tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post3544747056136265627..comments2024-03-18T11:10:12.391+00:00Comments on Bracknell Blog: Subway madness!Mark Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00744387583593537268noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-21139235062511725812011-07-19T10:31:27.044+01:002011-07-19T10:31:27.044+01:00Hi Alvin
Any updates on your findings? I'm k...Hi Alvin<br /><br />Any updates on your findings? I'm keen to understand if your colleagues have any reasoning behind the £16k?<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-55391988342205373292011-07-10T18:23:53.196+01:002011-07-10T18:23:53.196+01:0016K for painting an subway? What should councillor...16K for painting an subway? What should councillors be obliged to do? You could start by building some stocks and then locking yourselves into said stocks so taxpayers can hurl rotten vegetables at you for wasting our money. The same goes for the huge sums that are wasted "polishing a turd" which is the way I think of all of the plastic flower boxes that adorn the town every year. I've been here almost 10 years and every year, more empty offices spring up and the council spends more money on temporary tat when for the amount it takes in tax revenue, it could be making slow incremental improvements of a more permanent nature.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-73699477726251500542011-06-25T12:13:51.386+01:002011-06-25T12:13:51.386+01:00I've seen the Private Eye piece (page 8 of the...I've seen the Private Eye piece (page 8 of the June 24th edition). I'm not impressed. Earning an extra £40,000 as a freelance doctor working in Wokingham and Farnham surgeries seems to go against his pre-election promise to do the best for his Bracknell constituents.<br /><br />Perhaps his website banner should be changed from:<br /> "Caring for Bracknell Constituency"<br />to<br /> "Caring for Wokingham Constituency"<br />or<br /> "Caring for (myself at the expense of) Bracknell Constituency"<br /><br />If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor. If you want to be an MP, be an MP. Or is the Private Eye article all lies?Richard, Sandhurstnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-25724056949101385742011-06-23T11:08:24.380+01:002011-06-23T11:08:24.380+01:00Someone was asking about our new MP Dr. Philip Lee...Someone was asking about our new MP Dr. Philip Lee. The latest edition of Private Eye has a article about him. Oh dear, it doesn't make pleasant reading. Apparently he is still earning a packet as a doctor as well as picking up his generous MP's salary and allowances. The ghost of Andrew Mackay still hangs over Bracknell...<br /><br />Perhaps Dr. Lee would like to comment on the private Eye article, or perhaps he'd like to voice an opinion on the NHS changes, or comment on anything at all...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-26561484692235682072011-06-16T19:20:58.215+01:002011-06-16T19:20:58.215+01:00Dan, Fantastic Blog and a point well made. Brackn...Dan, Fantastic Blog and a point well made. Bracknell Conservative Councillors are returned every election and are safe seats and are fairly conplacement in their attitudes. We need to constantly challenge their decision making to achieve good value for money for our rates payable. I had until recently a conservative councillor as a neighbour until they moved. Whilst they lived in our street we had the most manicured common gardens and regularly cleaned streets. Since they moved its all stopped? When you asked the question of the council when will they clean our road, they say soon! and no one turns up<br /><br />Keep up the good work DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-17098932656869205332011-06-16T03:13:36.838+01:002011-06-16T03:13:36.838+01:00How does painting a subwway bring investors to Bra...How does painting a subwway bring investors to Bracknell?<br />The whole town centre is a disaster still awaiting it regeneration neither fish nor fowl.<br />When is this suposed to get off the ground?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-76638047341708609762011-06-15T22:52:43.294+01:002011-06-15T22:52:43.294+01:00e are trying to market Bracknell to various invest...e are trying to market Bracknell to various investors in the Town centre,<br />thus keeping the town in good order is critical at a time when we are trying to attract this investment.<br />This subway is part of the gateway to a multi- million pound new building.<br />As I said above there is also the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory" rel="nofollow">"Broken Window"</a> theory.