HartlepoolPost Forum

Politics => Local Issues and Matters => Topic started by: steveL on January 26, 2017, 02: PM

Title: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: steveL on January 26, 2017, 02: PM
BBC News. Wonder how safe ours is . . .
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: Lucy Lass-Tick on January 26, 2017, 03: PM
From the article below, it seems that the PCS union has been the first to spring the news. Looks like it's linked with buildings 'leases', but it seems vastly unfair should claimants have to bear additional travel costs. Surely they won't close the Hartlepool one ... it's about the only growth area in the town.

http://www.itv.com/news/2017-01-26/thousands-of-jobs-at-risk-in-job-centre-closures-plan/

Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: Lucy Lass-Tick on January 26, 2017, 05: PM
Looks like Hartlepool will remain.

http://qna.files.parliament.uk/ws-attachments/678953/original/DWP%20Estates%20Proposals.pdf
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: marky on January 28, 2017, 12: PM
isn't this all about PFI? Buildings built in hoc to property developers at extortionate leasing terms. They should move the Job Centre into Middleton Grange in the dog leg - handier for King John's  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: steveL on January 28, 2017, 12: PM
did anyone ever move into the old Job Centre in Victoria Road or is it still empty?
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: kevplumb on January 28, 2017, 12: PM
still empty
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: steveL on January 28, 2017, 01: PM
Quote from: kevplumb on January 28, 2017, 12: PM
still empty

Makes you wonder just how much in business rates is lost through all of these empty properties. It's going to be a real problem when the rates start to go direct to the council and the transition period is over. There should be a register of empty properties.
Title: Re: Government to close 1 in 10 Job Centres
Post by: Inspector Knacker on January 29, 2017, 10: AM
Quote from: steveL on January 26, 2017, 02: PM
BBC News. Wonder how safe ours is . . .
Give them time. A few years down the line when Clevelandstein is back from the dead, we'll have one mega job centre in Middlesbrough and everyone will travel in to sign on. Massively inconvenient, but as we well know a centralised service is just so much better. As if.
The trouble now is that jokes have an habit of becoming policy, or in our case, elected.