I had a meeting yesterday morning at the Council. I was expecting to have to push past a hoard of striking Council workers (Southampton's share of the 1m or 400,000 - depending on who you believe - public sector workers who went on strike yesterday). In the end I encountered one pleasant lady who handed me a leaflet. I suppose it was quite early in the morning.
Council workers are protesting against planned changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). These include moving the retirement age to 65 in all cases and scrapping the 85 rule (a rule that allows some scheme members to retire on full pension benefits if their combined age and length of service in the scheme adds to 85).
The LGPS is a funded scheme which means that each Council pays in money every year to ensure that there is sufficient money to meet all the liabilities, current and future under the scheme. It is estimated that nationally the scheme faces at least a £30 billion shortfall, equivalent to a £1,392 bill for every household in England & Wales. The scheme’s cost to councils has soared from £1.5 billion in 1997 to £3.5 billion last year.
This is one of the main reasons why Council Tax bills soar every year.
The problem is one of central Government's making and not the fault of local Councils, although local taxpayers are made to suffer.
Given many private sector workers could face having to retire at 69, it is not sustainable to continue to allow town hall employees in good health to retire at 60 on a full pension. With an ageing population increasing the cost of the existing scheme, hard-working families and existing pensioners simply cannot afford to foot the growing bill through ever higher council taxes.
The cross-party Local Government Association has commented, ‘the employee staff contribution compared to the employer council tax contributions are currently not balanced and this must be addressed. The council taxpayer simply cannot pay more. The changes to local government staff pensions are both needed and necessary. Unless action is taken in the very near future, the cost to individual council tax payers and local government because people are living longer will continue to rise’.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
BBC Council Tax Quiz
Test your knowledge of town halls and the council tax with our quiz.
I got 9 right! (Excellent, polish up that mayoral chain)
I got the one about elected Mayors wrong. Why would any one know that?
I got 9 right! (Excellent, polish up that mayoral chain)
I got the one about elected Mayors wrong. Why would any one know that?
Pensions Row and Striking Council Workers
I had a meeting yesterday morning at the Council. I was expecting to have to push past a hoard of striking Council workers (Southampton's share of the 1m or 400,000 - depending on who you believe - public sector workers who went on strike yesterday). In the end I encountered one pleasant lady who handed me a leaflet. I suppose it was quite early in the morning.
Council workers are protesting against planned changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). These include moving the retirement age to 65 in all cases and scrapping the 85 rule (a rule that allows some scheme members to retire on full pension benefits if their combined age and length of service in the scheme adds to 85).
The LGPS is a funded scheme which means that each Council pays in money every year to ensure that there is sufficient money to meet all the liabilities, current and future under the scheme. It is estimated that nationally the scheme faces at least a £30 billion shortfall, equivalent to a £1,392 bill for every household in England & Wales. The scheme’s cost to councils has soared from £1.5 billion in 1997 to £3.5 billion last year.
This is one of the main reasons why Council Tax bills soar every year.
The problem is one of central Government's making and not the fault of local Councils, although local taxpayers are made to suffer.
Given many private sector workers could face having to retire at 69, it is not sustainable to continue to allow town hall employees in good health to retire at 60 on a full pension. With an ageing population increasing the cost of the existing scheme, hard-working families and existing pensioners simply cannot afford to foot the growing bill through ever higher council taxes.
The cross-party Local Government Association has commented, ‘the employee staff contribution compared to the employer council tax contributions are currently not balanced and this must be addressed. The council taxpayer simply cannot pay more. The changes to local government staff pensions are both needed and necessary. Unless action is taken in the very near future, the cost to individual council tax payers and local government because people are living longer will continue to rise’.
Council workers are protesting against planned changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). These include moving the retirement age to 65 in all cases and scrapping the 85 rule (a rule that allows some scheme members to retire on full pension benefits if their combined age and length of service in the scheme adds to 85).
