HBC's latest moronic act
 

If anyone has a payment card for HBC then its bad news for you if your card is either damaged,lost or in my case simply stops working because in their wisdom they have seen fit to discontinue the payment cards as a cost cutting exercise .

Most people who have these cards use them to budget or use them as they are unable to have a bank account amongst other reasons.

The alternative is that they will send you a bill with a barcode on and you will have to look after this scrap of paper as each week it gets more and more tatty until it no longer scans at which point HBC will be on you faster than lightening about your missed payment with threatening letters .Incidently these letters cost money to send out too and boy do they like to waste money sending letters out in a hurry:rolleyes:

Anyway this scrap of paper has to be scanned at a post office so unless you live pretty close to one you may find yourself having a fair old trek each week to make your payments :mad:

What a bright idea, well thats if you class the 5w bulb over their heads as bright :rolleyes:

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

So what you are saying is that the Council is introducing letters with bar codes that "get more and more tatty until they no longer scan" to replace payment cards that "get more and more tatty until they no longer scan".

Presumably the payment card system carries a cost that has to be borne by everyone, so it sounds reasonable to get rid of it if there is an adequate system to replace it.

Which it seems there IS ie letters with bar codes.

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Why oh why can't the council simply charge for the cost of a new card. It cannot cost more than a pound, or is common sense a problem.

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I think its to do with the admin cost of running the payment card system, because it involves a third party who take a cut. Its that cost which the Council are trying to get rid of.

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Sorry Gynn, but how much would it cost the council to buy some blank plastic cards? A printer sor said cards and print their own barcodes on it. That does not wash, sorry

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no it is not reasonable if it was reasonable we wouldnt have cards for anything like gas,electric,rent payments for straters and they would all insist we trek to the post office and que up for ages to pay instead of conviniently paying when you go to the shop for your items.

First of all the payment counter is taken away so you cant make cash payments when in town which was a tory idea and then labour make it even harder to pay them by removing the card scheme.Seems pure stupidity to remove options of payment but hey ho if it saves teh people who dont need these cards a fraction of a pence each year then so be it.

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You are probably right.

I was only trying to give the Council's side because, for whatever reason, no Councillor or Council officer shows the common courtesy of doing their job by coming on here to answer the questions raised.

They leave it to former employees to try and second guess the reasons for their strange decisions.

Don't know why I bother!

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I wouldn't Gynn, but well said

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sory if i came across as abrubt but its one of those days and after treking around town center and local shops trying to pay my bill before bailifs are sent for money i dont really owe yet i was more than miffed that they wouldnt even put a note on my account saying there was dificulties with the card and payment would be made when i recieved their scrap of paper to use.

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Well its we're in charge now and we'll do what we want, and up yours, much in the way the MP did with the referendum vote, or as one councillor said on facebook the day after Mays election "I can't believe that I'm now deputy leader of hyndburn borough council" na neither can I

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

More than likely there is also a massive consultancy fee on top like there is with most council expenditure. We can produce an aliminium card fairly cheaply and they don't get tatty :)

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Now why cannot the council really use some comon sense and 'buy local'....
Gift print would be ideal.

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The only problem there BG is Dave is a member of Accyweb and we're not really flavour of the month with the ruling group on HBC these days:rolleyes:

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30 pieces of silver and you lot will be a distant memory :D:D:D:D:D

Ah! Specially pre-tattified in production are they?

Weren't exactly more than a horrible smell on the patent leathers of the last lot either, isn't it grand to be popular?

Still, the present lot know that when things go really bad for them they will always get a fatted calf and a warm welcome back from their neglected friends here on AccyWeb, we won't ignore them on the way down the way they've ignored us now they've hit the big time.

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Month ??? :D Just when did they take up the reins ?

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Ya but the difference is Less, the last lot, as you put it, didn't use AW to make political capital, and I do remember saying before they rose to the exalted ranks of rulers, that their visits to this website would diminish if the water became a little choppy, although being shouted down by might mouth at the time, seems to have come to fruition:rolleyes:

Oh Boy, when we finally get to meet have I got a tale to tell you about your mate.

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

My mate:confused::confused::confused::confused: can I define mate Less, a mate is somebody who you call a friend, some one who will help in times of need and vise versa, some one you can rely on and be proud to be associated with, the person I think you are trying to refer, certainly does not fit that criteria, in fact there are far more people I have become acquainted with on this website fit that bill more readily

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I think you described a friend not a mate. You can probably count true friends on one hand.

A mate is somewhere in between an acquaintance and a friend.

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Not in my book it ain't matey:D

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Rossendale council brought this idea in in March of last year ie 2011 ... and as i used the card to pay my council tax at the post office ... i got my council tax bill with a bar code on it .. this was also to last me 10 months till id paid up ... tis a mess .. as the card was credit card size and fitted in my pocket ... this is A4 size .. which has been folded firstly by them and then again by me ... and stuffed in my pocket ... so then the rain couldnt get at it .... at least ive managed to get it to last so far .....

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

All we would like is a bit of common sense applied, the administration should be there to serve the people, but it does not.


When I retired from the council I was sent a final bill for my work mobile phone, as I didnt use it for personal calls, the bill was ten pence, yes 10p, it had a stamp on that cost more than that, it was in an envelope, and typed by a typist. I duly sent a cheque, I think at this stage the penny dropped. It would have cost more to cash than the face value, it never showed up on my bank statment as cashed.

