Carpetgate Revisited

Started by steveL, October 01, 2017, 09: PM

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DRiddle

There are a lot of rumours flying around HBC at the moment.

Let's deal with what we know to be facts. The council has already gone public voicing the likelihood of redundancies, particularly from children services. We know that to be a fact.

We also know that HBC purported to have £31,500 of carpets stored following the decision 'by experts we were told' to change the carpets. We know that, or at least we were told, that is also a fact.

What we don't know for certain... yet, is whether thousands of pounds were spent on new carpets for the Rifty after a flood. We do not know YET whether new carpets were bought DESPITE there still be a significant proportion of the £31,500 worth of carpets still in storage.

If that has happened, and that remains uncertain at the moment, then people are in danger of losing the jobs while wasteful spending potentially continues from within HBC.

If i was one of the the people facing redundancy, and the rumour about money being spent on new carpets for the rifty was true, i'd be fuming.

So the questions, currently, remains; did a senior officer sanction the spending of what is likely to be thousands of pounds of new carpets, despite the council having £31,500 worth of carpet in storage?

Presumably if this DID happen, WHY did it happen? Who signed off the decision? Who requested the new carpets? Were they offered the ones which are allegedly in storage? If those carpets were rejected/not utilised, then why not?

All interesting questions.

No facts though.

Yet.




Stig of the Seaton Dump

A fully functional, accountable, open and transparent council would answer questions about such matters in an instant.

Why is it so difficult with HBC.

Who is it that is blocking a quick response to questions, it can't be councillors can it as they don't have that responsibility do they ?
I don't believe it.

grim reaper

Stig, Stig, Stig. I'm afraid you, and many others in this town, believe that the salaried council officers are paid (quite well) to formulate ideas, initiatives and mtce. of our town and the councillors (overpaid) are there to monitor, discuss and, if for the good of the town, pass the recommendations.
That is how it was in the days of Mr Waggott et al. Councillors and officers worked together to ensure best outcome for the town and council tax payers.

Then Councillors with more bark than brains started to appear.
Senior officer posts were advertised and sparsely educated councillors sat on the panels that chose the highly paid officers.
Secondary school (or less) educated councillors, were now appraising Grammar/university educated officers. Once 'appraised' and chosen, the officers were under the yoke of the 'committee men'.

Then slowly, inexorably, those with the communist/socialist bent realised the town was there for the taking and take it they did.
Payment for time, payment for committees, special allowances, expenses etc.
Then came the day of really weak senior officers and Pandora's box was flung open. ANYTHING was possible.
CIC's opened up the council's bank account to those with a criminal bent.

Meanwhile, senior officers in various departments had had enough of the shenanigans and resigned. Replacements were of a 'variable' quality.
Now we are where we are. The inmates running the show.

However, thanks to the likes of The Hartlepool Post, social media and that perennial thorn in the side of HBC (Mr Riddle, well done sir), the edifice is crumbling.
People are now piling in with information of what has gone on within the walls of OUR Civic Centre.
I look forward to the last page of the story.   8)

fred c

A nigh on spot on assessment of how things have been and are in Hartlepool....

"Then slowly, inexorably, those with the communist/socialist bent realised the town was there for the taking and take it they did"

I can only make 1 suggestion to reinforce your perceptive argument.
vent
Then slowly, inexorably, those with the communist/socialist & flagrantly dishonest bent realised the town was there for the taking and take it they did.

DRiddle

Whatever the situation, the fact remains, questions have been raised from WITHIN HBC. Good people working within HBC may well lose their jobs in the near future. 90,000 people will, most likely, have around 4% added to their already extortionate council tax bill next year.

Yet while 'Rome burns', Nero is twiddling his thumbs pointing the finger at the Tory government.

The cold hard reality is we have a council which, seemingly, bought gold medals for it's ceremonial Mayors while bleating about Tory austerity. We have a Councillors (some of whom) literally whooped, cheered and shook their bingo wings (yes you did Marjorie, it's on camera) as a contract was awarded to an organisation started by Kevin Cranney and Angie Wilcox (FACT not conjecture). A contract that ended up being worth North of one million pounds.

We have a council which allowed it's leader to vote to ban the public from meaningfully questioning them in the form of supplementary questions.

We have a council which is essentially broken.



Hartlepudlion

Is it tru that the Forces Champion aka Ceremonial Mayor, entertained yesterday to the tune of several thousands of pounds of taxpayers CT?