<br /><br />"<i>The Council seeks to keep the Borough clear of graffiti in the best interests of the economic vitality of the area and to help reduce the fear of crime.</i>" <br />It may not be a statutory duty, but it is a very desirable aim.<br /><br />I understand that the council did send an e-mail to the college to get help from students with the mural.<br />Apparently the college said they would get back.<br />Someone also spoke with a person from the art dept about students designing the mural but nothing materialised.<br />A previous time that students were used to paint walls took the entire summer holidays to complete,<br />but the council still had to make the surface ready, and complete the graffiti covering.<br />It seems that monitoring the health and safety of students came at no small cost.<br />There are also public safety issues in a busy thoroughfare that the council HAS to consider.<br /><br />We have lost no essential services.<br />The issue is not simple.<br />It has been shown that a good place to live keep people in good health.<br />We have to spend money on prevention as well as cures.<br />Spending money on preventing stuff happening is so much cheaper than spending money on the mess that would ensue.<br /><br />I have not yet got the costs for the thing, but I suspect that it was probably far cheaper to use professionals totally,<br />rather than employ people to supervise whoever might be involved, and implement the Health and Safety stuff that we have so come to love.(not)Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-75536910692847733052011-06-15T20:09:46.976+01:002011-06-15T20:09:46.976+01:00I've got to pitch in here again. I agree, and...I've got to pitch in here again. I agree, and I'm very grateful that Alvin is willing to engage in a public forum - my experience in pretty much every other interaction with the council has been the opposite, so I think Alvin should be thanked for at least giving his thoughts, and the frank, albeit qualified, No.<br /><br />However, I still feel the essential element to this is being missed - it doesn't matter what other work might have been needed, and might have contributed to the £16.635. It doesn't even matter if £16,635 was a reasonable cost for the work performed.<br /><br />The issue is simply - is it right we're paying that much money to decorate a subway, when we're laying off social workers, teaching assistants etc? Surely we should be thinking about either doing it at a fraction of that cost using the community, or not doing it at all, perhaps postponing the work until essential services are restored?<br /><br />Is subway decoration one of the statutory duties imposed by central government?<br /><br />DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-57987783088721295592011-06-14T17:20:46.701+01:002011-06-14T17:20:46.701+01:00If it was PAINTING - No.
A major subway in the tow...If it was PAINTING - No.<br />A major subway in the town centre cannot be just PAINTED.<br />Once I have the details of what had to be done in addition to PAINTING, I can decide whether the work was done for a reasonable cost.Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-38164875569383612212011-06-14T06:41:20.154+01:002011-06-14T06:41:20.154+01:00Alvin
Seriously, why won't you answer ?
One ...Alvin<br /><br />Seriously, why won't you answer ?<br /><br />One last time. Please answer, it's really not difficult. I think I've been clear, polite and respectful - and I certainly don't think it's an unreasonable question to ask. <br /><br />"Is £16k a reasonable a reasonable amount to spend on PAINTING a subway"<br /><br />I was marginally impressed when you engaged with this blog but you are now being blatantly evasive around this very simple request and, dare I say, resorting to type. You even managed on the earlier posts to copy and repost my other questions whilst providing a response to them, so please, just answer the question.<br /><br />All it needs is a binary response "yes" or "no"<br /><br />"Is £16k a reasonable a reasonable amount to spend on PAINTING a subway"<br /><br />And forgive me Alvin, but do I think, given your position, that posting a blog asking what services should be provided is "leading a charge for reform" ?<br /><br />Erm...........no<br /><br />Maybe you could start the reform by answering the question.......<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />SheepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-80692312551288237382011-06-13T16:58:05.275+01:002011-06-13T16:58:05.275+01:00Reform is exactly what I am looking for.
