Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

So instead of sacking the incompetent staff who were allowing the department to fail I suspect they moved them back from Hyndburn to LCC to carry on as if nothing had happened.

If LCC were committed to devolved power should they not have assisted Hyndburn solve there issues and not just take it from them?

This is the problem with Council's. The staff don't appear to be held accountable for there actions, or more likely lack of action.

If the same thing happens where I work someone would have been out of a job. One of the top managers parted company with us only a few months ago as it was decided he did not fit in with the current working strategy. He was replaced shortly afterwards with a new chap.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

You have a very short memory:D :rolleyes:

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

Those responsible were sacked. Hyndburn Borough Council. They had been syphoning money out and not supervising the work correctly.

When they lost the contract Brian Walmsely said LCC were taking £45,000? out of the Council Budget. Of course this was an admission they had been cross subsidising other services (siphoning off).

The works dept at election times were inundated with demands from certain areas. From 3 gully wagons the Council left themselves with one broken down one (18 weeks is al they got out of it in 2006 - spent more on repairs) and had to pay a private firm from Lancaster to empty the gullies but they had no chance of meeting their contractual obligations.

Road maintenance wasn't really being supervised and street lighting was a poor service. These have both improved dramatically under LCC and staff in the department are a lot happier (to be working for LCC instead) when you speak to them.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

So who was sacked for the poor service then?

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

I think if you read Graham's reply you will see that LCC sacked Hyndburn Borough Council because LCC had been giving the money to HBC to provide the Highways maintenance and HBC had been using some of the money to subsdise other areas of their expenditure. Graham quoted Brian Walmsley as saying a figure had been taken out of HBC's budget by LCC taking the service back in house.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

I doubt anyone was actually sacked just HBC lost the contract.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

Should LCC not have assisted HBC with there problems instead of just pulling the rug out from under them?
Or did LCC just not like having control over what was done and where with highways issues?

I would be more interested to understand who it was that decided to spend the money on something other than Highways and what the agreements were between LCC and HBC.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

HBC did not have the contract for doing the work for LCC. It was a devolution of power from LCC to HBC.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

If HBC where receiving money for work to be done I would call that a contract.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

Councillors. District ones !

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

That is spot on. Neil used the word 'sacked' but it was actually a loss of contract and the transfer of workers.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

No it wasn't it was a contractual arrangement. Workers were tupe'd from HBC to LCC when LCC took the contract back in house.

LCC have promised over 10 years they will clear the gully backlog.

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

No it is not suppose to work like that. HBC were supposed to manage the highways. Devolution is not like a contractor doing work for LCC.


Maybe I am seeing this all wrong.

Graham, could you please explain what is meant by the term devolution of power and what this meant with regard to LCC's devolution of highways to HBC?

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

So Highways was not an example of devolution then?

Re: Secret location for drug and alcohol centre
 

It was devolution in a way because Local District Councillors were in control of services in Hyndburn. That element was important to County but clearly HBC could not be allowed to run the contract. So middle management and blue collar workers were transferred as the contract was ended. In effect sacking the senior management and councillors at HBC.

'Hyndburn Local' was then set up, a public forum and decision making committee maade up of the 6 Hyndburn County Councillors to fulfill the devolution/local decision making. 6 District Councillors were invited but the Tories refuse to go or send anyone. Childishly too, The Tories stopped 'Hyndburn Local' hosting any meetings in Hyndburn Council buildings.