Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
Probably early-mid March Sarah.
Majority of tags issued in last two to three weeks.
Watty
I wont press the point as that is what makes , in my opinion, threads unreadable , but as you may have guessed I really object to this being a charged for service and probably always will
Guest 744- Registered: 20 Mar 2012
- Posts: 412
Hear, hear Sarah. Council Tax increased and green waste charge imposed. I feel sorry for those without a car and/or unable to get about who simply have to cough up to have their green waste removed. A friend of mine who lives in Canterbury has had his Council Tax REDUCED by £5 per month. What are they spending our taxes on - certainly not roads and clearing up litter along the A2!
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
Sarah, I agree with you.
But it is a matter of options.
We don't have to offer this service.
You have had it free for two-three years whilst others have paid or not had the service at all.
In an ideal world where cuts did not have to take place we would have extended the service to all free.
That was not an option.
I accept it is not popular but in view of debate on this forum about what services people want in their communities & why they don't get them this is probably one of the least worst options.
As someone who probably had eight sacks + each pick up I personally notice the difference & have had to make choices.
If you want to pay more Council Tax I can offer you the service but the govt. caps the level at which we can increase & also reduces our grant £2.4m last year £800k this year, £500k next year & the year after.
So the hard options are taken.
Watty
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
The argument "You have had it free for two-three years whilst others have paid or not had the service at all" is bit of a red herring.
I do not use the library but still 'pay' for it, using Paul's comment maybe residents should pay to borrow their books.
I would have been quite happy if I could have paid per collection but I guess that would cost more to operate.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,226
Indeed Jan , you are right it would have cost more to administer.
Your option & quarterly payments were looked at.
Watty
Guest 730- Registered: 5 Nov 2011
- Posts: 221
Although not everwhere had an official green waste collection before, they did actually collect it. It just went to landfill and wasn't composted. We've never had a green waste collection here but I put about a dozen bags out once and they still took it. It was quite legitimate, I phoned them first to check it would be ok.
Anyway I will pay for it even though I'll only use it a few times. £40 is quite good value actually for a year. It would cost that for one collection to have it collected privately.
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
# 4......Dover District Council built up their recycling project superbly,year on year it has increased and they aim to recycle
41% this year I believe?
They then introduce `Green Waste`recycling....we in the sticks,instead of burning,join in with gusto.....once we are hooked
on the service Dover District Council slap on a `Charge`....when will they slap on a charge for taking our other rubbish away?
The `sticks` are going back to burning.......
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
yes reg and by burning that affects a lot of others
an own goal by the council me thinks
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i must admit that when i saw reg had posted i expected him to say that a unitary authority would solve the problem.
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
Some interesting comments here about what we expect/want from our council tax money and what we can have.
I've just read this from Douglas Carswell's blog -
http://www.talkcarswell.com/disqus.aspx?id=2327
"A couple of years ago, my local town hall took the initiative by publishing details of every item of public spending each month, right down to the £3-and-something they spent on pens for the reception desk. And because council officials knew that the public was watching every time they spent public money, they started to spend public money much more wisely. Guess what? Council tax has been cut each year since."
An interesting view! Should it be done everywhere?
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
What a good idea.
I bet a few in our council offices would spit fire should DDC implement such a scheme.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
Like Kath #12 I am sharing with my neighbour. I compost most of my waste but occasionally put the odd bag out.
#17 You have got a good memory Howard.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Because Dover has been a low-rated Authority for many (too) many years, it is now difficult to increase it by much and so increase services.
I'm not necessarily saying we should be grateful we live here and not Shepway or Canterbury where Council tax is so much higher; we do pay a lot less council tax than residents in those two areas (and many others besides) and still manage very well.
I'm not a member of the Cabinet, but I do know that many options on all areas are always looked and and evaluated.
I also think that more information should be given out about decisions made and what they are; many are sent out, but the Press don't always publish them. I could put some info on here about what is going to be done, but not sure of the reception it would get from the bash-street kids.
Roger
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Theres a few things to comment on here if i should be so bold lol,,,,,,,,
1; I think it would be a great idea to publish what dosh is spent on, but a large chunk is spent on high wages at the top which wouldn't be published
2; Roger mentions the cabinet, when the council went down the route of a cabinet
decisions leaving out the majority of cllrs it was the death of decision making
by councillors. leaving decisions for a few cllrs to make.
To be fair to the conservatives(did i say that lol) the system was put in place
by the labour group and i warned peter wells at the time cabinets are a bad
thing for cllrs if you truely believe in cllrs making decisions(not 1 or 2)
anyway it's unlikely to change now
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
A transparent Dover District Council would be very welcome............
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Reg
I THINK people have seen through that lol
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i wonder how much it would cost to collate all the minute details of spending and would the cost of administering outweigh any savings?
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Howard, This is the 'beauty' of computers. While there may well be a few brands of accounting software Councils over time will have opted for one or other across the board. Such software, "Sage" etc. would facilitate real-time totting-up of expenditure.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
what about the break down though tom?
if every single item of expenditure was listed the print out would go on for ever and the likelihood is that not many would bed interested in sifting through it.
