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Post by kenwood on Oct 14, 2024 18:12:26 GMT 1
I know local authorities cannot actually become bankrupt but to put it succinctly they are on the verge of only being able to provide essential services .
Where that leaves our New Town Plan and the NWR road one can only guess .
They are in the sticky brown stuff . I wonder who they are lining up to blame .?
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Post by DiglisShrew on Oct 15, 2024 16:06:21 GMT 1
I know local authorities cannot actually become bankrupt but to put it succinctly they are on the verge of only being able to provide essential services . Where that leaves our New Town Plan and the NWR road one can only guess . They are in the sticky brown stuff . I wonder who they are lining up to blame .? The new government’s underfunding since the election obviously!! 🙄😉 |
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Post by staffordshrew on Oct 15, 2024 17:25:40 GMT 1
What a surprise, asbestos found in the Riverside building. I suppose that's going to cost the council. Should have left it to professional developers
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Post by mattmw on Oct 15, 2024 17:45:19 GMT 1
What a surprise, asbestos found in the Riverside building. I suppose that's going to cost the council. Should have left it to professional developers Asbestos on the site was identified at an early stage of the project and not unusual for a site of that age and construction. The actual project is being managed by a range of professional development and demolition companies so while the Council is the accountable body the project is led by companies with a lot of experience in that area of work www.smithfieldriverside.com/team#:~:text=Shropshire%20Council%20has%20appointed%20an,Spacehub%2C%20Arup%20and%20Counter%20Context. |
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Post by staffordshrew on Oct 15, 2024 20:27:04 GMT 1
What a surprise, asbestos found in the Riverside building. I suppose that's going to cost the council. Should have left it to professional developers Asbestos on the site was identified at an early stage of the project and not unusual for a site of that age and construction. The actual project is being managed by a range of professional development and demolition companies so while the Council is the accountable body the project is led by companies with a lot of experience in that area of work www.smithfieldriverside.com/team#:~:text=Shropshire%20Council%20has%20appointed%20an,Spacehub%2C%20Arup%20and%20Counter%20Context. Surely the problem is it will cost money, that the council hasn't got much of? |
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Oct 15, 2024 21:21:15 GMT 1
Surely a bigger concern is the additional cost that Labour is going to Levy on employing people by increasing Employers National Insurance. It will be a significant cost for Shropshire Council and won't have been budgeted for.
Could be the final straw...
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Post by mattmw on Oct 16, 2024 6:05:43 GMT 1
Asbestos on the site was identified at an early stage of the project and not unusual for a site of that age and construction. The actual project is being managed by a range of professional development and demolition companies so while the Council is the accountable body the project is led by companies with a lot of experience in that area of work www.smithfieldriverside.com/team#:~:text=Shropshire%20Council%20has%20appointed%20an,Spacehub%2C%20Arup%20and%20Counter%20Context. Surely the problem is it will cost money, that the council hasn't got much of? The redevelopment program of the riverside is externally funded by the Government through Levelling Up funding and demolition costs including asbestos removal were costed into the scheme from the start |
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Post by mattmw on Oct 16, 2024 6:13:41 GMT 1
Surely a bigger concern is the additional cost that Labour is going to Levy on employing people by increasing Employers National Insurance. It will be a significant cost for Shropshire Council and won't have been budgeted for. Could be the final straw... I’m guessing if the National Insurance changes come in they would be from 1st April 2025 so could still be included in the 25/26 budget planning - but clearly an additional cost all Councils will need to find money for The big issue all Councils will be waiting to hear on in the budget statement will be whether additional funding for social care is found, as that’s the big cost for most councils, and in Shropshire accounts for 70% of the overall spend. |
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Oct 16, 2024 13:30:01 GMT 1
I have heard that the actual cost of social care is closer to 80% and increasing....not a sustainable situation
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Post by davycrockett on Oct 16, 2024 15:12:00 GMT 1
I have heard that the actual cost of social care is closer to 80% and increasing....not a sustainable situation And Boris's lifetime cap coming in in 2025 after being kicked down the road twice...extra costs for councils when people reach the cap. It's a right mess 😔 |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2024 18:34:08 GMT 1
Surely a bigger concern is the additional cost that Labour is going to Levy on employing people by increasing Employers National Insurance. It will be a significant cost for Shropshire Council and won't have been budgeted for. Could be the final straw... 14 years of ideological austerity, a Tory led county council and you're lining up to push the blame onto Labour. Now it's well known on here that I'm no fan of Starmer, but I really do think that you're clutching at straws with this one owd lad. |
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Oct 16, 2024 21:00:07 GMT 1
I fully agree with your diagnosis that 14 years of Tory mismanagement is a major contributor to the current financial crisis, although Councils of all political colours are reeling with the cost of social care.
