LIB DEMS CALL FOR COUNCIL TAX FREEZE

From the Northern Echo (link below), we have looked at the way the council is being run and determined that there is no need for five directorates. Other councils manage with three, and by reorganising the very top, a substantial amount of money can be saved without any impact on running frontline services.

In addition we will be able to  invest money into roads and footpaths and protect a number of other services too.

Before putting forward an alternative budget however, we have taken our proposals to the Labour Cabinet to give them the opportunity before releasing their budget to incorporate our proposals.

The Adult and Children’s Directorates were reorganised into one department a few years ago and since then have managed to save millions of pounds not only through the reorganisation but also through being able to organise more quickly in the face of cuts to budgets.

Northern Echo link:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/council/durhamcountycouncil/10979427.Lib_Dems_call_for_Durham_council_tax_freeze/

You can comment on the Northern Echo by registering for their site to let us know what you feel about the proposals or email me.

BUDGET DISCUSSIONS

Opposition councillors have been meeting with senior officers and for some issues with cabinet members to raise concerns about the coming budget and to look at possible savings.

At a meeting of Corp Issues and Scrutiny Board today it was pointed out that of the savings so far carried out by the council over the last few years 64% did not affect frontline services. On the one hand saving £72.8m without cutting any services is great, but on the other hand it does raise serious questions about just how much the council has been wasting over many years.

I believe that there are still savings to be made at DCC which don’t involve cutting frontline services and we will be outlining our suggestions to Cabinet in advance of budget meetings to see if they will accommodate any of our proposals in the budget.

 

A167 footpath

Thanks go to the neighbourhood services team for getting the footpath around the A167 Pity Me to Framwellgate Moor cut back to its original width. The grass had grown over much of it and it was down to 50cm in places, now the whole stretch has been cut back, something I had been asking for for many years.

Roundabouts

Work is ongoing at Aykley Heads to remove vegetation and replace grass with slate and more manageable plants, to improve visibility.

The Durham Moor roundabout has been completed and looks great. I have asked for the roundabouts at the Arnison Centre area to be looked at as well as part of a sponsorship scheme, which would cut the cost of grass cutting and provide a nice display. If anyone has any objections to this please let me know. It would certainly tidy them up, save money and still provide a decent display.

BIG ENERGY SAVING WEEK

Council press release below. I just wish they would now agree to write to all those on low incomes who they know can get the Warm Homes Discount of £135. More info on that here: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/overview

Advice on saving energy and cutting fuel bills will be available to County Durham residents next week.

Durham County Council is working with the Greater Durham Citizens Advice Bureau as part of the national Big Energy Saving Week (Jan 27 to Jan 31).

Householders can call in to a number of venues to get advice on a range of energy-related issues, from how to ensure they are getting the best deal from their gas or electricity supplier to how to switch suppliers or tariffs.

Information on ways to reduce energy consumption – for example by having loft or cavity wall insulation, replacing old fashioned light bulbs with energy efficient ones, replacing old boilers and not leaving appliances on standby – as well as how to take advantage of schemes such as Warm Up North, will also be available.

People can find out more by going along to one of the following sessions, all of which will take place between 10am and 2pm:

Monday 27 January – Crook Customer Access Point, Crook Civic Centre.

  • Tuesday 28 January – Spennymoor Customer Access Point, Green Lane, Spennymoor.
  • Wednesday 29 January – Seaham Customer Access Point, St John’s Square, Seaham.
  • Thursday 30 January – Stanley Customer Access Point, Front Street, Stanley.
  • Friday 31 January – DurhamCity Indoor Market.

For further information about Big Energy Saving Week and details on how they can get the best deal from their energy supplier people can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0845 404 0506 or visit www.bigenergysavingweek.co.uk

COUNCIL HIDING MILLIONS TO PUSH CUTS FURTHER

The council’s Cabinet debated (or rather rubber stamped) a report today on the Financial Plan for the coming year. I wanted to ask a questions on the report. The labour leader refused to allow me to but did speak for ages attacking the government and at one point one of the Comrades said that Durham has been poor for 100 years. Interestingly Labour has been running Durham for a 100 years!

Normally they begrudgingly let us ask a question now and then even if the answer is never to the question we ask. But clearly I have hit a raw nerve this time. Labour are hiding millions from the budget in future years to make the savings look even worse than they are.

Other councils include an amount in future years for increases in business rates, including for inflation, and increases in the number of properties paying council tax. Labour in Durham is hiding millions of pounds from the budget by simply putting zeros in the document in these areas and others.

This means that this year coming they will cut further and deeper than necessary. Yes the cuts are significant and yes there are questions to be asked about why the North East is seeing perhaps higher cuts than it should be proportionately, but this deception by Simon Henig and his colleagues is disgraceful.

INSIDE OUT – TONIGHT BBC1 7.30PM – WARM HOMES DISCOUNT

Due to Durham County Council failing to take any positive action to promote the Warm Homes Discount I contacted the press.

The BBC is showing a program tonight about this. Only 10-15% of those households eligible are currently receiving it in County Durham. Hopefully the program will help to promote it. Watch it tonight and contact your energy company if you think you may be eligible. Also, please let anyone else you know who you think may be able to get this.

Let me know if you need any assistance.

Loss of Highways Budgets

A valiant attempt by your local councillors to make the council see sense has unfortunately failed. The council plans to  remove the highways budget each councillor has to spend in their area. We came up with a proposal which would have helped protect some democratic accountability and bring in extra highways funding, but council management with backing of Labour cabinet members are determined to press ahead with this. I do not agree with them and their figures do not stack up either. More to follow on this in the coming weeks.

 

Aykley Heads and Blackie R/abouts

The overgrown bushes which have been obscuring traffic views have now been removed from these roundabouts. residents had asked for them to be tidied up but some may find the change a bit shocking. I am in discussion with officers to ensure that some “green element” is reinstated and will update on progress.