refering to any MP in particular, I think providing they are representing the people in their Constituency in an efficient and well regarded manner, they can live on the moon.  Half the time they are in London so it doesn't really matter where their home is.  Similar with MEP's or AM's.
County and Town Councillors are a different matter!  Too many different tiers of Government, I think!
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Offline Greyhound

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #134 on: July 22, 2014, 12:11:34 pm »
I imagine that with (I think) 5 school age children, he might be reluctant to uproot them to move, especially as it's easily commutable from Caernarfon.

My own view is that if they're serving it well then it's probably not necessary to move. I also think that, as with teachers, it's pretty beneficial for your own sanity not to live in the immediate area as people could turn up at your house at all hours and harass you when you're just nipping to the shop for a pint of milk. Although MP's obviously should be accessible, I think they deserve to be anonymous some of the time and I am not sure that's always possible if they live directly in the heart of the area.