Denise Lloyd Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Ah but high ups in the Council still get their very generous salaries and expenses. Have they suffered any cut backs NO as we would have been told about it by now. Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Hi Stupid Frustration......I agree with you to a point!! Yes, we are absolutely broke. Yes, we have to accept that the services we are used to are going to be reduced. I would add, that the services we do receive, have to be prioritised. i.e.. Adult/ Children's Services and Safeguarding. BUT! With no money in the pot, and the taxpayer having reduced services, why is it that the question " How many people have received pay rises since the restructuring process began?" remains unanswered........ I don't take issue with cuts in service when the purse is empty, but I do take issue when the council seem to find a little bit stashed away, and use it to increase the pay of managers! Quote
Bambi Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Does anyone know, if the Council are reducing refuse collections by 50%, then are the going to reduce the workforce by the same percentage? Quote
flamboyant Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Well said Dippy I agree 100% The answer to the question on pay rises along with how many new posts created with a salary over £28,000 since the cuts in services began would put the Councils mantra 'we are all in this together' and 'we must make sacrifices' into an entirely different domain! I expect if you add it up you would be truly astounded! If there was a freeze on recruitment which included, consultants and agency staff and no increases in salaries across the board then I would roll up my sleeves get my lawn mower out and take my own rubbish to the tip! Quote
Roger Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 So - we get new enclosed bins, the size of wheele bins, to put our black bin liners in with general rubbish. I obviously haven't yet received this black coloured bin which seems (according to the blurb) to come with some instructions on how to use it. Do you have to put the stuff in a bag and then into the bin? I bet some people will just launch the whole lot into the wheelie bin minus any sort of bag ... We're talking fish bones ... soiled nappies ... dog sh!te ... chicken carcasses and all sorts of menstrual fallout ... The whole lot brewing in this bin ... Oh ... And if the lid is shut when this lorry comes round then the chance of the lid getting lifted for a compliance check is zero ... Quote
stupidfrustration Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Hi Stupid Frustration......I agree with you to a point!! Yes, we are absolutely broke. Yes, we have to accept that the services we are used to are going to be reduced. I would add, that the services we do receive, have to be prioritised. i.e.. Adult/ Children's Services and Safeguarding. BUT! With no money in the pot, and the taxpayer having reduced services, why is it that the question " How many people have received pay rises since the restructuring process began?" remains unanswered........ I don't take issue with cuts in service when the purse is empty, but I do take issue when the council seem to find a little bit stashed away, and use it to increase the pay of managers! I think I agree with you......partly agreeing with me! I dont work for the council, but for decisions to be made to cut funding to Adult care and Childrens services BEFORE we get to grass cutting and saving £500,000 on bin collection, shows how bad things are. If we are now down to saving amounts like £500,000 - taking the back lash from the public for it, for what? £10,000 a week? I am under the impression that putting a child into a care home is approximately £5k a week! Im sure - the care homes can do the job for £4,500 a week. That would be a HUGE saving right there, and the private companies, the care homes would just have to take the hit in profits! Grass Cutting - If im honest - I perhaps didnt see the argument at first, but only a few weeks down the "road" - we are now in a dangerous place with our verges, and I fear, taking out the human cost, the hospital costs may increase from more road traffic accidents, plus the other costs of the city doesnt look smart for tourism. The loos - from the top of my head were something like £100,000 a year to keep open, we shut them to save that money. The well must be VERY dry for these decisions to be taken. Quote
twowheelsgood Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 The well is indeed bone dry - the council only have £100k in general reserves ... that last minute £500k bung to Stanhope doesn't look so smart now (not that it ever did). Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Ah Stupid Frustration! It's always nice to partly agree on an agreement!! One of my bug bears is the cost of sending Hereford children to out of county residential placements. We have a great deal of expertise locally, particularly in the field of providing education to children with SEN. Some of those children may also have extremely challenging behaviour. This can make managing them safely at home very difficult, and understandably, some families are placed under an intolerable strain. When a situation has reached the point, when the child's needs cannot be met, and a residential placement needs to be found, invariably it is miles away. This makes sustaining relationships difficult to say the least. . It can cost up to £250,000, per year per placement. Why have we not got this sort of provision here? Why would it not make sense, to use one of these "surplus to requirements" buildings, and staff it ?? .I know I have over simplified things to make a point, but if you have half a dozen young people, requiring this level of care and support, surely it makes sense - both financially, and for the families involved - to be able to access this here, rather than pay millions to other authorities?? Apologies to all, I think I may have gone off topic!!! Quote
