Is it the weather?

[Area 51 33]

18 minutes ago, NOACROSS said:

You’re right and the council need to take a fair share of the blame. Parking is outrageous and don’t get me started on the business rates.  That and the VAT kills the game. 

I guess a load of the workers have moved or will move to the distribution centres or become a van driver?

I'd agree, my county (Cheshire) charges as much as possible all day for parking, even with empty shops.. cross the border to Staffordshire and the council have free parking after 1530 to encourage Mums to call in for a pick/quick shop after school... now I didnt know this.. a native of the county stopped my paying for a ticket as I parked up around 1600 one day.. I was surprised, but since then.. when in the county.. I notice on the whole the smaller shopping areas are doing better..

Rates and milking all the can, the councils just want cash to spend.. never seems to be wisely spent either or with a decent cost vs benefit analysis run across it....

 

Pet hobby horse of mine.. so best get back on thread and away from local council activites or lack of.. and best not mention POT HOLES.. I can be found on top of the rear of the sofa shouting at the TV over these...  

[metcars 395]

6 hours ago, Area 51 said:

I'd agree, my county (Cheshire) charges as much as possible all day for parking, even with empty shops.. cross the border to Staffordshire and the council have free parking after 1530 to encourage Mums to call in for a pick/quick shop after school... now I didnt know this.. a native of the county stopped my paying for a ticket as I parked up around 1600 one day.. I was surprised, but since then.. when in the county.. I notice on the whole the smaller shopping areas are doing better..

Rates and milking all the can, the councils just want cash to spend.. never seems to be wisely spent either or with a decent cost vs benefit analysis run across it....

 

Pet hobby horse of mine.. so best get back on thread and away from local council activites or lack of.. and best not mention POT HOLES.. I can be found on top of the rear of the sofa shouting at the TV over these...  

Well it has to be said that the councils have lost huge amounts of central government funding as part of the 'austerity' programme (remember that); probably around 75% by 2020. The only way they can generate cash is from council tax and 'fines'. Expect those to increase very soon

[Area 51 33]

I can only agree... I am just waiting for them to announce that property values for council tax banding should be reassessed.... I suspect they have been wanting to do this for years as its a guaranteed increased income that's going to be above inflation.. I dont think they have been done for years... since the economy tanked, I dont think any one of them has had the bottle to mention this "cash generator".... 

[Screenman 47]

One third of what you pay in rates goes on council workers pensions, now I bet that made you feel good. 

[SC Derby 259]

Fine by me cos 1/3 of nowt is still....

[Screenman 47]

40 minutes ago, SC Derby said:

Fine by me cos 1/3 of nowt is still....

Not even where you live?

[SC Derby 259]

Haha guess so.

£90 a month council tax.

tbf business rates were £600 a month when we got the unit but they were reduced to £0 about 18 months later. 

[metcars 395]

Uns

17 hours ago, Area 51 said:

I can only agree... I am just waiting for them to announce that property values for council tax banding should be reassessed.... I suspect they have been wanting to do this for years as its a guaranteed increased income that's going to be above inflation.. I dont think they have been done for years... since the economy tanked, I dont think any one of them has had the bottle to mention this "cash generator".... 

But, its not 'extra' income, they have a funding shortfall to fill. I don't like paying more council tax either, but if central government slashes their budgets how else can they generate income? My local council outsource everything because they've made huge personnel cuts but they're not the best at managing contrctors. Remember Osborne's 'austerity' cuts are still ongoing until 2020?

I'm not making the councils case but realistically what are they going to do?

Edited May 1, 2018 by met

[BHM 994]

Work proper hours for a start. The average council is chocked full of steady-away employees who only know one speed - dead slow. Half of public sector employees would shit themselves if they worked in the private sector - their first kick up the arse would be working hours. The last time I heard, a local council were on 37 hours p.w., nowadays too many working at home (what a load of bollocks that is) & flexi-time (more bollocks).

[NOACROSS 414]

I don’t know about everywhere else, but down here they’re constantly ‘improving’ roundabouts, crossings, traffic lights, bus stops and adding traffic calming measures, which get dug up and changed every couple of years-plus new cycle lanes that last a few hundred meters only and never/rarely get used. 

[justina3 518]

Sore subject down here they changed all the roads in the city center at a cost of millions ruined the city center trade now two years on there putting it back the way it was and offering local shops free rent / rates to move back someone should be hung from the planning department.

 

[metcars 395]

1 hour ago, NOACROSS said:

I don’t know about everywhere else, but down here they’re constantly ‘improving’ roundabouts, crossings, traffic lights, bus stops and adding traffic calming measures, which get dug up and changed every couple of years-plus new cycle lanes that last a few hundred meters only and never/rarely get used. 

