Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

For those who don't know, last night saw the annual budget meeting where the political groups put forward figures to balance the council's books and next week will see the last meeting of the full council before elections. For the HBC staff paid to read this forum on the Leader's behalf, read on and report back just what the good people of this borough feel about Conservative policies.

As has already been posted on another thread, Cllr Dobson last night confirmed that the closure of Peel Street toilets was nothing to do with saving money but a drive to get people into the Market Hall. Personally speaking, I can't see that going down too well with the public at large, especially as Cllr Haworth is only 'considering' opening them for the royal wedding celebrations whilst planning to fill the town centre with revellers. Perhaps they should read some of the reviews out there of their 'state of the art' toilet facilities.

The Labour amendments were rejected outright, with Cllr Britcliffe demonstrating just how out of touch he is with the will of the people by fully defending his own salary and stating that residents know he works hard for his ward of St Andrews. The other 15 wards didn't seem to come into it in that particular speech and he hit back by stating that if councillors were so worried about his expenses they should set an example by foregoing their own to save money. He rounded off the argument by stating that 'only £25,000 comes from HBC', the rest is from LCC and expense claims, and then laying into Graham Jones for a good five minutes, a man who wasn't even in the council chamber and hasn't been for 10 months.

To put his comments about foregoing allowances in perspective, I get an allowance which works out at £9 daily (which is taxed) and put in a minimum of 2-3 hrs every single day including weekends. Cllr Britcliffe gets nearly £118 every single day of the year and claims for meals, travel and even his daily newspapers, plus has a warm office and a dedicated press officer to publicise his 'good news'. I have none of that plus I have three other jobs out in the real world and a mortgaged terraced house, a lifestyle which differs wildly from the retired Tory councillors and one would assume that claiming £280 per month is my own fault for being too poor.

The Labour amendments to the budget were described as 'Scrooge-like' and 'gesture politics', understandable when it outlined reductions of over £36,000 in members' allowances plus another £54,000 of the council Leader's personal expenditure. Savings at Christmas were attacked, despite cuts also appearing in the Conservative proposals and 'token gestures' on allowances were further criticised by stating that they are reviewed annually by an independent panel. Odd then that Bernard Dawson was able to stand up and quite correctly point out that larger East Lancashire authorities pay lower sums than HBC does.

The biggest hypocrisy of the evening came by handing out £295,000 from reserves after shouting down Cllr Dave Mason of Great Harwood for saying that the Conservatives had plundered the reserve fund. £37,500 of votewinning cheques are now to be handed out prior to the elections, much of which had already been allocated to the Conservative councillors up for re-election. I questioned Cllr Britcliffe as to why this money could not have been handed out at the start of electoral year rather than just before polling day and got the usual response that I didn't understand how reserves work but one particular question went unanswered and I think it's worth pursuing. £17,500 is to be taken from reserves for an 'additional (revenue) contribution to the democratic process', but the Leader dodged the question of what this actually meant.

Both Labour and Independent parties outlined proposals to fully balance the budget and put money back into reserves but were left wondering how a Conservative budget which is already £240,000 short of the required savings laid down by the government could justify an extra £55,000 coming out of the piggy bank.

The Hyndburn Conservatives have completely lost touch with what cutbacks mean to real people so I would urge you all to spread the word and spare the borough another year of using public money to try and buy popularity.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Sounds as though the black hole of the 600k "magic income" is still there.

Watch that one. It will come back and haunt you during the year, especially if Labour gain power. The shortfall will be seen as your fault!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

just a quick question councillor Moss if you objected to the conservative budget proposals why did'nt you vote against it? instead of Abstaining maybe the people of this forum may like to know that answer

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Fortunately we're all fully aware of where it will be said the blame lies, whoever takes control in May. The best course of action is to knuckle down and just get on with sorting it all out and it's something I look forward to being part of should control shift to Labour.

We currently have a council Leader who is desperate to cling on to power and will hand out everything we have in order to do that, not my idea of being careful with Hyndburn's finances and blatant electioneering with public money.

