Money follows the people with power Keith, be it on a local, regional, national, international or global level. People need to look behind the political curtain and follow the loot.
Departmental budgets within the council have been consistently cut for the past 4 years with most depts being asked to look for 20-25% each year, year on year (WG funding is being cut by almost 5% which is why a £70 million saving is needed to be found over the next 3 years). PCC funding in Swansea has also been reduced from £260k 4 years ago to £110k this year. That funding is going to be cut by a further £20k by the next financial year. All of these cuts yet services are expected to stay the same. As for revenue streams many of which are ring fenced for that service area only.
Talking as an exiled Jack and having left Swansea some 14 years now. Every time I come back for games and go into the City centre it's never changed in all this time. It's like stepping back into the dark ages. The only recent development is demolishing David Evans and re building it. I do feel the council has been incompetent look at Parc Tawe for example, before that was developed, this was to be an eye catching development with Plantasia as it's centre piece. What did we get bloody industrial units, and this the first focal point for any tourists entering the city. Lets be honest Swansea has everything going for it, successful football team, miles and miles of sandy beaches and some of the best scenery your could ever wish for. The way I see it the council doesn't have a vision of what they want from the city. They need to have a master plan for the city, and entice people into the city. Its all very well building boulevards and road infastucture, but after 10 years they start digging it up again at more cost to the taxi payer. To me they need inward investment, bring the shops up to date and big brand names. Just by doing this would attract people to the city and stop people heading up East to better shopping. The city centre need to be bright, create nice green areas so people can sit and talk on sunny days. (If we have any) Bring some good nightlife into the city, not just a street for piss heads. Some nice reustraunts wouldn't go amiss. Look at Barcelona, similar to Swansea a sea port, they have transformed the port area and at night you can have a lovely walk through the city, this is what Swansea needs to do. But hell what do I know, just my thoughts on my home. Problem will always be too much in house fighting between factions within the council and not looking at the greater good for the people of Swansea. So it will always be "Lovely Ugly Town" or as they say in Twin Town "Pretty ****ty City" and i'm inclined to say the latter is true.
At no point have I claimed that everything is "hunky dory". Re: demand for services The money that Swansea Council is spending (on pretty much every single department) is up this year on last year. So if the quality of services delivered has gone down that cannot be hung on "Assembly/Westminster cuts"....if the demand for the services has gone up dramatically (all of a sudden....say, over the last 5 years) then fair enough. Where is the evidence of that? It is the job of the Swansea administration to manage the budget and the services they provide. They get paid very well for it but only seem to have excuses for us. If they have prioritised one area over another and as a result; some people are laid off/ funding to a 3rd sector organisation is cut/quality of service goes down for some users....... ....it is very, very, convenient for the Council to be able to pass on the blame up the chain. It's called politics. Daiswan posted that central government funding to the council has been cut. It hasn't. I'm sorry if that doesn't fit the story that everyone wants to believe but it is there in black and white on their balance sheet.
Wales and West Wales is classed as one of the most deprived areas in the EU! (Given the amount of EU money that comes to West Wales the Euro sceptics in the region should consider life without that money; would we get that from London or Cardiff?) Government costs money and everyone will whinge about it but the more we cut the less we get .. not rocket science. Swansea had always been an industrial town but since WW II (after which the centre has never recovered) heavy industry has virtually disappeared and the council has attempted to 'gentrify' the area by investing in the Marina, SA1 and sea front sections. While pretty this hasn't greatly increased overall wealth. With so many low income wards there is a huge draw on the council's funds. I don't claim to know the ins and outs of the recent problem with the city centre plan but I'm sure it's more complicated than has been reported (It's not like the press has an agenda against Labour, is it?) But it can be done, I was really impressed with Carmarthen on a recent visit. Their centre is an excellent example of a town development that is in-keeping with its size and station. Sorry for the ramble.
Audit committee 7th of August 2014 http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrB...9&LLL=-1/RK=0/RS=7QsZXhG6GNT_hyp1sCzKYhvz.ug-
But you were quite willing to tell the story that the country is running a deficit which the Labour Party is largely responsible for, along with the Thatcherites before them.
To make a difference I'd have to join Labour, jump on the gravy train and sell my soul to be put up for election - no thanks. In any case I don't live in Swansea, I'm just an outsider who can see how criminally poor the city centre is.