Same here, in fact there won't be any room for cars soon.

[trade vet 697]

1 hour ago, justina3 said:

Sore subject down here they changed all the roads in the city center at a cost of millions ruined the city center trade now two years on there putting it back the way it was and offering local shops free rent / rates to move back someone should be hung from the planning department.

 

I understand it is councillors who make these decisions.Newcastle has a skint Labour council and they have recently removed a lot roundabouts at busy junctions and replaced them with traffic lights apparently to benefit cyclists,traffic backed up everywhere at rush hour and few cyclists......10 years ago the Queen opened a wonderfull new central library.What we didn’t know,it was a PFI back loaded chucky deal and the monthly payments started at £150k and gradually increase until 2034 ! To help pay for it,they have had to close 9 local libraries.They are now planning to spend millions on refurbishing the council offices....

 

[It's me 612]

local elections this week

conservative doesnt even live here

labour hate everything and everybody but lets give more of what we havent got away

libs want to remain in europe

i think for the first time ever im not going to vote

[grant8064 219]

Just for balance (shout at me if you will), one of my friends is a local councillor and they're not all supporting squandering money on roundabouts and cycle lanes. He doesn't claim any expenses and only joined because he runs a local business (it's removals, nothing offshore or flashy) and was sick to the back teeth seeing rates going up, waste charges going up but nothing improving. Eight years in and there have been some genuine positive changes where he is based; free town centre parking reintroduced, beach huts built and sold to bring in revenue in a good way, reopening of the local public toilets and closing down of a dodgy nightclub that was beginning to cause drug issues etc. It's small stuff but it really has made a difference to his little town.

Like cars dealers, you get good ones doing the job right and you get bad ones spoiling it for everyone else.

[Stephen 21]

Business rates have all change where I am and people in town centres like stockton high street are paying no rates as opposed to a year ago 10/12k massive difference and is working in bringing more smalle independent shops to towns 

[metcars 395]

On 30/04/2018 at 0:31 PM, Area 51 said:

Worrying indeed and I do hate how they (the media / government) have hijacked the word "apprentice" and tagged into any role, usually at a pathetic rate of pay! it used to be associated with good training usually on a career for life!

 

Change times..

McDonalds!

[trade vet 697]

1 hour ago, grant8064 said:

Just for balance (shout at me if you will), one of my friends is a local councillor and they're not all supporting squandering money on roundabouts and cycle lanes. He doesn't claim any expenses and only joined because he runs a local business (it's removals, nothing offshore or flashy) and was sick to the back teeth seeing rates going up, waste charges going up but nothing improving. Eight years in and there have been some genuine positive changes where he is based; free town centre parking reintroduced, beach huts built and sold to bring in revenue in a good way, reopening of the local public toilets and closing down of a dodgy nightclub that was beginning to cause drug issues etc. It's small stuff but it really has made a difference to his little town.

Like cars dealers, you get good ones doing the job right and you get bad ones spoiling it for everyone else.

If we had more councillors like your friend who operate in the real world,it would make a difference.These public sector,college lecturer type do gooders and trade union types who appear attracted to being a councillors haven’t a clue so they employ consultants on big money to cover their back.

[metcars 395]

46 minutes ago, trade vet said:

If we had more councillors like your friend who operate in the real world,it would make a difference.These public sector,college lecturer type do gooders and trade union types who appear attracted to being a councillors haven’t a clue so they employ consultants on big money to cover their back.

They won't even be able to afford to do that soon, they're broke

[BHM 994]

Poundstretcher’s gone tits up, House of Fraser closing over 50% of their shops, small town centres like ghost towns midweek. It makes you wonder who’s next. 

[twerp 69]

2 minutes ago, BHM said:

Poundstretcher’s gone tits up, House of Fraser closing over 50% of their shops, small town centres like ghost towns midweek. It makes you wonder who’s next. 

More restaurants and bars, both chains and independants. 

[tradegirl 112]

On 01/05/2018 at 4:21 PM, NOACROSS said:

I don’t know about everywhere else, but down here they’re constantly ‘improving’ roundabouts, crossings, traffic lights, bus stops and adding traffic calming measures, which get dug up and changed every couple of years-plus new cycle lanes that last a few hundred meters only and never/rarely get used. 

Where I live they've added a bollard before the traffic lights turning a 2 lane road into a one lane road (which reopens again at the lights for those turning left)

And they've done the same in the opposite lane of traffic which means a half mile single line of traffic even when it's not busy. No idea why, and never seen so many potential accidents on that road by frustrated drivers (and some idiots of course)