The way t...Reform is exactly what I am looking for.<br />The way things work needs a complete overhaul.<br />That is what I was asking in my blog post on the 9th March.<br /><a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2011/03/local-services-what-is-needed.html" rel="nofollow">http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2011/03/local-services-what-is-needed.html</a><br />Local government bureaucrats have had to follow 74,000 pages of new rules and instructions handed down by Whitehall over the past decade.<br />The council needs to do be doing what the people of Bracknell Forest want it to do.Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-15240343700695461642011-06-13T08:09:56.546+01:002011-06-13T08:09:56.546+01:00Alvin
Its afair and understandable mistake to mak...Alvin<br /><br />Its afair and understandable mistake to make, but you have again answered a different question. I have not referred to the Bracknell subway in question - so getting a breakdown of what had to be done is largely irrelevant.<br /><br />I'm trying to establish whether you are aligned to the thoughts of most the people here - I want to understand if you are in touch.<br /><br />I'll try again. Is £16k a reasonable amount to spend on PAINTING a subway ?<br /><br />I'm not asking whether the £16k spent on the Bracknell project was fair. As you say, we're not sure of the details.......yet. But that will come, so while this debate is happening I'd simply like your thoughts on that, as yet, unanswered a very simple question.<br /><br />So, let's test ones moral compass and ability to judge appropriate spend:<br /><br />Is £16k a reasonable amount to spend PAINTING a subway ? Not, all sorts of other work, let's asumme it was just painting.<br /><br />and<br /><br />If you find that it was just painting in the Bracknell subway and no structural work, will you join in the condemnation and lead a charge for reform to the best of your abilities ?<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />SheepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-88079245680606743322011-06-13T05:12:01.155+01:002011-06-13T05:12:01.155+01:00I see on Dr Lees home page that there is no mentio...I see on Dr Lees home page that there is no mention of surgeries you have to write phone or email him.<br /><br />Why is it that Bracknell always gets MPs that a) dont live in Bracknell or<br />B) have an aversion to actually meeting their constituents face to face?<br /><br />I note too that there is not one member of BFC that actually lives in Bracknell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-1357903340477097712011-06-11T21:55:11.477+01:002011-06-11T21:55:11.477+01:00I cant believe that much was spent on a subway whe...I cant believe that much was spent on a subway when as was pointed out there are many talented local artists who would no doubt lend their talents for such a worthy enterprise.<br /><br />Re Light Fingered Larry or rather Andrew Mckay - well he has got off relatively scott free but at least he is no more.<br /><br />What is troubling is that many of his acolytes remain - and on the council.<br /><br />One such person is Mary Ballin whose main job appeared to be keeping the diary for Mr Mckay and keeping constituents from ever getting anywhere near him.<br /><br />What is the situation with the new man Dr Lee?<br />Does he hold surgeries as his predecessor never did is Mrs Ballin still holding the fort or rather pulling up the drawbridge if a constituent should show any interest in trying to talk to their Mp face to face?<br />Rather on the lines of the a doctors receptionist who wishes to know all your symptoms before she allows you access to a Doctor?<br /><br />I hope and trust that the new broom has or will sweep out these old battleaxes and let some new thinking and manners onto BFC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-47787544880993357752011-06-11T20:59:07.078+01:002011-06-11T20:59:07.078+01:00Q. Is £16,000 a reasonable amount of money to spen...Q. Is £16,000 a reasonable amount of money to spend on painting a subway?<br />A. I don’t know until I can get a breakdown of what had to be done.<br /><br />Q. Have the people managing the spend processes failed in their duty of care to spend our money wisely?<br />A. I don’t know until I can get a breakdown of what had to be done.<br /><br />Q. Is it appropriate, for responsible, well paid, public officials or those managing our spends to simply hide behind process or procedure and not use common sense to execute their duties?<br />A. <i>If</i> that is the case. No.<br /><br />Q. I'm afraid most of the excuses from the expense council seemed to be swept under the carpet under the banner of "Well I never broke any of the rules we invented".<br />A. As I said we need to get rid of a lot of the rules and duties imposed over the last few years by the previous government, when councils were given ring fenced money to spend as they were told.Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-58673371697404894122011-06-11T16:27:23.601+01:002011-06-11T16:27:23.601+01:00I'm sorry Alvin but you've merely explaine...I'm sorry Alvin but you've merely explained some adjacent processes. There are, or should be, competent, capable and qualified human beings involved in these processes - I believe that's necessary so that we don't make basic common sense mistakes. I appreciate your explanation as to how this situation may have evolved but non of this belies the very simple question right at the heart of it......and it is a very simple question.<br /><br />Is £16,000 a reasonable amount of money to spend on painting a subway ?<br /><br />The next simple question is:<br /><br />Have the people managing the spend processes failed in their duty of care to spend our money wisely ?<br /><br />And the final, less simple, more debate topic is:<br /><br />Is it appropriate, for responsible, well paid, public officials or those managing our spends to simply hide behind process or procedure and not use common sense to execute their duties ? I'm afraid most of the excuses from the expense council seemed to be swept under the carpet under the banner of "Well I never broke any of the rules we invented"<br /><br />I rather imagine you will engage better with the 3rd point here as it's a more ambiguous debate than the other simple questions which so far have evade an answer ?<br /><br />SheepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-27202065893661571942011-06-11T12:45:42.259+01:002011-06-11T12:45:42.259+01:00Cont...