That's not a story it is fact. The Thatcher government totally restructured our economy, overseeing the demise of manufacturing and encouraging the rise of financial services in the City of London. New Labour continued Thatcherite policies whilst trying to buy votes by running a deficit, for years, during a "boom" (remember Gordon Brown...."I've solved boom and bust" or some such nonsense)...exactly the time when you should be running a surplus. They employed something like 1 million extra people on the state's books they invested heavily in renewing infrastructure....and made no attempt to rebalance the economy. Manufacturing declined faster under New Labour than it did under the Tories. ....and then? Boom! 2008, a massive bust. The causes of which is very complicated but I certainly don't blame anyone for holding the City of London and Wall St. responsible.....it's just that they forget to include the politicians....and by extension, us....most people voted for the policies enacted over the last 30 or so years. We were in an awful position relative to other countries when the bust came. As a result we have a large structural deficit which has to be corrected. There's no use pretending it's not there, we have to face the consequences. It has to be dealt with. Swansea Council has £750m coming in every year. Of which £250m comes from central government (via the Assembly). In the Audit of their accounts I posted above they state that they expect to face a 20% cut in these funds between 2015-2018 (it's in their interest to exaggerate this figure). 20% = £50m less. Which represents a cut of 6.66% annually. Council tax has gone up by over 6%, early. If they increase their fees by 3% or so their hole should be plugged.
Looking at the actual council accounts there is one line, so far in my reading, that has stood out. Most of the services show a similar spend to last year. However for “Corporate and democratic core”, expenditure has risen from £14,171,000 last year to £23,129,000 whilst income has dropped from £10,105,000 to £7,170,000. I’d be really interested for an explanation of what “Corporate and democratic core” is (although I can guess) and why the figures have changed so dramatically.
Some intresting points there about some aspects of the bad side of our city and those entrusted to improve and care for it on our behalf over the years. Everything comes down to money on large scale developments and if big companies are willing to invest acceptable beneficial plans for the future of our city then what developments do you fellow Jacks think would enhance our environment ? Maybe to get the best out of OUR sea front a pier like the one at Weston-Super-Mare would create jobs and other business developments around it as well as being a major tourist money attraction ? Where would be the best location along there for it ? Perhaps near county hall to link the town centre to the beach but some creative thinking would be needed on how to divert and run the main coast road along there, maybe a tunnel like the one that goes through Lyon in France would work ? or site it near the old Swansea baths - bridge they took down and let rot or opposite the Wreck ? A tram system for the whole city centre and sea front to mumbles, similar to the one in Ostend - Belgium and Dijon- France etc... More large parking open areas at decent prices or even free to get people back into town. Plus incentives for more of the real shops that we want there ? And save and revive our best old historical buildings and icons around the city ? maybe flatten the rest and start again hahaha ! The open area at Felindre behind Morriston hospital which i think should have been the venue for the swans stadium with its direct access to the M4 and room for ample parking there could be a great site for an Alton towers type theme park. And swimming pools, water park slides etc, And ice skating rink, infact all the major attractions missing here that some other nice cities have ? If the money generated was used wisely by our elected councillors then the infrastructure - roads, housing, schools, hospitals, jobs, poll tax bill cuts etc could be improved on after the budgets from gov has been spent as long as its handled properly so we don`t lose any gains to jealous assembly grubby mitts ! What do you think we should have here to improve Swansea for the better on a tourism and as a nicer place to live level ?
The further cuts to departmental budgets and expenditure being made this financial year for the next 3 years are to asist with the forecasted shortfall of £35 million by 2017. This shortfall was originally thought to be in the region of £20million prior to April 2014. What I am stating is what is actually happening within the departments of the council right now and what has been happening in the past 3 years. All services other than education and social services have had these cuts thrust upon them. Hence the amount of ER/VR that has happened recently. Some departments are now working with a reduction of up to 50% less staff with the same workload. Directorates have been merged and reduced over the last 3 years. More and more income generators are having to be identified in order to reduce future cutbacks in staff and services
Not really. You need at least £5,000 to mount a campaign and that is literally an entrant fee, you need more to be able to get around the area and shout out for your cause.
Quite right Bapp and that's why we cant afford or need a welsh assembly. It's a drain on resources that can be better spent. It's nothing more than a talking shop and a gravy chain for those who work (if you can call it work) there, they even want to increase the numbers for gods sake.
If you think that's a fact you don't understand the workings of politics, how Britain is run, or the world order. Your starting point is who bankrolls or has undemocratic influence over the politicians. I note you state "I certainly don't blame anyone for holding the City of London and Wall St. responsible." Perhaps you need to consider those links bit more carefully rather than hang on to the romantic idea that voters shape the major decisions made by our politicians.
Nobody marched anyone to the ballot box at gunpoint to vote for Thatcher so she could destroy the unions, shut down the coal industry and recalibrate the economy towards financial services....they voted for her because she offered them tax cuts. There's nothing romantic about that....or the cynicism of New Labour. Passing on all responsibility for what happened to bankers is weak....it didn't happen in Germany did it?