The LGPS is a funded scheme which means that each Council pays in money every year to ensure that there is sufficient money to meet all the liabilities, current and future under the scheme. It is estimated that nationally the scheme faces at least a £30 billion shortfall, equivalent to a £1,392 bill for every household in England & Wales. The scheme’s cost to councils has soared from £1.5 billion in 1997 to £3.5 billion last year.
This is one of the main reasons why Council Tax bills soar every year.
The problem is one of central Government's making and not the fault of local Councils, although local taxpayers are made to suffer.
Given many private sector workers could face having to retire at 69, it is not sustainable to continue to allow town hall employees in good health to retire at 60 on a full pension. With an ageing population increasing the cost of the existing scheme, hard-working families and existing pensioners simply cannot afford to foot the growing bill through ever higher council taxes.
The cross-party Local Government Association has commented, ‘the employee staff contribution compared to the employer council tax contributions are currently not balanced and this must be addressed. The council taxpayer simply cannot pay more. The changes to local government staff pensions are both needed and necessary. Unless action is taken in the very near future, the cost to individual council tax payers and local government because people are living longer will continue to rise’.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Buying the Civil Service Sports Ground
On Tuesday morning I am meeting with the Chief Financial Officer of the Council to talk about the Civil Service Sports Ground.
If a new school is built on the St Marks site then the field could become playing fields for the new school and for use by the local community. Government money to build a new school might become available in 2009/2010. In the budget Gordon Brown announced an aspiration to put more money into schools (raising investment to the level of the private sector). Hopefully this means the City will get the money is hoping for in 2009/2010.
My view is that if the new school is popular with all parties (Church of England, LEA, residents, parents etc.) and that we are confident that Government funding is on its way, that we should obtain the land as soon as possible. This way it can be used by St Marks and local people in the meantime.
The Friends of the Field are about to do a wide ranging consultation on local peoples' views. Local people's views should be the driver for what the land is used for. However in the meantime I will be doing all the back ground work to ensure that we understand all the financial implications of the various options.
I have done a relatively small survey of my own. The results are still coming in. When I have them all back I will publish the results on this site. Initial indicators are that hardly anyone wants housing, and people are evenly split between school playing fields, a community hub and a park. The main message is that the land should remain a green field and residents should be able to use it. These are two things that I whole heartedly support! More to follow...
If a new school is built on the St Marks site then the field could become playing fields for the new school and for use by the local community. Government money to build a new school might become available in 2009/2010. In the budget Gordon Brown announced an aspiration to put more money into schools (raising investment to the level of the private sector). Hopefully this means the City will get the money is hoping for in 2009/2010.
My view is that if the new school is popular with all parties (Church of England, LEA, residents, parents etc.) and that we are confident that Government funding is on its way, that we should obtain the land as soon as possible. This way it can be used by St Marks and local people in the meantime.
The Friends of the Field are about to do a wide ranging consultation on local peoples' views. Local people's views should be the driver for what the land is used for. However in the meantime I will be doing all the back ground work to ensure that we understand all the financial implications of the various options.
I have done a relatively small survey of my own. The results are still coming in. When I have them all back I will publish the results on this site. Initial indicators are that hardly anyone wants housing, and people are evenly split between school playing fields, a community hub and a park. The main message is that the land should remain a green field and residents should be able to use it. These are two things that I whole heartedly support! More to follow...
Save the Saints! (SOS)
I have been to the Saints Pub in Redbridge this weekend to support the campaign to keep the pub.
The land is owned by the Council and leased to Enterprise Inns plc who sub let it to a tenant. They now wish to kick the tenant out and develop the site for flats.
I think that the pub is real community asset for the area. In the last few years 7 pubs have closed in the area.
The council is ploughing thousands of pounds into Mansel Park to help improve the area. They are putting in new sports facilities and hopefully this will encourage more teams sports. The local football teams etc. need somewhere to do drink and socialise after a game.