I am hoping that with the passing of the ...Cont...<br /><br />I am hoping that with the passing of the <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/localismplainenglishguide" rel="nofollow">Localism Bill</a> that BFC will be able to do its job even better.<br /><i>"Local authorities' powers and responsibilities are defined by legislation. In simple terms, they can only do what the law says they can. Sometimes councils are wary of doing something new - even if they think it might be a good idea - because they are not sure whether they are allowed to in law, and are concerned about the possibility of being challenged in the courts."<br />"The new general power will give councils more freedom to work with others in new ways to drive down costs. It will give them increased confidence to do creative, innovative things to meet local people's needs. "</i><br /><br />SO<br />"Sheep" said:<br /><br /><i>"Please may I ask, for the sake of coherent and reasonable debate, that you address some of the very reasonable, concise and well articulated points that have been made in this Blog."</i><br />If I am not addressing the points that you would like addressing please state them one by one, so that I can then reply to each.Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-63856719770645399382011-06-11T12:44:50.617+01:002011-06-11T12:44:50.617+01:00Sheep? Or is it "Anonymous"
I am trying...Sheep? Or is it "Anonymous" <br />I am trying to give a response to the issues here, but, there are a lot of interrelated items.<br /> <br />The council does not control the Police. The TVP issue <a href="http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/aboutus/aboutus-stplan/aboutus-stplan-ctax.htm" rel="nofollow">a precept</a> to the council which then appears as a separate item on the council tax bill. There is a proposal that Thames Valley police merge with Hampshire, and as far as I am aware this might at the most mean 82 posts going over a number of years, but the forces working together means that efficiencies of scale could be obtained.<br />What the council does do, is to participate in the <a href="http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/living/liv-safer-communities/liv-crime-and-disorder-reduction-partnership.htm" rel="nofollow">Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership</a> (CDRP). There has been a reduction in crime year on year in Bracknell. This is in part to due to proactive measures such as removing graffiti as soon a possible<br />The council passes money on to schools, who set their own budgets and manage their own situations. Currently schools can buy into services provided by the council. The schools budget is basically set by the government, and the council contributes educational services. I am not sure what will happen in the future. If all schools decide decide to take the academy route then the council would be out of the loop entirely. A problem might be that as each school stops taking up services by the council that the remaining schools become very expensive to support.<br /><br />It was asked if was possible to allow the art department in the college to take ownership of subways and allow the students to use it as a gallery for their work. Yes. This probably is possible, but would need someone to coordinate it. As I said above, I will look into what is needed to make paint graffiti proof. Someone would have to own this, cost it and implement it. Thing do not get done by wishes. Again having the long term unemployed do the above would require someone to coordinate that, buy the right materials etc.<br />South Hill Park: The council provides them with a grant. SHP is not controlled by the council, but manages itself. The arts council is to withdraw all funding from SHP. Should BFC do likewise? Is it something that we can do without? Can we do without the grass cutting? Are libraries essential? How else could they be run? Have you considered how much time and resource is taken up with FOI requests?<br />Please take a look at the <a href="http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/your-council/yc-transparency/yc-payments-to-suppliers.htm" rel="nofollow">"Transparency"</a> section of the BFC website - You can see there what the council pays for.<br /><br />Cont...Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-53972328375368596572011-06-11T11:53:56.732+01:002011-06-11T11:53:56.732+01:00Trying to comment. But unableTrying to comment. But unableAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-68474920642595295392011-06-10T19:30:26.884+01:002011-06-10T19:30:26.884+01:00Alvin, I think the point of commentating on a Blog...Alvin, I think the point of commentating on a Blog is to have a conversation in a public forum. I, as I'm sure others, would very much like to her your responses to some of the concerns raised on here.<br /><br />Please may I ask, for the sake of coherent and reasonable debate, that you address some of the very reasonable, concise and well articulated points that have been made in this Blog - rather than debating adjacent or umbrella policies which evade the points at hand.<br /><br />Come on Alvin, please engage with this debate in an open circle with us, not dismissive and evasive on the outside.<br /><br />Kind Regards,<br /><br />SheepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-44565701619424872622011-06-09T23:26:24.933+01:002011-06-09T23:26:24.933+01:00Whoever Anonymous is, please do give me a call, an...Whoever Anonymous is, please do give me a call, and we can discuss things.Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-33517017651196987822011-06-09T20:21:31.441+01:002011-06-09T20:21:31.441+01:00I think the problem here is simply the madness in ...I think the problem here is simply the madness in which council appear to operate against how the public would run a business. there must be a better way of spending budgets and getting out elected officials to reallocate the spend in a more sensible way. Same all the way up to national government.Wayne bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-5447870422800249472011-06-09T14:07:02.543+01:002011-06-09T14:07:02.543+01:00Dan - a belated "well done" for trying t...Dan - a belated "well done" for trying to shame our expenses-fiddling ex-MP Andrew Mackay and his cronies. I still don't understand why he wasn't prosecuted given the clear-cut nature of the fiddling (claiming the 2nd home allowance for both family homes) and the amount involved (£140,000). I'm deeply suspicious of the motives of politicians and that includes our local councillors. Mackay's fiddling was blatant and on an industrial scale but I didn't hear a word of criticism or remorse from the local Conservative party, I can only conclude that they didn't see anything wrong in what he did! Not sure that I trust people who can't tell right from wrong with large amounts of public money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-27601273479370318342011-06-09T09:26:41.069+01:002011-06-09T09:26:41.069+01:00Alvin
I do see where you're coming from on th...Alvin<br /><br />I do see where you're coming from on the reducing crime bit, but what would reduce crime more - a subway paint job, or a police constable for 6 months? I'd imagine at a time when the police are having to make savings of £12m, and only yesterday it was reported that 82 front line officers are being lost, they'd also find your justification for this a little hard to swallow.<br /><br />As for what I think are essential services, my broad definition would be this; if a reduction in spending will directly cause suffering in the community, then it's probably an essential service. You might be able to argue that reducing crime reduces suffering, but then my point above applies. You might also ask if education falls into this definition, and maybe it doesn't, but I think most people recognise that education is a vital service.<br /><br />Finally, if you are indeed playing some part in the budget decision process, really, you should be ashamed of the statement 'we put residents first' when clearly, given this story, that's not the case. Please, take this opportunity, drop your ego and defensiveness - call all your councillor colleagues, and ask them to read this, then act, and do it now.<br /><br />Oh, and every time I do try and engage with BFC, I'm either ignored or dismissed. Look at the Mackay thing - 21 registered letters and not one reply - in fact, threatened by the police for harassment of the local conservatives, just for asking awkward questions. It simply goes to show how BFC and those who are elected will pretend to be open and transparent, when really it's a closed shop, and woe betide anyone who might criticise,<br /><br />DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755834342571488774.post-78490046839755454702011-06-08T23:50:42.005+01:002011-06-08T23:50:42.005+01:00"parochial, it is beyond credibility, and his..."parochial, it is beyond credibility, and his arrogant statements"<br />Explain please?Alvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com