Council “bankruptcy”?

[danny la rouge]

Google says its a huge car park and a song by Billy Bragg?

I did say that was the source of my limited knowledge, and that I couldn’t vouch for it. A lot of the things in my brain got there long before the internet.

 

[newme]

I did say that was the source of my limited knowledge, and that I couldn’t vouch for it. A lot of the things in my brain got there long before the internet.

I'm sure I had things in my brain back then but I aggressively attacked them with chemicals until they submitted.

 

[ska invita]

Never mind eh, will be a labour government soon and they'll reverse all this madness

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Thurrock wherever that is

Near Basildon, if Billy Bragg is to be believed.

It's Essex, south of Basildon, and adjoining the London boundary and the Thames estuary - it's where the north side of the Dartford bridge / tunnel is, and includes places like Tilbury and Grays (the latter was in the news a few months ago over the pub with the display of 'golly' figures)

 

[Serge Forward]

Near Basildon, if Billy Bragg is to be believed.

Or was it “nowhere near Basildon”? I can’t remember.

I seem to recall Basildon had a sizable anarchist communist group in the 70s. charlie mowbray, can you verify please?

 

[Sue]

I seem to recall Basildon had a sizable anarchist communist group in the 70s. charlie mowbray, can you verify please?

Way more importantly...

Depeche Mode - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[nino_savatte]

Near Basildon, if Billy Bragg is to be believed.

Or was it “nowhere near Basildon”? I can’t remember.

Thurrock abuts the London Borough of Havering. It's what I've dubbed "duelling banjos country", and for a very good reason.

 

[charlie mowbray]

I don't recall an a/c group in Basildon.

 

[Serge Forward]

I don't recall an a/c group in Basildon.

I must be thinking of somewhere else... maybe Swindon (which is nowhere near Basildon).

 

[kenny g]

I must be thinking of somewhere else... maybe Swindon (which is nowhere near Basildon).

One of the members of Whitechapel Anarchist Group was a long term Thurrock resident. (no title) The Stirrer being a recent project. Papers Worth mentioning that Fobbing, a village in Thurrock was a significant centre during the peasants revolt. Joseph Conrad had a house on the marshes for a while.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Thurrock is where that golliwog pub was.

 

[kenny g]

Thurrock is where that golliwog pub was.

And Bristol was built on slavery...

 

[mojo pixy]

And Bristol was built on slavery...

Probably why they're not bankrupt yet

 

[rubbershoes]

There's been stuff going on in Mid Devon too. Up until this year, the tories were in control and set up a property development company. Some of the housing would have been social and the rest private, to pay the bills.

With the obscene profits made by house builders recently you'd think that no one could lose money as a property developer. You'd think that

But no. The tories lost control of the council and it was immediately discovered that the property company was about to go bust with debts of £21 million.

It's being looked into, but I wouldn't be surprised if many of the land purchases were for well above the proper value. I interviewed some of the councillors a few years ago and half of the tories were farmers. Farmers never want to sell any of their land but if someone offers you a few million quid for a field, what are you going to do.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Local authorities do spend money in silly ways though. For some reason Manchester city council owns Stanstead airport.

It's part of Manchester Airport group - they own East Midlands Airport too. The city council owns about 35% (Manchester Airport is on its land) and the other nine boroughs in Greater Manchester share the same percentage with the rest owned by private investors. It gives the council a dividend each year which helps fund stuff. I think they've owned it since it was built donkeys years ago.

 

[Elpenor]

Luton council does or perhaps did use to own Luton airport

 

[SpookyFrank]

There's been stuff going on in Mid Devon too. Up until this year, the tories were in control and set up a property development company. Some of the housing would have been social and the rest private, to pay the bills.

Never mimd that 'the bills' would be a lot lower if it was all social housing.

 

[TopCat]

Croydon owes so much money it’s truely mind boggling. The headquarters, fishers folly, is the most expensive council building per sq foot in the uk. It’s shit as well.

 

[TopCat]

Borrowing money off the public loans board to buy up failing businesses was always madness. Doing so to build office buildings to rent was beyond insanity.

