Last night, Lisa and I attended the annual budget 'consultation' evening arranged by the Wessex Federation of Chambers of Commerce with Wiltshire (County) Council. It was our second year at the event ... last year we had come away very depressed indeed, but this year was rather better - partly because we do see some good and positive in what is being said and done, and partly it must be admitted because we went along fearing a repeat performance.

This is going to be a 'big' year. "1C4W" is the headline and it means "1 Council for Wiltshire" - with one tier of local government being swept away and 5 councils being swept into one. And it was the upper tier (the larger council that in essence is taking the others over) who's budget 'consultation' we went to. (You'll note I'm quoting 'consultation' because, really, it wasn't - it was a case of them telling us and asking only for a few limited inputs).

I agree that we have had too many layers of local government - that it's been too hard to know which particular level to go to about certain issues, and that the layers have been inefficient and duplicated. And I hear that "big is beautiful" and that minnows would get squashed or overlooked. However, I think I would rather have carried on working with the team from layer that's being scrapped ... but realistically that's now water under the bridge, and we must work with the county people in sole charge. What did they tell us last night?

1. That their annual spend is projected to be just over 800 million pounds, and how that spend it to be apportioned.

2. That it's going to be a tough year (and why). I seem to recall them saying this last year too, and coming up with a string of reasons, some the same as this time and some different. Curiously (?), some of this year's reasons such as low interest rates which means less money coming in from investments have me wondering "but that wasn't the case last year" and thinking that we're only being told the reasons that things are tough - just being given the bad news, and not the good to go with it to make a rounded picture.

3. That it wasn't their fault that they had money in Iceland (and in any case they technically didn't, because it was the UK subsidiary of an Icelandic Bank) and are currently owed 8 million which they are "hopeful" to get fully back.

4. They want to do lots of good things for Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham ... and not to forget the rural areas. Subject to be continued tomorrow ....
(written 2008-11-13 18:24:58)

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