CCBC costs and cutting

[SteveH]

Debate over who will pay for loos so people can spend a penny in Conwy county
One council accepts there's a need for them but it faces financial pressures with an overall ?30m budget shortfall

Public toilets could be handed over to town and community councils to look after in a new move to save money in one county. Councils don't legally need to provide toilets and Conwy Council is exploring new ways to run them.

It suggests one solution is ask town and community councils to operate them and it has invited residents to make comments in a public consultation. The consultation ends on Monday, November 20.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/debate-over-how-who-pay-28123187

[Robert2020]

The problem with this council is that they don't see the benefits of visitor's to the county...

Llandudno without tourists wouldn't exist as it does today. The town shops cannot be supported by the local population alone, many are senior with lower daily needs and requirements. Local families are on limited funds...many employed in tourism and laid off during the winter months.

So Conwy council needs to keep the visitors coming and should provide the 48 toilet points in the county....yes it costs 600,000 a year and another 20,000 for the vandalism but the revenue generated by the visitors is vast....(https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident/Leisure-sport-and-health/Community-Facilities/Public-Toilets/assets/images/DRAFT-Public-Toilet-Strategy-v02.pdf)

If the council are short of money then start by looking at the costs of running this council....remove the waste, cut the workforce.... Conwy has a population of 118,200 (https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Council/Statistics-and-research/Population/Assets/documents/Population-profile-bulletin-202110.pdf) and a workforce of 6954  ( https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Council/Strategies-Plans-and-Policies/Equality-and-diversity/Assets/documents/Eq-Employee-Monitoring/Employment-Monitoring-Report-2020-2021.pdf)  compare that to Flintshire Council...156,000 residents, 6113 staff (https://www.greenjobs.co.uk/companies/flintshire-county-council). Do not place the costs on the town council as their funds already support many things Conwy Council do not support.

This council need a radical rethink about its future before it is bankrupt because of poor decisions which will destroy the visitor numbers and lead to a drop in revenue.

Keep the toilets and cut out the waste.

[SteveH]

Excellent post, with a fitting ending.....Keep the toilets and cut out the waste.

[SteveH]

A Conwy councillor has branded a decision to spend ?250,000 on consultancy fees ridiculous, criticising the council?s intention to sell Bodlondeb, moving staff and councillors to Coed Pella in Colwyn Bay. Speaking at a finance and resources overview scrutiny committee this week, Cllr Sian Grady slammed the decision.

Conwy is facing a ?20m to ?30m budget shortfall next year, having already increased council tax by 9.9% last year as well as forcing services to make 10% cuts ? with even schools having to slash budgets by 5%. Conwy?s cabinet rubber-stamped the decision to spend the ?250,000 on consultancy fees in September, hoping to sell the grade-two listed Bodlondeb to cut costs and raise funds.

But some councillors retrospectively criticised this decision, arguing a strategic vision for the council?s assets needed to be in place before spending quarter of a million pounds. The committee was debating a report on its corporate risks when Cllr Harry Saville asked cabinet member for sustainable economy Cllr Nigel Smith a question.

Cllr Saville said the report indicated that Conwy didn?t currently have an asset management vision, questioning the wisdom of spending ?250,000 on consultant fees without that in place. He said, ?We'll see that the council apparently has no strategic vision for use of its assets.

?I'll take the report as correct that we have no strategic plan. In light of that, is it really sensible for us to be looking at spending almost ?250,000 on a consultancy study to remodel Coed Pella, which is a pretty new building, right now, in light of the financial position we find ourselves in?

?Should this really be a priority now? Should it not wait until we have that larger asset management plan and we know what our plans are for our office and accommodation portfolio for the council? I don't know if Nigel (Cllr Smith) has any thoughts on that.?

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cash-strapped-council-slammed-250000-28163191?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

Conwy is facing a ?20m to ?30m budget shortfall next year, having already increased council tax by 9.9% last year as well as forcing services to make 10% cuts ? with even schools having to slash budgets by 5%. Conwy?s cabinet rubber-stamped the decision to spend the ?250,000 on consultancy fees in September, hoping to sell the grade-two listed Bodlondeb to cut costs and raise funds.

Why do the Councillors not stand up and object if they think that things are wrong?      Consultants were approached for Llandudno's two beaches and look what has happened to the beaches.   I've a feeling that Conwy's cabinet rubber stamped those too and it has cost the ratepayers millions of pounds by their decisions.
If anyone wants to see CCBC in action then have a look at the video of any planning application, I guarantee that it'll be an eye opener and you can understand where the phrase of "nodding donkeys" comes from

[SteveH]

Conwy councillors backed a public toilet strategy proposing to increase charges on pay-as-you-go toilets, transfer management to town councils, or even ?drastically reduce? the number of facilities.

The council currently manages 48 public toilets as well as 22 baby-changing facilities.

During the summer the various public toilets are opened daily between 7am and 10am. They then close between 7pm and 9 pm but shut between 4.30pm and 5.30pm in the winter months.

Two toilets are staffed daily at Betws y Coed and Llandudno and cleaned at regular intervals whilst other sites are attended in rounds during the day.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23949619.conwy-councillors-back-new-public-toilet-strategy/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

CONWY'S cabinet has backed a toilet strategy that could see the county council ask town councils to pay for public toilets ? if they want to keep them.