I met up with my colleague Matt Dean who is very experienced publican and is standing in Redbridge for the Conservatives in May's elections. He is doing sterling work in the community and hopefully with Matt's help we can save the pub or even get Enterprise Inns to invest in even better pub for the area.
The land is owned by the Council and leased to Enterprise Inns plc who sub let it to a tenant. They now wish to kick the tenant out and develop the site for flats.
I think that the pub is real community asset for the area. In the last few years 7 pubs have closed in the area.
The council is ploughing thousands of pounds into Mansel Park to help improve the area. They are putting in new sports facilities and hopefully this will encourage more teams sports. The local football teams etc. need somewhere to do drink and socialise after a game.
I met up with my colleague Matt Dean who is very experienced publican and is standing in Redbridge for the Conservatives in May's elections. He is doing sterling work in the community and hopefully with Matt's help we can save the pub or even get Enterprise Inns to invest in even better pub for the area.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Freemantle Charity Golf Day
I spent Sunday afternoon at the driving range at Hedge End, practicing my swing before the Freemantle Charity Golf Day on 30th April. Its to raise money for an epilepsy charity and is held at the Municipal Golf Course. A lot of the Shirley/Freemantle pubs enter teams.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Next Week's Meetings
Next week is a very busy week!
Monday night we have our Conservative Council Group meeting ahead of Wednesday's full Council meeting.
Tuesday is the Resources Scrutiny Panel. We will be looking at the Council's plans to outsource IT and Customer Services to a private company and assessing how the project is progressing.
Wednesday is full Council. I notice the Labour Party have tabled a motion about lighting in Watts Park. This is a subject close to my heart. I have been calling for measures to improve safety in the parks at night for sometime. The Conservative Group suggested that lighting should be improved and made budgetary provision in our February budget proposals. These were rejected by Labour and the Lib Dems. I intend to speak in the debate.
Thursday night is Southampton Test Conservative Association's AGM.
Monday night we have our Conservative Council Group meeting ahead of Wednesday's full Council meeting.
Tuesday is the Resources Scrutiny Panel. We will be looking at the Council's plans to outsource IT and Customer Services to a private company and assessing how the project is progressing.
Wednesday is full Council. I notice the Labour Party have tabled a motion about lighting in Watts Park. This is a subject close to my heart. I have been calling for measures to improve safety in the parks at night for sometime. The Conservative Group suggested that lighting should be improved and made budgetary provision in our February budget proposals. These were rejected by Labour and the Lib Dems. I intend to speak in the debate.
Thursday night is Southampton Test Conservative Association's AGM.
Meeting the Polish Community
I had a really positive meeting with an outreach worker who helps the new Polish Community in Southampton. It was very insightful and interesting. There are now over 14,000 Polish people living in the City and places like Freemantle are quite popular for those settling here.
Freemantle has a Polish shop on Foyes corner and a Polish hairdresser.
St Marks school held a successful evening a few weeks ago, where Polish families were invited along.
Freemantle has a Polish shop on Foyes corner and a Polish hairdresser.
St Marks school held a successful evening a few weeks ago, where Polish families were invited along.
Civil Service Sports Ground - more meetings
Last week I had two meetings regarding the sports ground.
Firstly was the meeting of the Freemantle and Shirely Community Association. This was a well attended meeting and lots of good ideas were expressed.
A committe has been set up to produce a survey which will go to Shirley and Freemantle residents seeking their views on the field.
A number of public meetings have been held about the field but as yet no wide ranging formal canvass has been done of local people's views. There seem to be 3 main ideas for what can be done with the land:
1) Playing fields for a new school and the community.
2) A public park.
3) A community hub with sports facilities.
Secondly I had meeting with members of the Local Education Authority and with the Cabinet member for Children's Services (Cllr Anne Milton - Lib Dem). This explored in more detail the option of building a new school on the St Marks site. If this were to happen it would be very expensive however the City Council is expecting large amounts of funding from the Government in 2009 for secondary education.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
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