The point I was making was that any increase in the wage bill could be the final straw that makes the inevitable happen sooner rather than later.
I suspect the current administration will limp on till the local elections in May, and leave the new administration, which will probably be Lib Dem to sort out the mess
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Post by kenwood on Oct 17, 2024 8:46:39 GMT 1
The government really has to focus on the cost of social care and children in care . These have been increasing for some years now .
We are a growing elderly population , people like myself born just after the end of the Second World War are , despite advances in healthcare , needing to be looked after either in residential or nursing homes or at home .
It’s been known that this would be a major funding issue for years and yet governments have failed to take appropriate steps to help out local authorities .
Now the chickens have finally come home to roost.
I’m not saying this administration is blame free but let’s look at the real issue here .
As a rural authority ,that results in an even greater strain on finances and so I would argue that local authorities like ours should be seen as needing additional financial assistance .
I’m no great fan of this Tory administration but recognise that they have been treated unfairly by governments in the past .
Over the years I’ve heard many reasons why our Council is facing financial pressures. Most of them laughable ranging from too many staff employed doing bugger all to local politicians using the Council as their own private bank .
Compared to many other local authorities who really are led by clowns over the years I think we have been well looked after , one or two minor blips I agree but mainly we have seen competent and professional staff and councillors running our services .
Time for the government to step up and recognise our situation with additional funding ongoing .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2024 18:56:33 GMT 1
How many people on here would happily cough up an extra 2 or 3p in the pound to sort these issues out?
None of us are getting any younger and if we don't put our hands in our pockets now, or at least very soon the next generations will have no social care of any kind at all, not to mention pensions.
Every government for the last 20+ years has seen this crisis looming and has chosen to kick the can down the road. This can't continue and if my income tax or national insurance has to go up a couple of pennies in the pound then I'm prepared to accept that. It sure as hell beats the alternative mentioned in the previous paragraph.
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Post by northwestman on Oct 20, 2024 14:40:49 GMT 1
Please Ms Reeves, do not give the Councils the power to remove the single person's 25% council tax discount in a cynical ploy to move the blame their direction.
Practically all councils would implement this in a heartbeat like drowning men clutching at straws!
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Oct 25, 2024 13:51:17 GMT 1
s**tehall is closing from from 1st November desperate attempt to save money.
Just face the inevitable and declare bankruptcy and call in external people with expertise to run the organisation
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Post by davycrockett on Oct 25, 2024 15:21:33 GMT 1
s**tehall is closing from from 1st November desperate attempt to save money. Just face the inevitable and declare bankruptcy and call in external people with expertise to run the organisation They don’t seem to worry about wasting money. The Greenfields debacle cost us £100s of thousands why don’t they sack the people responsible for these mistakes. Won't mention shopping centres, cobbled sets et al…..Never any appologies |
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Post by mattmw on Oct 25, 2024 17:45:22 GMT 1
s**tehall is closing from from 1st November desperate attempt to save money. Just face the inevitable and declare bankruptcy and call in external people with expertise to run the organisation They don’t seem to worry about wasting money. The Greenfields debacle cost us £100s of thousands why don’t they sack the people responsible for these mistakes. Won't mention shopping centres, cobbled sets et al…..Never any appologies Greenfields was sold by Shrewsbury Town Council who have since purchased it back from the developer. The Town Centre cobbles were undertaken by the then Shrewsbury And Atcham Borough Council so neither Shropshire Council led projects That said plenty of decisions Shropshire Council take can be open to justifiable criticism, and I say that as an employee! Personally I think the shopping centre project and redevelopment will be good for the long term economy of Shrewsbury, and has already attracted £20 million of government funding for the project The real killer to the budget is adult social care which over 70% of the Council budget is spent on, and needs urgent reform if Councils across the country - even excellently run ones - aren’t to go bankrupt |
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Post by Pilch on Oct 25, 2024 20:05:10 GMT 1
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Oct 25, 2024 20:58:34 GMT 1
If the Council does declare bankruptcy then the commissioners brought in to balance the books will cut what non statutory services remain as well as probably hiking Council Tax as happened in Birmingham.
Not a good time to be a resident or Council tax payer in Shropshire
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Post by tdk on Oct 28, 2024 15:45:03 GMT 1
The only realistic long term solution is more taxpayers through immigration.
Unpalatable to many and definitely not a vote winner (As Merkel found out in Germany)
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rob62
Midland League Division Two
Posts: 210
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Post by rob62 on Nov 2, 2024 10:51:27 GMT 1
End of an Era, s**tehall is now closed to most staff....sad but inevitable
Bad news for nearby shops and businesses with lower footfall
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