Every penny he hands out has come from us, our taxes are being used by Cllr Britcliffe to try and get councillors that you wouldn't necessarily vote for get elected.

Look to your own wards, see how much has been spent in recent years and see how much gets promised in the next month then question why it is happening and further question why it hasn't happened before.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Funny how you come on here to ask how a councillor votes yet have avoided all the main issues discussed recently :mad:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Simple, I didn't disagree with the entire budget. It isn't in Hyndburn's best interests to vote against a 0% tax rise and to vote against would have been to object to that.

By and large I don't agree with abstaining but the Conservative proposals were going to be accepted last night come what may and debates in full council are something of a formality rather than borough-changing events. What concerns me is the large proportion of what was being proposed last night is imaginary money and not conducive to a balanced budget.

£30,000 more generated from pest control? How do you work that out?

Over £400,000 from planning fees? How can you be so sure that the same amount of people will continue to apply for planning permission now that you have levied a £35 charge just for the administration?

Where does the extra tax revenue come from in 2013 and 2014 without raising council tax?

And can you explain this mystery £17,500 to me?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

What do yeh expect Dave,avoids what really concerns folk, aint the guts to address em.:rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Probably didn't have permission from higher up to speak ;)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

oh i agree, but not having the guts is more to the point.;)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Looks like Whittaker is just one of Uncle Festers puppets, just pull my string, pay me and watch me go.....wonder how much he's been paid??????

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Come to think of it.....being a puppet is just like being a prostitute, isn't prostitution illegal in Hyndburn???? I wonder if he pays tax on what Fester pays him???

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Whittaker, I think what the electorate need is transparency and honesty.
To close a town centre public convenience just to get more folk into the Market Hall is dishonest......why can't the people that think up these ludicrous ideas stand up and admit that the Market Hall is an almighty flop......instead of trying to manipulate the public, and in the process, inconvenience them(no pun intended)........And coming on here at this late stage to try and discredit Ken Moss is not in your best interests, does you no favours at all.

While Ken has been on this forum he has(to my knowledge...and unless you can prove anything different) been open and honest about what is going on in respect of council daily doings.........much more than any other elected representative who posts on here(perhaps with the exception of G.Jones).

Well done Ken, keep up the good work in keeping us, the voting public, informed.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

£100,000 for Huncoat plus quite a few votewinning cheques of between £50 and £500 to hand out.

Myself and Harry Grayson in Rishton have been offered.....well, let's just say it's the roundest of all figures.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Could the F.O.I. thing be used to find out how many and how much it costs to provide us with this service?

Or is there some form of unwritten rule?

Yes you may eat the crumbs remaining from the top table so long as you do so at your desk and report back to me about Kenweb.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I presume it's 0, I do hope it's not 00 or that would be greedy :D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I don't have a desk, sir. I'm just a poor forelock-touching waif with rickets that must share a small office with the rest of the peasant Labour councillors. Spare a tanner?

Reporting back on Kenweb during office time is one of those unquantifiable duties that when questioned would be denied, despite the fact that everyone knows it goes on and even who the culprits are. It's simply more fuel to the argument that certain departments could be made to run more cost-effectively, as was laid out last night by both Labour and the Independents.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

No mention from our Ken that he is going to refuse this boost to his area for the greater good of all though.

;)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

He'll just take the money and fritter it away :D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Take what you can from the Leader while it's offered, it'll only get spent on a brass plaque otherwise. Mind you, he'll be needing that 0 on polling day to top up his own votes.

It was made abundantly clear last night that Cllr Horne has been coming up with all the good ideas in Rishton whilst Harry Grayson and myself have been doing absolutely nothing to bring the plight of the village to the attention of the council.

Check the minutes again, old boy.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Put an advert in Buy, Sell n Swap - Accrington Web.

Some kind person may just have a desk going spare.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

What I'm really after is another seat actually, the blue one we already have is a little bent.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Oh no! You mean it will be gone in a flash...Dance?
:eek:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

It saves him worrying about the toilets, he hasn't got a penny to spend :D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I'm sorry, you want a seat?
But you stood for election why can't you continue the way you started?
:confused:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

We've managed to re-upholster two of our Rishton seats in a lovely shade of red but the third blue one only gets brought out every four years and we haven't been able to find any cheques to persuade people it needs re-covering in their own interests.

