3rd Manor Waste Collection

[fred c]

A leaflet detailing another pre-election Waste Collection in the Manor Ward dropped through the letterbox yesterday curtesy of Clowncillors, Lying Ste, MD James & Alan (what did he say)Barclay.

They have chosen to use the words....FREE BULKY WASTE COLLECTIONS, they are anything but free, in fact we are paying twice to have our waste removed

It really is about time individual councillors ward budgets were abolished, the cynical pre purdah use of council tax payers money has become a regular sweetener in a number of wards.

[DRiddle]

I've raised this issue a few times over recent years with the relevant people within council. I did it before I was elected, I raised it again after I'd been elected. My personal view is it comes very close to treating. The electoral commissions rules on treating are as follows.

Treating
A person is guilty of treating if either before, during or after an election they directly or indirectly give or provide any food, drink, entertainment or provision to corruptly influence any voter to vote or refrain from voting. Treating requires a corrupt intent - it does not apply to ordinary hospitality.

Our council's legal team do not deem the free bulk waste removal to be treating. My personal view is 'provision' is being provided in the form of a free service which would otherwise carry a charge (£15 for up to 3 items).

I suppose the key issue here is 'corrupt intent'. Those providing this free service will no doubt argue there is no corrupt intent. They're doing it to ensure the area stays clean, to help residents etc. The fact that they've done it 3 times now,very shortly before elections is presumably a 'coincidence'.

I think somewhere down the line the day will come where an external organisation has a thorough look at elements within our council. This issue is just one of many 'eyebrow raisers' when you tell people from outside Hartlepool about HBC.

[Land Phil]

I assume that means other wards will have a month plus delay for any waste they want removing

I know last time round I phoned and gave my postcode and they mentioned specifically that my ward was not getting serviced that month.

Rotten as usual.

[marky]

If this has happened three times, all on the run up to elections, then it's obvious what is going on and it will now be obvious to people up the Manor. So anyone with bulky items to get rid of will just dump them in the front garden and leave them there until the next election comes round. It won't tidy up the area, what it does is make sure that for most of the year anyone walking round the area will see even more stuff dumped in gardens.

[Lord Elpus]

It would be interesting to know;

a) the total number of Manor Residents who make use of this offer (easy to know as a record will be made from work sheets)

b) the cost taken from the Comrades wards budgets

There must be a limit on the number of residents taking HBC up on this offer.  If not, I want the same subsidy in Fens and Rossmere.

[Inspector Knacker]

After a period of inert nothingness, 'improvements' are suddenly happening,  that said, they're the mundane sort of thing that any self respecting authority would have spread out over the year and just done as a matter of routine without a fanfare.
Comically, through the letterbox pops the credit taking bragsheet, timing perfect for a politician and cringeworthy for anyone with even a pea for a brain. Utterly pathetic.

[Land Phil]

Talking of waste and the council, what happened to super sponsor Niramax ?

The absence of their lorries on our roads is still vey obvious but no update why.

[col87]

Question will be asked this Thursday  about the Manor House free collections let's see how they answer this

[col87]

Well as I expected Majorie James came up with a rubbish answer because as a resident of this first I have heard of this spring clean business and I think most people in the ward could not care about it either way

[col87]

Nice of the Mail to mention the question and Majories response this might have opened the floodgates a bit

[not4me]

stupid idea - after the elections people will just dump their unwanted fridges and furniture in the garden and wait till next years 'free' service