CCBC costs and cutting

[Hugo]

North Wales council pushes ahead with 'crazy' toilet closure plans despite 'more time' plea
Nearly half of the public toilets in Conwy will be closed by the local authority


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-pushes-ahead-29912560

[SteveH]

Big decisions in Conwy are not being made democratically by the majority but by a powerful few, claim several concerned backbenchers. In the year 2000, the UK Government introduced the Local Government Act and cabinet system, which means many crucial decisions are taken by the council leader and his or her hand-picked selection of cabinet members.

Prior to this, a democratic group system allowed all councillors to participate in reaching a decision. In the current system, various scrutiny committees scrutinise matters and make recommendations before matters are later decided by the cabinet or full council.

At a democratic services committee meeting on Monday, several councillors slammed the democratic process in Conwy, claiming that decisions were made behind closed doors by a powerful few, referencing the current row over the closure of public toilets.

Another recommendation raised the question of whether presenting documents to various bodies such as working groups, programme boards, subcommittees, and scrutiny committees added value to the decision-making process. This raised serious concerns in the council chamber as several councillors claimed important decisions were being made by the cabinet – without consulting all members.

Cllr David Carr said it was important scrutiny committees remained an integral part of local democracy and accused senior councillors and Conwy’s chief executive of not turning up to recent meetings. “When we changed to a cabinet system, the whole point of scrutiny was to scrutinise what the cabinet were doing,” he said.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/councillors-fear-small-number-people-29900085?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Local authority accused of 'forcing' town council to pay more for upkeep of paddling pools
Conwy's four paddling pools are jointly funded by the county and individual town councils

Conwy Council is cutting funds for its four outdoor paddling pools and "forcing" town councils to pick up the increased cost, claims an angry town councillor. Conwy’s four paddling pools at Craig-y-Don in Llandudno, Rhos-on-Sea, Penmaenmawr, and Llanfairfechan are joint-funded by Conwy as well as town councils.

But Conwy County Council is now cutting funding and asking town councils to pick up the difference. The move comes after Conwy’s cabinet this week refused to budge on shutting 19 of its 40 public toilets, despite pressure from backbenchers.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/local-authority-accused-forcing-town-29932269?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

The North Wales councils who were most likely to call in debt collectors has been revealed in a new map. It showed there were nearly 11,000 referrals to bailiffs across the region, in the year to April 2023, with thousands for council tax arrears.

Top of the bailiff chart was Denbighshire with 3,126 referrals, 2,562 for council tax arrears, working out at 73.7 per 1,000 population. Next was Conwy - with 3,078, 2,037 for council tax arrears, 58.9 per 1,000 population; Wrexham was third with 2,859, 2,500 for council tax arrears, 49.4 per 1,000; with Anglesey fourth with 946, 838 for council tax arrears, 30.7 per 1,000.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-councils-most-likely-29989444?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

Delay to council's controversial toilet closure plan is 'costing £10,000 per week'
Conwy Council said there had been discussions with town and community councils about taking on some facilitie
How on earth do they arrive at the figure of £10K per week?      On another CCBC matter that of the Mochdre Lorry Depot with a lease of £20K per month then that is flushing money down the pan


https://ct.moreover.com/?a=54863467059&p=14e&v=1&x=BpLGiqAnaLKoK1QIE06udA&u1=ND&u2=up-urn:user:PA187552270

[SteveH]

COUNTY councils in Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey faced more than 513 personal injury claims from 2021 to 2024, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

Conwy County Borough Council – 119 claims
2021-22 – 37 claims (£115,969.00 payout)
2022-23 – 41 claims (£134,841.00 payout)
2023-24 – 41 claims (£71,778.00 payout)
Total payout - £322,588.00 (seventh-highest in Wales)

Average payout - £2,710.82 (fourth-highest in Wales)

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24625541.denbighshire-council-paid-five-figure-sum-injury-claims/

[SteveH]

A controversial plan for a 3G pitch at a Conwy secondary school is set to be approved – despite well over 500 objection letters being submitted. Conwy County Council has applied to its own planning department seeking permission for the artificial grass pitch at Ysgol y Creuddyn on Derwen Lane, Penrhyn Bay.

Planning officers have advised councillors approve the application at a meeting next week, despite a large number of residents objecting to the plans. Whilst Conwy has received 46 letters of support for the pitch, the council has also received 569 letters opposing the plans.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/controversial-3g-pitch-plan-set-30064222?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

All local authorities in Wales should pay the same for care home places, the organisation that represents the sector has said.

The amount is set by councils and Care Forum Wales said there was a huge difference between counties, creating a "postcode lottery".

Homes in two neighbouring counties are currently seeing a £70 difference in weekly charges for basic care with owners saying it could lead to more closures.

The Welsh government said its new National Office for Care and Support was considering how "to bring about consistency" but fees would differ due to "factors like land values for care homes".

Orme View care home in Llandudno, Conwy county, has seen its fees go up this year, along with every other home in the county.

That is because the county council has broken away from a system whereby all the councils in north Wales agreed to set their fees together.

It is now setting fees based on what an independent assessor said should be paid, which were a lot higher than they had been.

The new system was adopted in April, and Steffan Robbins from Orme View said the increase has made a difference.

"It's an amazing, positive step forward," he told the Politics Wales programme.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn039png86zo

[SteveH]

Conwy County Council is currently facing a £22m black hole for the next financial year. At a cabinet meeting this week, Conwy’s cabinet discussed a report setting out the budget for 2025/26.