I'm hoping that in May the public will decide they finally want some splendid red material instead.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Did we get to the bottom of the £82,416 additional income to be generated by the Corporate Services section?

That figure worries me greatly. It is very precise, which means there must be a calculation written down somewhere.

Though not, dare I say, on the back of an envelope!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

It would be an insult to you if anyone pretended that we were given anything approaching an explanation.

What worries me more are round figures, which to me smack of being plucked out of the air.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

They wouldn't do that....................would they:rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Well can I suggest that the first thing you do on the morning after the May Election is to call an emergency meeting of the Corporate Management Team and demand a detailed report on each line of the budget savings.

I fear you are about to inherit an illegal budget!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Your advice, as ever, is appreciated. I simply don't know how it has got through, particularly with the Director of Finances that we currently have.

I think Conservative excuse is along the lines of the tried and tested 'usual reply' whether they win or lose.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Is there any evidence that there will be a change of control at H.B.C., after the May elections?

It keeps getting mentioned, as if it's a certainty.

I remember much giddy excitement in May of last year.

Until the mayoral chains of office were dangled as a glittering loyalty prize.

Gaddafi's hanging on, against all the odds.

Anyone in the know like to give the odds of the ruling party being toppled in Hyndburn?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

HBC is one of the 30 councils expected to switch to Labour control in May which explains why even more cheques are being handed out than usual. Nothing is certain of course, but one would hope that common sense will prevail and people will see through electioneering to the wasteful, self-aggrandising spending we get the rest of the year.

The standard Consrvative argument against any cuts put forward has become 'gesture politics' but if cuts can be made, however small, surely that's a step in the right direction?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

There's no certainties in politics. We'll be pushing hard for it of course,and making the case for change here in Hyndburn.But ultimately it will be up to the voters.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I stated on here that the charity group I help run would not be applying for another grant from H.B.C., because of the cuts in jobs and services.

I've no idea whether it's in the public arena, but we might be the recipient of a donation this year, that would pay for our accommodation for six months.

We were contacted, not the other way around.

We can not afford to turn money down, as this means other funds can be targeted towards assisting people living with Parkinson's, who need help or support. Also the fees we pay for hiring the accommodation we use is paid to H.B.C.

This money isn't guaranteed, as it was only mentioned in the last few weeks. We aren't obliged to take part in any publicity drive.

For whatever reason we might get it, it will be appreciated, and used to help local people.

Be assured that it certainly won't influence who I support politically, nor whom I praise, or criticise.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I agree.

There are no guarantees in politics, as there isn't in the rest of life.

I do remember people wanting to ring the church bells, on one particular morning last May, whilst singing Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead.

Which because of Cllr. Malcolm Pritchard's decision, proved a little premature.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

What fool would turn down money for a good cause. If it's there, take it, I don't think anyone would blame you.

However, as I said in response to Cllrs Roberts, Storey and Wilson last night, all three of whom pointed out that £500 could be the difference between a local group continuing or folding, they are absolutely spot on but since the money is being taken from reserves, has no reliance on the savings in the budget and is purportedly not for vote winning, why not do it in May last year instead of just ahead of the elections? Why did the opposition councillors only find out about it last night and why has a large proportion of it already been handed out in secret by the Conservative councillors up for re-election?

If Area Councils are such a good idea for the community then it should come from them, not one councillor.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Perhaps people on this forum may like to know "Why" apart from the not very meaningfull post, have contributed "Zilch" to this debate? or is it like i assume, yeh aint got the balls.:rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Councillor Whittaker, for your information, I DID vote against your budget because although I fully agree with a 0% Council Tax the other morally corrupt, vote grabbing, blatent electioneering parts of it turn me sick to the stomach. If your party spent more time actually LISTENING to what the public wants rather than imagining the millions of photo opportunities that await you when you present cheques then this borough MAY be better run. RANT OVER (for now !!!!!!!!)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Agree, or disagree with what he says, people do respect Ken Moss for speaking his mind.

