CCBC costs and cutting

[SteveH]

Handover of Conwy Council's headquarters won't happen until next year
The Bodlondeb HQ will be transformed into a business centre

Conwy Council staff are gearing up to move from Bodlondeb to Colwyn Bay when the council HQ is transformed into a business centre – but the handover won’t happen until the new year. The council announced in the summer that it will lease Bodlondeb, where it has been based since its inception in 1996, to Ideas Forums to raise much-needed funds.

The Cardiff-based company hopes to use the Grade-II listed building as a "world-class business centre" and platform for entrepreneurs. The council will then centralise staff at its £58m flagship Coed Pella building in Colwyn Bay.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/handover-conwy-councils-headquarters-wont-30215740?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Council accused of 'ignoring' objections after 3G pitch plan approved
Conwy Council said 'due planning processes were followed'

A residents’ group has accused Conwy Council of being "undemocratic" after councillors granted permission for a 3G pitch at a Penrhyn Bay school, despite over 500 objection letters from residents. At a planning committee meeting at Bodlondeb in October, Conwy Council was granted permission to build the artificial grass pitch at fields at Ysgol y Creuddyn in Penrhyn Bay.

Following several public meetings, the council received 567 objection letters, including two petitions, with 39 letters of support also received for its own planning application. The planning committee granted the application, despite the residents’ claims the pitch would cause noise and light pollution, anti-social behaviour and damage the environment.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-accused-ignoring-objections-after-30313329?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589&utm_campaign=Daily-08112024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=IYA-DailyDigest&utm_term=news-link&source=email&sourceUserIid=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Council urged to avoid 'elaborate' spending when moving to new HQ
Councillors were also told they would have to endure parking difficulties when they move out of their current base

A councillor warned the public won’t welcome "elaborate" modifications to Conwy Council's Coed Pella HQ when the council moves out of its current base. Conwy County Council is in the process of moving out of its current headquarters at Bodlondeb in Conwy to its new HQ at the flagship Coed Pella building in Colwyn Bay.

Both staff and councillors will be redeployed to the state-of-the-art Colwyn Bay building, after the council agreed to hand over Bodlondeb to Cardiff-based Idea Forums as a business centre on a long-term lease. After being based at the Grade-II listed Bodlondeb since 1996, the cash-strapped authority needs a new council chamber where its 55 councillors can meet for debate – as well as a public gallery.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-urged-avoid-elaborate-spending-30355313

[Hugo]

It sort of makes sense to relocate the Councillors to the ground floor of the Colwyn Bay building.      All that hot airj generated on the ground floor should warm the rest of the building     

[norman08]

Hi Hugo reference this councillors moving to coed pella. I was chatting to a few councillors and saying how can they move into there when they say there is no space now, to relocate a chamber there would cost a lot,, sound systems TVs etc. and as they said they would have to get the company that owns the building into do the work and that’s if the owners allowed the work.  This must be the worst council ever,,    There is more shocking news regarding ERF that I couldn’t put on here.  😤😳😡

[SteveH]

Is this going to raise money for the council, or cost the rate/tax payers more ?.......... 

A council is looking to profit from installing electric vehicle charging points across the county. At a Conwy County Council economy and place scrutiny committee this week, councillors were asked to agree a county-wide approach for installing electric vehicle (EV) charging points in public car parks and council-owned sites.

The committee unanimously voted in favour of the new approach, which will now go to cabinet for further debate. The report came about after Conwy’s environment, roads, and facilities service sought permission to invite tenders for an operator to work with the council to install and operate electric vehicle chargers in public car parks................https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-wants-speed-30423027

[DaveR]

Hi Hugo reference this councillors moving to coed pella. I was chatting to a few councillors and saying how can they move into there when they say there is no space now, to relocate a chamber there would cost a lot,, sound systems TVs etc. and as they said they would have to get the company that owns the building into do the work and that’s if the owners allowed the work.  This must be the worst council ever,,    There is more shocking news regarding ERF that I couldn’t put on here.  😤😳😡

Incompetence and the wasting of taxpayers money is sadly commonplace in the public sector.

[SteveH]

Is this going to raise money for the council, or cost the rate/tax payers more ?.......... 
....https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-council-wants-speed-30423027

Council is looking to profit ??  from installing electric vehicle charging points across the county.

As part of the plans, Conwy will receive a percentage of the income generated............ I have no confidence in the council to make this work in our favour.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24743963.conwy-council-profit-electric-vehicle-charging-points/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Cambrian]

It would be ironic if our friends in Cardiff Bay decided to reduce councillor numbers to fund the 30 additional MSs and the work at Coed Pella was not necessary after all.  How the Independent Renumeration Panel is able to justify 3 inflation busting increases to allowances in a row is beyond my comprehension.  If they are poorly paid, why is there so much competition to be a councillor ?