As it currently stands, Conwy is facing a resource shortfall of £22.771m. The report states that the outlook is just a prediction and that the budget will become clearer over the coming months. Critical to this is the announcement of the provisional Local Government Settlement in December, which will indicate whether the council can expect any additional funding.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-faces-22m-30099413?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Cambrian]

Interesting this.  Readers may have seen a contractors compound has taken over Jackson's Lane outside Queen Elizabeth Court.  The contractors travel from Anglesey.  There are several items of plant - dumper, small hydraulic excavator, etc - on site as well as half a dozen workmen.  They have moved parts of the hedgerow and created what appear to be parking bays in what was, until this week, part of a grassed area inhabited by wild flowers and a couple of trees.  According to one of the workmen, the contract is for "kerb widening" and will be going on for 6 months through the Craig y Don area.  The soil from their activities is being tipped at the boundary with Mostyn Champneys by the pedestrian crossing.

Amazing what public money can be found for given the current collective waving of shrouds from CCBC, Cardiff Bay and Whitehall!

[SteveH]

Welsh councils are facing "unsustainable" budget pressures over the next few years according to the body which represents them.

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said funding shortfalls could "significantly impact" councils’ ability to deliver essential services.

The BBC has identified a budget shortfall of at least £540m across Wales by 2026-27.

The Welsh government said it meets local authorities "regularly" to discuss the "very real challenges they face" ahead of its draft budget in December.

cont/stats  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2kevnevwxo

Conwy
Predicted deficit per person 2026-27 (£): 282.84
Cumulative shortfall 2026-27 (£m): 32.33
Shortfall as % of budget: 10.97

[SteveH]

Toilets across Conwy county will close today (Monday 14 October). Cash-strapped Conwy County Council announced in July it would close 19 of its 40 public toilets on 4 September 2024, causing outrage amongst members who said they were given just two hours’ notice.

The authority also said it would scale back public conveniences’ opening hours and close services in the autumn and winter. But the closures were delayed after the Conservatives tabled a motion opposing the plans, but the cabinet stuck to its decision, despite some toilets being saved by town councils pledging funds.

But as of today, nine toilets will close in the county, including:

Colwyn Bay, Parisella’s on the Beach
Eglwysbach, Maes Llan
Llanelian yn Rhos
Llannefydd
Penmaenmawr, Fernbrook Road
Penmaenmawr, Yacht Club
Pentrefoelas
Rowen
Ysbyty Ifan

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-pulled-plug-30139491?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Stress is the number one reason for sickness for Conwy County Council staff. At a meeting at Bodlondeb this week, Conwy’s cabinet were updated on the council’s end of year "workforce dashboard" by cabinet member for audit, policy, and performance Cllr Chris Cater.

The report included figures on Conwy’s attendance and sickness absence for staff, including those working in Conwy's schools, with stress cited most for staff missing work. In second place was ‘non-specified hospital treatment’ followed by infection or communicable disease in third place, musculoskeletal in fourth place, and digestive and abdominal issues in fifth place.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/number-one-reason-staff-north-30213869?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Councillor questions if £240m North Wales Growth Deal is delivering
A £240 million government-funded growth deal has done little to improve Conwy’s internet coverage or provide high-quality jobs, a concerned councillor claims.

Conwy’s finance and resources scrutiny committee was this week presented with a quarterly report on progress of the North Wales Growth Deal.
But an outspoken Colwyn councillor questioned whether residents in Conwy are seeing any value from the hundreds of millions of pounds spent.

The Growth Deal is an agreement that promises to generate a total investment of over £1 billion for North Wales and generate over 4,000 new jobs and increase “Gross Added Value” by £2.4 billion in the region.
cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24674533.councillor-questions-240m-north-wales-growth-deal-delivering/

[SteveH]

'There's no fat left to cut' - the desperate situation facing councils in North Wales
Council bosses are facing 'extremely severe financial difficulties' this year

Council chiefs warned of “no fat left to cut” with leisure centres and libraries across Wales facing the threat of closure due to “unprecedented” financial constraints. The Senedd culture committee took evidence from councils on October 24 as part of an inquiry into the impact of cuts on the arts, culture and sport.

Emily Owen, deputy leader of Conwy council, said: “Everything’s on the table that isn’t statutory at the moment, we’re in that much of a difficult financial situation.” The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the national voice of Wales’ 22 councils, warned spending on culture, recreation and libraries has fallen by up to 43% over a decade.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/theres-no-fat-left-cut-30221836

[Hugo]

Stress is the number one reason for sickness for Conwy County Council staff. At a meeting at Bodlondeb this week, Conwy’s cabinet were updated on the council’s end of year "workforce dashboard" by cabinet member for audit, policy, and performance Cllr Chris Cater.
 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/number-one-reason-staff-north-30213869?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

The vast majority of staff in local government and national government are hard working and conscientious, often working under
pressure while sustaining a heavy workload.      Stress of some degree is therefore always in the work place but this stress factor increases when colleagues are off on the sick and those still working have to cover for the work of their absent colleagues   
If people are genuinely sick then that can't be avoided but a very small minority abuse the system and that adds to the pressure on the people still working and that in turn can lead to more people being off with stress.
I don't know if it applies in local government but in the national government if you are off sick for 7 days or less you can self certify your sickness.    In other words you can write your own sick note.     SSP does not apply and no one can prove differently.
Full pay is received for sick  abscences up to 6 months, then half pay for the next 6 months then thereafter pensionable pay.     
I don't know if those conditions have changed since I retired but if they haven't then the system needs looking at