 

[ska invita]

Another one ,

Nottingham city council issues notice in effect declaring itself bankrupt

Local authority issues section 114 notice suspending spending as it admits it cannot balance budget

www.theguardian.com

 

[Dogsauce]

Mike Ashley will come to the rescue, buy up the name, make whatever they make in Nottingham (bikes?) in China and sell cheaply with a pretend 70% discount.

 

[ska invita]

Next stage of the governments plan kicks in... Even deeper privatisation

UK May Relax Rules on Council Asset Sales to Avert Bankruptcies

UK government ministers are quietly working on a major loosening of budget rules for local councils, giving them the ability to sell assets to fund front-line services and helping to stave off a wave of bankruptcies.

www.bloomberg.com

https://archive.ph/iGlyD

”

 

[two sheds]

But they're still not allowed to make a profit from building houses? That has to be privatized too?

 

[brogdale]

Next stage of the plan governments plan kicks in... Even deeper privatisation

UK May Relax Rules on Council Asset Sales to Avert Bankruptcies

UK government ministers are quietly working on a major loosening of budget rules for local councils, giving them the ability to sell assets to fund front-line services and helping to stave off a wave of bankruptcies.

www.bloomberg.com

Another facet of the neoliberal project that will likely accelerate under Starmer.

 

[hash tag]

Havering on the ropes Havering Council warns it will soon go bust without loan

 

[danny la rouge]

Havering on the ropes Havering Council warns it will soon go bust without loan

This always takes me a minute to compute. I’m sure all Scottish posters have the same problem.

 

[equationgirl]

This always takes me a minute to compute. I’m sure all Scottish posters have the same problem.

Sure does Danny

I'm certain Glasgow will make this list at some point.

Many council services cut to the bone, borne out most recently by recycling bins in this uplift zone which is quite a significant number of streets having one collection since early December when there should have been four. Many complaints received apparently, with the reason given that cleansing crews are moved onto gritters in the event of a cold weather forecast (below freezing is the trigger point as best I can tell).

I appreciate Red Routes and major arteries being kept open, of course, but refuse collection is an essential service so if that's being cut back, what else?

 

[Plumdaff]

I think the plan is to have every council make the list. I mean, if it's not the active plan it is the passive consequence of their policies and it's not like anyone in central government plans to stop it happening, is it?

 

[PR1Berske]

From BBC News

Birmingham City Council has confirmed it will raise council tax by 21% over the next two years as part of £300m budget savings.

Street lights are to be dimmed, waste collections are to become fortnightly, while burial costs will increase.

Up to 600 job losses are still likely, the local authority said.

The Labour-run authority has been revealing details of cuts it must make after declaring itself effectively bankrupt last year.

In a briefing on Monday, the council released details of how it intended to cut £150m from its budget in 2024-25 and the same amount in 2025-26.

Fortnightly waste collections are set to be introduced in 2025-26, but other savings are expected to come in almost immediately.

Dimming streetlights is expected to save almost £1m a year, while cutting spending on highways maintenance could save up to £12m, depending on the outcome of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) - a partnership with the private sector.

Adult social care will be cut by £23.7m in the next financial year, while the Children's Young People and Families department will be forced to find £51.5m savings.

The council hopes renegotiating children's travel contracts could also save £13m a year.


In January, the council asked ministers for permission to raise council tax by 10% in each of the next two years.

It was forced to issue a section 114 notice last year, effectively declaring itself bankrupt, after facing equal pay claims of up to £760m and an £80m overspend on an under-fire IT system.

As a result independent commissioners were brought in to help run the council.

The GMB union, which is currently balloting members for strike action over "the council's inaction" on resolving equal pay claims, said it now wanted government intervention to resolve it.

"Birmingham City Council seem to have a plan for slashing local services, but they don't yet have a plan for settling equal pay," Racheal Fagan, GMB organiser, said.

"City Council bosses are at pains to stress they need to find budget savings to settle historic equal pay claims, yet not a single penny of the wages stolen from working women has been returned.

"We need to see urgent central government intervention on the equal pay crisis but instead, they're trying to pass the cost onto ordinary Brummies."

Without intervention, the issues will become "a tragically familiar story across the country" as more councils face rising equal pay debts and shrinking budgets, she added.

 

[Raheem]

Havering on the ropes

Kettering down a hill
Epping away to nothing
Dorking along quite nicely