Roger Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 All the grass cutting savings are probably being delivered thru the letterbox of The Bouvrie Guest House ... Quote
stupidfrustration Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 I think we are allowed to meander around topics - thats what makes great message boards! I think you are right about Children with SEN. My point, as I have tried to make before - we are in deep ship, and in a way I feel a little sorry for those having to make those decisions now, for other peoples past mistakes. I remember going to a meeting a while ago, asking what people would be "happy" to cut back on - there was very little agreement in the room, and thats the problem. I can live with every other week on the bins, but what concerns me more is the awful state of our care of those who cant properly help themselves. No one - wants to cut back on those services, and I really wouldnt want to be "the guy" who has to make those decisions. Quote
stupidfrustration Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 All the grass cutting savings are probably being delivered thru the letterbox of The Bouvrie Guest House ... Go on then Roger - who owns this place? Just out of interest - any evidence on your "probably" claim? A single shred? Ill take a guess? Is it some "big wig" at the council whom you blame for all things bad in Hereford. But - IF this person turns out to run the traffic light management system, ill go there myself and explain my thoughts to them! Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Hi again Stupid Frustration! Oh, we are so singing from the same hymn sheet on this one!! Unfortunately, the sad fact remains that money IS still being wasted. That is what sticks in my throat more than anything. Quote
Roger Posted June 3, 2014 Report Posted June 3, 2014 Just out of interest - any evidence on your "probably" claim? A single shred? Seen it with my own eyes (payments) ... albeit historical ... I have no reason to believe things have changed ... Quote
Biomech Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Cutting waste collection by 50% just before Christmas - sounds ideal...stupidfrustration, I'm afraid I can't agree with you, the money IS there, it's just very badly managed, tied up in unchecked contracts and in the wrong place. I mean come on, they spent 7 grand of the social care budget and kept 300,000 claiming it wasn't needed - all the while social care struggles and food banks are begging outside supermarkets. Cut services, fine, but don't ******* expect me to pay MORE for the privilege. Quote
Biomech Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Also, I think I've mentioned before that they repeatedly fail to take my recycling bin even though it's on the edge of the driveway.... well this week, there wasn't much in it, so I pushed it right to the back, right down the side of the house - they emptied it and issued me with a yellow ticket warning lol Quote
stupidfrustration Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Seen it with my own eyes (payments) ... albeit historical ... I have no reason to believe things have changed ... Roger - is this something you saw when you were a police officer? Did you report it? Are you really saying Council staff "bunged" the owner of this place money? those are very big claims you make. Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Also, I think I've mentioned before that they repeatedly fail to take my recycling bin even though it's on the edge of the driveway.... well this week, there wasn't much in it, so I pushed it right to the back, right down the side of the house - they emptied it and issued me with a yellow ticket warning lol Oooh!! A yellow warning sticker! How very exciting! What does it warn you will happen?? I have never received one of these, and am a little curious to know what the consequence could be, should you break the recycling rules!! Quote
Roger Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Roger - is this something you saw when you were a police officer? Did you report it? Are you really saying Council staff "bunged" the owner of this place money? those are very big claims you make. I'm not suggesting any illegal activity ... I'm just pointing to the fact that The Council is paying quite large amounts to the Bed & Breakfast type providers for pretty rubbish accommodation so as to house the usual people who end up there ... If you asked the Council to say how much they were paying for this today with a FOI request they would obviously refuse for the usual reasons ... Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Maybe not! One aspect of refuse collection, that absolutely infuriates me, is that they will only take garden waste if its in one of the extortionately priced green bags that you have to purchase from the council! We put household waste in black bags that we have purchased - as cheaply as possible - ourselves, why not the same for green bags?? I don't actually expect the council to provide black/green bags, but I don't think its fair to stipulate that the only green bags they will take are the ones that I have been forced to purchase from them!! So now we are all up to speed! The council are broke, and we are all feeling the pinch! Would it not be a good idea at this point, for the council to stop insisting we buy only their green bags for our garden waste to be removed?? At least this would be of some help! Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Grrr! I can't work the edit thing properly! What I wanted to add, was that this would be more than fair, in my humble opinion, as many of us now have an increase in garden waste, from mowing verges on behalf of the council!! Quote