He might make the odd snipe, but that is not the sole reason he comes on Accy Web. Unlike some.

The public value openess in politics.

Others could certainly learn from his example.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Oh, and not forgetting a few other councillors, who use this public arena to make their feelings known.

:D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Clare.........I liked your rant, because what you said is true.
The people who are controlling the council were elected by the public of the borough.......they are there to do what the electorate want....but how can this come about when they have no idea about the concerns of the people of the borough?

Why don't they know about the concerns of the electorate? Because they don't LISTEN.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I still haven't had my answer from you regarding the £17,500 'contribution to the democratic process'.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I honestly don't know Ken but could it have something to do with the referendum on polling day:confused:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Oh look, over there, some straws, lets clutch at them?

Surely if it was that simple they would proudly announce such a thing?
:confused:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

And the majority who happen to be non-voters .

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I think you will find they will moan along with the flow, (lazy burghers).

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

i wonder if mr britcliffe saw this on the bbc website yesterday before the meeting ....

BBC News - Eric Pickles warns council over cuts to charity budgets

and that was why he announced the cheques going to the local charities.....

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Having thought more about that Less, could be a more simple answer, there are costs every year in staging the local elections, maybe that is what the money is for?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

But those costs are usually picked up by the Government. I can only think that the Council is looking to take additional steps to increase turnout, which is no bad thing. eg advertising the availability of postal votes, or the importance of using your vote.

The only worry is the apparent secrecy. What has the Council got to hide, if they are steps that won't favour one party at the expense of others?

And of course, if they WERE spending Council money to favour one party, it would be illegal.

Is it my imagination, or is that word starting to crop up more and more over this years budget? Allegedly?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

You mean the one to decide if PB can cling on to some form of power and become elected Mayor ?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

No the one to ask if you want the change the way you vote at general elections

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Thats a bit rich from you too, considering you won't answer questions to you about the increase in Carers Allowance you voted for !!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I think it may also be a good idea for you to explain why you voted FOR the budget and how you think it will benefit the people of hyndburn. It is hypocrisy for you to question Cllr Moss's motives for abstaining if you are not prepared to justify your own actions.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

....and you voted for a budget with so many question marks against it that it calls into question whether it IS actually a balanced budget!

The 600k magic income figure, particularly!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Seem to think that allowances have been covered in both the LT and Observer this week and nobody seems that little bit interested;)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

My questions to him on the Carers expenses were sent 4 weeks ago !!! He did comment however that the threads on here were just propaganda so maybe he should set the record straight !!! Come on Mr Whittaker, let here the 'truth' then.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I can't see how anyone can justify a carer's expense when their daughter is practically an adult. The "child" in question is at least 15, probably 16 now and is (according to my reliable source) " a really nice girl, very grown up,independent and intelligent"

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Quite agree.

You could have missed it on here, but it was discussed, local councillors have recently voted to increase the age of what is deemed a child, and therefore eligible for careers expenses, from 16 to 17.

Not much different in age from the lads and lasses fighting in our armed services.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

It's a crock of, my "reliable source" is a full year younger than the "child" in question, my "child" can make her own way to Hassy High and back every day and is more than capable of looking after herself and me! ( And she's a year younger!) Our "esteemed leader" is once again taking the proverbial.:rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

So, carers allowance, child tax credits and child benefit on top of all the other perks then! ( If he has claimed Childcare costs with the DWP and named an Ofsted registered provider he could be getting help from there too.........):rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

In theory, someone could leave school aged just sixteen, get a job as a nursery assistant, looking after other peoples' children...and their parent/s could still claim child care expenses for them for a whole year.

