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Selling the family silver?


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Considering that the WBC seems to be in financial difficulty and with the possibility of certain sections being privatised, staff wages being reduced and possible redundancies after the famous job evaluation exercise, is it about time that thay start selling some of there assets eg. the famous car number plate ED1 (it must be worth a small fortune) to pay for the upkeep of services and jobs?

:twisted:

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They haven't got enough to sell to make any difference.

 

They need to look at their costs and practices and make savings.

Do we really need all those glossies and brochures that they print and no-one reads?

They could save a fortune by getting rid of the box-ticking, and actually do some proper and constructive work.

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borrowing were about ?130 million

Is this alot worse than other councils :?:

 

Not sure, but probably not, indeed I've no doubt some will be much worse pro rata. Borrowings are OK provided they are managed, controlled and are used to provide a genuine benefit to the community....and that people remember that at some stage they do have to be paid back and in the meantime there is interest to be paid.

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It would be interesting to find out how much the actual ED1 number plate is worth in the current climate, it could make an interesting news story?

:twisted:

 

I notice that VED 1 is being offered for ?46,000 so ED 1 would be higher than that.

 

I have an acquaintance who has a number of private plates and he tells me that they are a sound investment....alas his Rolls and Aston probably aren't.

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Paul wrote;

......... with a total net worth of ?446 million (down from about ?600 million last year, with most of its assets being property and land.

 

Paul, would you happen to know exactly how the towns assets have decreased by ?154 million? Would this be through loss in value or through sell offs?

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Perhaps Paul, given the LibDem obsession with "selling off" Council Housing (even though we never needed it more than now); who owns the land upon which those Council Houses are built? :? Will the new owners pay ground rent to the Council or will they buy the land as freehold? :?:wink:

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Perhaps Paul, given the LibDem obsession with "selling off" Council Housing (even though we never needed it more than now); who owns the land upon which those Council Houses are built? :? Will the new owners pay ground rent to the Council or will they buy the land as freehold? :?:wink:

 

bet they never even thought of that Obs!!!

 

I once was in a meeting with a few of the WBC accomodation committee (they evaluate the office space etc. for WBC) and one of the chief guys didn't even know where the Chesire Lines building was!! At the time it was derelict and we had suggested it in passing as a site for a new civic centre as there was a lot of scope for additional buildings etc.....

 

they aren't the sharpest pencils in the box you know!! :lol:

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As the leaders of local Councils are somewhat temporary it does frustrate and worry me that THEY have the power to SELL OFF whatever they like whilst THEY are in so called POWER.

 

Once it's gone... it's gone... and that's the end of it :cry:

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Paul wrote;

......... with a total net worth of ?446 million (down from about ?600 million last year, with most of its assets being property and land.

 

Paul, would you happen to know exactly how the towns assets have decreased by ?154 million? Would this be through loss in value or through sell offs?

 

Reduction in value of housing stock and an increase in the pension deficit Sha. Nothing of any value has been sold off.....indeed unless it is sold for a loss on book value it would not reduce the assets, given that a fixed asset would be turned into a cash asset. In the event that the housing stock is transferred to Golden Gates Housing Trust, the assets will be further reduced by about ?300 million. Which would mean that WBC would then have quite a small balance sheet.

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As the leaders of local Councils are somewhat temporary it does frustrate and worry me that THEY have the power to SELL OFF whatever they like whilst THEY are in so called POWER.

 

Once it's gone... it's gone... and that's the end of it :cry:

 

Which makes for an interesting philosophical debate, as to what Councils should and shouldn't own and indeed whether they are the best guardians of those assets, given as you rightly highlight the sometimes temporary nature of political power.

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Maybe the front page headline today by David Skentelbery

 

OTHER authorities would be interested in "buying in" Warrington's expertise if the borough council's planning department was part privatised, Town Hall chiefs have been told
is a way to keep some of the silver and make up the reported deficit by selling WBC's expertise?
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"Expertise!", in WBC's planning department? Someone is having a laugh!

 

My last dealings with them involved me providing them with a copy of a Building Regulations Approved Document, pointing out the sections detailing the regulations relevant to my build, and then explaining to them - several times in words of one syllable - why the approach they wanted taken (at great additional cost to me) was completely contrary to the regs whereas what I was proposing to do complied with them completely and was, in fact, pretty much standard practice within the construction industry.

 

Exposure to the real world would come as a very nasty surprise to most members of that department!

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