During the meeting at Bodlondeb, cabinet members backed the strategy which proposes ?drastically reducing? the number of toilets as one option as part of the cost-cutting exercise.

And leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey said vandalism was a blight on public toilets before suggesting people should instead use facilities at supermarkets, rather than the whole cost fall on the taxpayer.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23958216.conwy-urge-town-councils-pick-cost-public-toilets/

[SteveH]

COUNCILLORS in Conwy have been warned bankruptcy would be ?horrendous, bloody, and draconian?.

The local authority faces a budget black hole of up to ?30m next year, alongside a ?3m overspend this year.

During a meeting of the council?s cabinet at Bodlondeb this week, councillors were warned they may have to consider cutting statutory services to balance the books.

The council?s head of finance painted a bleak picture of what filing for bankruptcy would look like after council leader Charlie McCoubrey asked him to explain hypothetically what would happen if Conwy issued a 114 notice ? declaring itself bankrupt.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23961004.bankruptcy-horrendous-bloody-draconian-conwy/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A COUNCIL leader has written to the Welsh Government?s finance minister, warning local authorities are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, a matter at the forefront of Conwy councillors? minds.

Leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey?s fears are highlighted in a leaked letter to Welsh finance minister Rebecca Evans in which he describes the financial position as becoming unmanageable.

Meanwhile a council report this week proposed another council tax rise, modelling for up to a 10 per cent increase raising another ?7.1m from rate payers.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23973626.leaked-letter-conwy-teetering-edge-bankruptcy/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A COUNCILLOR has called for schools to be closed to help a cash-strapped council avoid potential bankruptcy.

Paul Luckock, who represents Pensarn Pentre Mawr, told a Conwy County Council finance scrutiny committee that it was an ?absolute no brainer that we?ve got to tackle this issue?.

His proposal comes as it was revealed the authority was modelling for a council tax rise of up to 10% from April as it still faces a budget shortfall of ?24.5million ? even after it authorised the highest council tax rise (9.9%) in Wales last year.

But his ?repeated? suggestions of school closures got short shrift from Conwy?s lead member for education Cllr Julie Fallon who reminded him of the importance of the Welsh language and providing for rural communities in the county.

cont https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23975877.councillor-calls-close-schools-save-conwy-bankruptcy/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Ian]

Paul Luckock is one of the 47 ex-Liverpool councillors who were charged personally for failing to set a legal rate in Liverpool in the 1980s.

Some voters never, ever learn from history; the Liverpool situation was brought about by the egregious Thatcher and her small-minded and petty desire to eliminate any who disagreed with her and her right wing policies. Through that perspective alone, Luckock is wrong to invoke the image of Liverpool in the '80s. What's happening now is what always happens when the economically deprived see a significant sector of society doing very nicely out of the situation.

The wealthy continue to place their own wealth at the focus of their own needs and view those who endure politically imposed privation as culpable in their own condition. In that context it's worth remembering that UK law is heavily biassed against the deprived.

[SteveH]

Update..

Councillor who proposed shutting Conwy schools to save cash rejects call to resign
Resident wrote in to ask for him to step down from his role

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/councillor-who-proposed-shutting-conwy-28269110

[SteveH]

A TOTAL of 31 projects in Conwy are to benefit from a share of more than ?20million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The UKSPF is a central pillar of the UK Government?s Levelling Up agenda and will provide ?2.6billion of funding for investment across the UK by March 2025.

Conwy was awarded an allocation of more than ?20m to invest and spend by March 2025, with successful projects including initiatives that promote adult numeracy, enhance the employability of people with a sensory loss, and improve community facilities.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23989588.30-conwy-projects-benefit-20million-funding/

[SteveH]

Council admits it can't afford to properly maintain roads and car parks
A pause on spending means vandalised toilets will close and road markings will be left unpainted

Conwy Council cannot afford to properly maintain car park and roads, and doesn't have the money to cut back hedges. The councillor responsible for such activity said the council's pause on spending means vandalised public toilets will close and road markings will be left unpainted.

There will also be no investment in new street lighting or community skips. Speaking at a recent finance and resources scrutiny committee, cabinet member for environment, roads, and facilities (ERF) Cllr Goronwy Edwards gave a list of cuts the council had made this financial year.
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-admits-cant-afford-properly-28297801?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


PS
ABOUT 500 people have signed an online petition calling on Conwy County Borough Council to scrap plans to introduce ?pay and display? at the Glasdir car park, beside the A470 in Llanrwst.

On December 7, the council voted to fund the additional ?12,000 required to resurface the Watling Street car park through pay and display at both Watling Street and Glasdir.

The former already has pay and display. The other ?249,000 is being awarded as a grant by the UK Government.
cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23988993.hundreds-sign-petition-stop-llanrwst-pay-display-plans/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Cash-strapped Conwy Council is paying out nearly ?6.5m in home-to-school transport costs a year. They could now look to cut taxis for some children, including Welsh speakers and children with additional needs.

The council is preparing a public consultation questionnaire to gauge where cuts can be made if it alters its home-to-school transport policy.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-looking-trim-65m-home-28311984?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589