Roger Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 What I wanted to add, was that this would be more than fair, in my humble opinion, as many of us now have an increase in garden waste, from mowing verges on behalf of the council!! Where did the grass from The Quarry end up? As the pic on the other thread suggested the clippings were being collected? Did HH have to buy a permit to go to the Waste Site? Quote
dippyhippy Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 Oh Roger!! Look, it's been done....it looks much better!! Just be pleased that it has made a positive difference to our city!! Even if they did have to buy a permit, they haven't mentioned it, so obviously don't view that as an issue! Now!! Step away from The Quarry!! Quote
Denise Lloyd Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 You can find expenditure to the various guest houses on the Council's website - I have seen it a couple of times but goodness knows where I found it. Meggieland will no doubt know straightaway where this info is. Quote
Roger Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 You can find expenditure to the various guest houses on the Council's website - I have seen it a couple of times but goodness knows where I found it. Meggieland will no doubt know straightaway where this info is. You can view the expenditure on The Bouvrie for 2011 if you type 'herefordshire Council guest house expenditure' into google ... It's an Excel spreadsheet and I haven't got Excel installed on my computer ... So if anyone can view that then it will help I suppose ... Quote
Biomech Posted June 4, 2014 Report Posted June 4, 2014 What does it warn you will happen?? Stupidly enough, it warns that if it's pushed back and hidden (to indicate that it doesn't need emptying) ... that they won't empty it lol I didn't pay too much attention to it, just opened the lid of the recycling and popped it inside so that it may be recycle and issued to warn someone else :) Quote
Denise Lloyd Posted June 5, 2014 Report Posted June 5, 2014 Here is the link for Expenditure found it straight away amazingly. Sit comfortably before reading it! https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transparency For putting the wrong green bag out I was issued a blue sticker oops. But it was worth a try. If our Council would do bins for garden rubbish I would certainly purchase one. Other counties do it why not Hereford. To trapse into town and buy "the proper green bags" is nothing short of a nuisance. Quote
flamboyant Posted June 5, 2014 Report Posted June 5, 2014 Biomech stop tormenting FCC! It's not their fault Hereford Council are idiots!! Don't forget I expect these chaps are facing job cuts so tempers might be high. You could find yourself stickered and thrown in the dust cart never to be seen again! Then where would we be without your 3am blogs? No my dear friend that wouldn't do, it wouldn't do at all! lol If you must torment someone please direct all your energy towards Hereford Council they deserve to be permanently tormented! Quote
Roger Posted June 5, 2014 Report Posted June 5, 2014 Here is the link for Expenditure found it straight away amazingly. Sit comfortably before reading it! https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transparency I looked at the CSV format on the ipad as it was actually viewable ... But my eyes are pretty rubbish and it was too small ... On my desktop computer the same click generated a downloaded file that was impossible to even start to look through! It was formatted in an unreadable way! Quote
stupidfrustration Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 All the grass cutting savings are probably being delivered thru the letterbox of The Bouvrie Guest House ... Seen it with my own eyes (payments) ... albeit historical ... I have no reason to believe things have changed ... I'm not suggesting any illegal activity ... I'm just pointing to the fact that The Council is paying quite large amounts to the Bed & Breakfast type providers for pretty rubbish accommodation so as to house the usual people who end up there ... If you asked the Council to say how much they were paying for this today with a FOI request they would obviously refuse for the usual reasons ... Roger, dearest, your posts above, from my humble point of view appear to be libellous to me. Now, I looked up the place, the guys who owns it is a Hereford Business man, a decent hard working guy, who in this business has a contract with the council. We may not agree on how much the contract is worth, but he certianly hasnt done anything wrong. Your first post here implied a "bung" - that guest house has nothing to do with bins, grass cutting, toilets, radar keys etc, just simply a B&B that used to have a contract with the council. IF this guest house has been used by the council to put people up in times of need, it has NOTHING to do with our BIN collections! I personally think you are out of line here. Quote
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