[Dave]

Talking of Assembly matters, couldn't the council use the Welsh Assembly's building in the Junction for debates...I presume it's still operating? There must be a debating chamber in the building as the Assembly was supposedly going to have periodic meetings there from what I recall.

[SteveH]

‘Robust spending controls in place’ at Conwy Council........ apart from councilors pay rises

An in depth article .............

Conwy is facing “service pressures” amounting to £5.49 million in the current financial year.

At a cabinet meeting at Bodlondeb this week, councillors were briefed on Conwy’s precarious financial position for 2024/25 but told “robust” cost-cutting measures were now in place across services.

A quarterly monitoring report on the revenue budget 2024/2025 was presented to cabinet members, who heard how the projected outturn for social care had risen due to increased demand and pressure.

full article... https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24760095.robust-spending-controls-place-conwy-council/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Council 'should cut back on bureaucratic jobs to help plug £31m budget gap'
'We need to look at the non-essential spending of the council, and that's what we never seem to do'

quote..........
"I've made all these points in the budget, and nothing has been done. We are back here again with nothing being done. If you look on the council website, we are hiring. No freeze on jobs. We actually employ more people now than we did last year. Where we are employing the people, I have concerns.”

Cllr Carr then said the council had cut frontline service jobs, including 32 in refuse. "We are employing too many people in non-essential services, bureaucratic sorts of jobs,”

full article https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-should-cut-back-bureaucratic-30506237?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Update.............

THE TOTAL cost for the refurbishment and replacement of Llandudno's Alice in Wonderland statues has reached almost £70,000.

Conwy Council is currently undertaking restoration work to the statues, which acknowledge Llandudno’s connections to Alice Liddell.

Alice Liddell lived in the resort during the 1860s and is believed to have inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Consequently, the council commissioned the carved wooden statues as part of an £85,000 Alice Trail around the town in June 2012.

The work is being completed in two phases, with work on the statues in the town centre and the ones at Happy Valley.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the local authority has revealed that the former phase has cost the council £24,406, including £1,852 for the removal of the Cheshire Cat at Happy Valley.

The Alice, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee statues have been cleaned, repaired, treated and repainted, with some costs going towards site safety................https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24771815.almost-70-000-spent-llandudnos-alice-wonderland-statues/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

A Freedom of Information Act (FOI) application has revealed exactly what the highest travel expense-claiming Conwy councillors received for last year.

The application revealed a breakdown of the expenses of the five highest-claiming councillors, four of whom are, or were, cabinet members.

The FOI application, submitted by a member of the public, revealed five councillors claimed nearly £5,000 between them in mileage during 2023-2024.

The expenses are additional to councillors’ salaries.

Full list of expenses claimed by councillors in 2023/24:

Leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey claimed £816.75 in travel expenses.
Cllr Penny Andow claimed £361.80 in travel expenses.
Cllr Goronwy Edwards claimed £103.50 in travel expenses.
Cllr Nigel Smith claimed £800.55 in travel expenses as well as £15.50 in subsistence and other expenses (parking).
Cllr Elizabeth Roberts claimed £2,147.85 in travel expenses.
Cllr Geoffrey Stewart claimed £158.40 in subsistence and other expenses.
Cllr Cheryl Carlisle claimed £217.80 in travel expenses.
Cllr John Roberts claimed £111.40 for public transport.
Cllr Gwennol Ellis claimed £216.00 in travel expenses.
Cllr Abdul Khan claimed £79.60 for public transport and £104.54 in subsistence and other expenses.
Cllr Paul Luckock claimed £648 in travelling expenses.
Cllr Stephen Price claimed £298.35 in travel expenses.
Cllr Dilwyn Roberts claimed £523.80 in travel expenses.
The full list of 2023/24 claims can be viewed here: https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Council/Councillors-AMs-MPs/Assets/documents/Councillors-Allowances/Remuneration-Paid-to-Councillors-2023-2024.pdf

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24775137.expenses-conwy-councillors-claimed-travel-work/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Conwy residents asked to vote on service cuts as another council tax hike looms

Councillors have been left grappling with a massive budgetary black hole

A cash-strapped council fears it will have to cut services in order to prevent eye-watering council taxes rises. Residents in Conwy are being asked to prioritise where savings should be made, from education to road repairs and leisure facilities.

Extra fees for services are possible, and to cut costs Conwy Council will continue closing public buildings and rolling out staff-less technologies. Even with all these measures, the local authority has warned that further council tax increases are inevitable in 2025.

Full article and stats ... https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-residents-asked-vote-service-30604246?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589