Madness.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I find it amazing that the Tories will not come out and justify these actions, therefore treating the electorate with contempt. The 'people' voted them in, but they don't seem to care about that, they just make decisions, seemingly, which will benefit themselves.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

The agenda, questions on notice and motions for Wednesday's council meeting can be found online here:

Council

As ever, the public are welcome to attend and sit in the gallery upstairs. Kick off is at 7.30pm at Accrington Town Hall.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

A bit like the gladiators really Ken who has the trident and the net:D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I suspect the public gallery would be a little more full if council meetings were like Gladiator battles:

Attachment 17568

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Have to admit to being a tyro when it comes to local politics, but.
If PB works very hard for his miserely stipend, then why do we need a managing director?
Just asking.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Probably for the same reason we need a Town Centre manager

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

The Managing Director has to be above politics. He has to have the skills of tact, diplomacy, level headedness, and ability to manage to ensure the Council steers a proper course of legality. The current one seems to be doing a pretty good job.

PB is a politician. By definition, politicians dont have those skills.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Didn't really have those Gladiators in mind Ken:D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Russel Crowe then Jay?:D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

For reference:

Row over Hyndburn councillors' expenses rise (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I suspect a 'Name & Shame' exercise on those councillors who do take the 3.5% rise could well reap excellent dividends come May.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I presume the Deputy Leader's expenses should read £17,038., not '£1,7038' as printed.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

There's a comment from Hyndburn Indpendents after the article in the Telegrapgh

Aren't the Independents currently responsible for keeping Britcliffe in power ?

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I thought that was the case...perhaps someone in the know will enlighten us.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Not entirely.

Cllr Malcolm Pritchard is classed as Independent and stands completely alone.

The Independents in Hyndburn currently number three councillors and generally stand together.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I would have though the term Independents was wrong surely? We can be independant, (singular), but not Independents, (plural).

So we have a group of Independents, possibly independent of the independents that are at the moment on the Council working in cahoots with the very man the first group of Independents wish to depose.
We need to find out if the first group is independent of the second group of Independents and if perhaps they aren't are they independent enough? Or, have these independents now become a break away group of independents from themself?
Also, if they are truly independent no point voting for them as they could never work together, these people tend to be loners and like their independence.

Confused? so am I, that's the problem when you are just one individual attempting to understand none-party Politics, you have no-one to turn to for advice.
:confused:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

At least 1 of the Independent Councillors does not support Mr Britcliffe as an ex Labour Councillor. I think the rest may well be former Tory councillors, but don't quote me.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I thought it was the total opposite of what you just said. Wasn't it a bargaining tool for the Mayoral role.

Personally I think if anybody is elected under a party flag and cross the floor they should have another election.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Fairly sure the Independents, who were prevously members of other parties, stood as such in their last elections.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I might be wrong G but I think the Independant in Gt Harwood who was elected as a Tory Dave Mason is up for election this year, but I may be wrong. of the 4 independants now on the council only Dave Mason was elected as a Conservative Simon

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Well if that's the case, like Dave, I think that's wrong.

Anyone, locally or nationally, elected under one party banner, who then jumps ship, should be made to fight a by-election.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

You can follow the meeting online here

Live - Hyndburn Council meeting | Accrington Observer - menmedia.co.uk

Or you could follow watty08 on twitter

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Think Spurs and Milan on telly in 5 minutes will be better entertainment, good night I'm off to watch the match:D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Whats the betting they are all hidden on the Market Hall balcony

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

and the prize is buy 3 cups of tea get the 4th half price ..

from the upstairs cafe

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Do they take party bookings:rolleyes::D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

I know that Cllr Parkins stodd as an Independent at his last election. He had previously been a Labour Councillor but resigned after a fall out with their hierarchy and did not seek re election before standing as Independent a year later.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

My motion to abolish council buffets was defeated. Cllr Britcliffe suggested that it was a back door for the Labour group to increase their expenses.

You may check my expense claims anytime you like, you won't find any meal claims and I have no intention of taking them in future.

My motion on writing to Royal Mail to reclassify the Hyndburn postcodes away from Blackburn was withdrawn as Cllr Britcliffe had coincidentally already had items of correspondence addressing both of my motions.

The Conservative amendment to my original motion was therefore not allowed and legal advice was sought as to whether I could do this.

I could.