The point of this though is that it was not the politicians that did this, it was the administrators just applying the rules as they thought best, and not the common sense rule.:pain30:

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Ya the Jobsworth award Dave, rules is rules, I work for the council and I'm not allowed to think for myself, but this doesn't happen just in local councils its in every public service area, because quite frankly its not their money they're wasting, it ours, the stupid part about it is those pushing the buttons pay into the same system too doh:rolleyes:

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

jay, I think some of the problem stems from the early retirement/redundancy policy which was designed to reduce the workforce. this got rid of a lot of the experienced personnel, im not saying this attitude wasn't present before, but getting rid of 60 (to start with) resulted in a lot of people with little experience running sections.:oke2:

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

How long ago was it they let that many go?

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it was spreed over 2002/2003 , I attended a large meeting with Cllr Britcliff and Mike Chambers chairing the meeting, initially asking for 45 people to volunteer for early retirement/redundency, this was late 2002, I think this number eventually went up to 65 but not too sure then in 2003 they left around may it was staggered a bit, I left in october

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I find that strange Dave that Britcliffe would be at that meeting, as Labour were in control in late 2002

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

early retirement was on the table in 2002 for thiose that wanted it, but moved up a gear in 2003 with arms being twisted to take the offer, and cllr. Britcliffe was deffo the chair and it was from his very lips that I was informed that 45 jobs had to go voluntarily or it would be made compulsary. Mike Chambers was also pushing the numbers and reorganisation, who incidentaly came around and told everyone on the very day that all this was implemented that he was leaving to go to Bolton.

What day was this, you couldnt make this up, 1st April :silly:

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The biggest mistake Britcliffe made was that the day after the election in 2000 when the Tories took overall control that he didn't tell Chambers to clear his desk the morning after

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It was after he left that they descided not to have a chief exec anymore and appointed 2 managing directors. That though is another story.

I think it says a lot that on the day that the changes he initiated came to pass he left, and without any warning:tongueout

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Maybe you could start a thread on the history of HBC from your viewpoint, it sounds interesting.

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It's a thought, wouldn't know where to start though as I worked for the council for 40 years.

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So you must have started for HBC right from day one then Dave, bet there are some very interesting tales to tell, people only actually know what goes on behind the scene when they're at the sharp end, even some councillors don't full what goes on, and as for the GP well that is another story

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Day 1 would be a good place to start, have you seen our blog section, it would be ideal for your stories

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I wonder if you knew my Aunt -Diane Chaffer -she also worked for HBC from the age of 16 for about 40 years...

She also has interesting tales to tell about her time there.

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Once upon a time.:p:D

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I knew Diane very well, although it was purely on telephone basis, I used to speak to here nearly every week

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I remember Diane, too. Very keen artist, who if memory serves me right, retired to live in France.

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Name rings a bell but cant put a face to her.
My time was spent in the parks and open spaces section with a period in charge of the cemetery and crematorium as well (through the competitive tendering days). Now there are some strange tales

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

you have set me thinking now ! I can remember the first day I turned up for work with my "bait bag" it was realy an old gas mask bag with my butties in.

My mum got my work clothes from millets the army and navy stores on peel street, it was the first time that anyone had turned up for work dressed as a japanese admiral.
Joking aside I remember the first and last day at work the bit in between went a bit fast so will have to ponder what happened before I commit myself

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I actualy started work for accrington corporation finished school on friday, started in oak hill park on monday. Back then you could move between district councils to get a promotion, clayton and altham, oswaldtwistle, rishton, church urban districts, I think that was the setup!

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I used to make calls like that.:eek::D

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Ya Beni but mine were local calls not premium rate and I didn't end up with a smile when I rang off:D

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Think she was in housing department Dave prior to the change to Hyndburn Homes

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Diane was a committee clerk, working with Linda Maloney.

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Must have been the housing committee gynn :confused:

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

Possibly, although the Committee clerks deal with many different things. They tend to be close to councillors, seeing them so regularly for meetings etc, and become the point of contact between councillors and council departments. The chances are Diane knew who the best person in the Housing Department would be to deal with your questions.

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Might be getting mixed up gynn, the women I talked to regularly was defo in housing. Just looked at an old HBC Diary its Rona Courtney, I dealt with gynn and before that it was gwyneth Sarker, I think thats what she was called, went to work for Blackbur with Darwen:confused:

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I recognise those names, jaysay. Both they and Diane were excellent officers who always did a professional job in the face of some rather difficult pressure from politicians!

I think the point that davemac makes is relevant. The early retirement scheme led to all the experienced officers leaving, and the Council certainly suffered from this lack of experience in subsequent years.

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I actually don't think closing the direct works department was a good idea either, it was one of the best DWs in the area

Re: HBC's latest moronic act
 

I agree jaysay, but the Direct Works Department that was so successful during the 1990s had probably had its day by 2002 as changes in Government regulations and work practices blurred the distinction between client and contractor, and forced Councils to look at new ways of providing services.

I'd hate any existing HBC staff to think there is any criticism of them in what I say. They can only work with the tools they are given. The current austerity measures and cuts in spending this year, next year and beyond fill me with horror and are probably confirmation of the nightmare scenario we all feared fifteen or twenty years ago. Massive reductions in staff to a level where, frankly, they simply can't do the job.

Frightening!

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HBC Works Dep. were actually doing work outside the council, besides working for the council itself think in 2001 the brought around £300,000 into the council coffers as well as maintaining HBC stock

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Correct -she used to take all the minutes at council meetings and worked closely wih the mayor and councillors. She did retire early but through ill health about 7yrs ago.

She is still living in Accy though (my reference point when I visit as i stay with her), she dedicates as much of her time as possible to art, painting and teaching. She also takes great photographs of her travels. Last year she spent a few weeks with me in N.Italy and will be coming back this year and taking a house on Lake Garda for a few months hopefully -this to get material for her next exhibition. As I write she is travelling back from NZ where she's been touring and staying with my sister.

I will tell her she has been remembered by some people on here I'm sure she'll be pleased.:)