Cllr Peter Clarke wrote to me on 4th March 2011 to complain that I had written on the local internet discussion forum Accrington Web about the £250,000 allocated to Rishton by the Leader of the Council for improvements to the area:

(See post 4 on 'Hyndburn 2m bonanza' thread)

Before I wrote this paragraph I failed to check my facts and have now been reassured by Cllr Clarke that no members of his family live on Norfolk Street. Therefore I wish to apologise unreservedly for making the statement on Accrington Web.

Cllr Peter Clarke told me in his letter that he considered the statement to be 'libel against (him) personally' and he asked that I apologise publicly to him in order to 'prevent legal action'.

I wish to confirm that I accept my statement about his personal connection with the playing field proposal in Norfolk Street is completely without factual basis and I wish to ask Cllr Clarke publicly to accept this sincere apology for the distress or embarrassment caused by my ill-founded remarks.

I trust that in complying with Cllr Clarke's request the matter can now be closed without resorting to legal action.

I also asked a question on notice:

Would the Leader of the Council confirm that he condones the £2,765.47 claimed by former Cllr Roy Atkinson as Chair of the Employment Committee between 2006 and 2010, despite the fact that this committee has not met since 2004?

Cllr Britcliffe's response suggested that as I was relatively new to council I may not understand fully how things work and that the fact that the committee had not met was an indicator of the good job that Cllr Atkinson had done in the role.

A supplementary question was disallowed by the Mayor for having no relevance to either the first question or the reply:

Can the Leader of the Council confirm that he claimed £1,073.25 as Chair of the Licensing Committee between 2007 and 2008 even though the committee did not convene in either of those years?

I stated that the connection was with members' allowances but accepted the Mayor's authority on this and sat down.

I also asked a second question on notice:

Would the Leader of the Council please verify the claim by Cllr Marlene Haworth in The Accrington Observer on 25th February that an extra 3,000 people have been brought into the town following Aldo Zilli’s appearance and explain how the council measured that figure?

Although the immediate response was to suggest that I was talking the town down while others were trying to talk it up, when asked a second time he indicated that there were several devices in the town centre to do this and that he was satisfied that anything Cllr Haworth had stated was true.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

the sooner Festers out the better

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Sounds like your meeting were fun Ken :D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

It gives me satisfaction knowing that although there will almost always be objections to my questions, motions and personal opinions I am doing exactly what I promised my residents I would do and standing up for Rishton and the borough of Hyndburn.

As I stated last night, it is not up to us as councillors to decide if we are value for money, the public are the only ones with that right.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

If I wasn't feeling so rough at the moment, health wise, I'd have loved to have been in the public gallery last night.

Sounds much more dramatic than any other theatre in the borough at the moment.

:rolleyes:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Unless the EDL protest outside the Civic :rolleyes::D

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Then it won't be a problem to let the rest of us trying to make a living out of Accrington Town centre, what these devices are and the measurements taken before and after. It might help retailers decide if the town is worth staying in or not.

I would say at least half of our business is made up of people from out of town who one wayor another have been told about us. Several conversations with these customers have resulted in them asking us why we don't move to thier towns, surely the business would do better. without my obvious bias, Burnley in particular is becoming a more attractive business case for us.

Basically we are trying very hard to hold on until after May to see what the outcome is, but it becomes harder by the day when certain names are mentioned who are desparate to run us and many others out of town. :mad:

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Apparently there will be a famous 'balcony' scene on this weekend's politics show :(

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

There is a censor/clicker thing on the market door, I believe, that counts people going in.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Hardly sounds like cutting edge technology.

Sometimes the door'll open, and one person goes through, othertimes it might be six people.

Plus the automatic doors open when no one is going in, or out.

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Perhaps not, but someone could surely ask for those figures and be able to find out for themselves what the numbers were before Aldo and after Aldo!!!

Re: Full Council - 1st & 9th March
 

Do they then divide the total by 2, (people also leave the market), or do they assmume that no one comes through the door on their own so multiply it by some mystical number that is plucked from the ramblings of a passing spiritualist?

I'm sure I could come up with a really expensive piece of kit that would give a more accurate figure, the only problem I could see would be estimating those missed because of the down time as someone would have to keep re-booting Windows.
:D

(I suspect one of our 'techies', will like the above).
;)