Spend, spend, spend.

DRiddle

My understanding is the carpets in storage from the CIL were definitely NOT used at the Rifty. So it appears NEW ones were bought despite £31,500 worth of carpets sitting gathering dust.

Make no mistake, Hartlepool Council is in serious trouble. I'd imagine a section 114 notice is on the horizon in the not too distant future. In fact, i'd put money on it.

More information about what a section 114 notice involves here https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/finance/northamptonshire-on-precipice-of-section-114-notice/7001803.article

So seemingly, although i accept its not formally confirmed, a council on the brink of the most serious financial situation a council can possibly be in, may have just spent thousands on carpets, despite tens of thousands of pounds worth of carpets already in the councils possession.

I'm on record many times saying that Christopher Akers-Belcher's leadership may ultimately bankrupt the council. We are getting nearer to that situation step by step every single day he is in charge. The blame will be placed at the door of the Tory government. I accept they are playing a significant part, but so is the leaders attitude to council spending.

Stig of the Seaton Dump

Lets not forget behind the unqualified councillors getting away with sinking HBC there is a raft of highly paid professionals letting this happen.
I don't believe it.

diSme

Quote from: Stig of the Seaton Dump on November 14, 2018, 12: PM
Lets not forget behind the unqualified councillors getting away with sinking HBC there is a raft of highly paid professionals letting this happen.

Perhaps if those professionals weren't so well renumerated their approach to their jobs may be a little more ethical...
I believe everything and nothing

jawsbbc

Quote from: DRiddle on November 14, 2018, 10: AM
My understanding is the carpets in storage from the CIL were definitely NOT used at the Rifty. So it appears NEW ones were bought despite £31,500 worth of carpets sitting gathering dust.

Make no mistake, Hartlepool Council is in serious trouble. I'd imagine a section 114 notice is on the horizon in the not too distant future. In fact, i'd put money on it.

More information about what a section 114 notice involves here https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/finance/northamptonshire-on-precipice-of-section-114-notice/7001803.article

So seemingly, although i accept its not formally confirmed, a council on the brink of the most serious financial situation a council can possibly be in, may have just spent thousands on carpets, despite tens of thousands of pounds worth of carpets already in the councils possession.

I'm on record many times saying that Christopher Akers-Belcher's leadership may ultimately bankrupt the council. We are getting nearer to that situation step by step every single day he is in charge. The blame will be placed at the door of the Tory government. I accept they are playing a significant part, but so is the leaders attitude to council spending.
wonder why cranney and co did not use them at jutland road community centre OFCA ?? the carpets  resembles the claggy mats and the toilets would  put the devons to shame

DRiddle

I'm told this situation hasn't gone away. There will be some tough conversations to be had over the coming weeks concerning redundancies.

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/hartlepool-children-s-centre-shake-up-and-redundancies-expected-as-part-of-510-000-cuts-1-9444475

I appreciate different money is allocated in different way within HBC, but the fact is some people will lose their jobs in the same time frame as a senior officer sanctioned thousands to be spent on new carpets in the Rifty.

30 odd thousand pounds worth of carpets sit gathering dust and somebody signed off a decision to buy more.

fred c

The famous political adage " The Buck Stops Here" obviously doesn't apply to HBCs boss...whoever it happens to be.

DRiddle

Interesting developments again on this.

Firstly, it's worth remembering HBC has a history of certain 'explanations' being put forward AFTER the Hartlepool Post has raised concerns of issues on a particular matter. 

For example, the carpets in the CIL. First there was the claim the carpets were changed on the advice of experts, when in fact we later learnt that carpets were CHOSEN (initially) BY the very experts the council blamed for the change.

Secondly, the 'was there or wasn't there' ever an intention to buy a gold medal for Paul Beck. First came the denial, then came the claim they found one in a drawer, later came from WITHIN HBC (not from me) what for all the world looked like a purchase order of the very thing that was denied in the first place.

There are many, many examples of the council reacting to cover its ar$e after something has been raised on the post.

The word is the same thing will happen regarding a recent saga. The saga will play out as follows.

(1) A HBC owned building floods.
(2) Somebody approaches the council asking about new flooring for the building due to the flood.
(3) A senior officer allegedly authorises the acquisition of new flooring for the building.
(4) A few weeks go by.
(5) The issue of NEW carpets/flooring reportedly being bought for the building is raised on the post. It is pointed out this was NOT the flooring in the CIL.
(6) Staff get angry, there's murmurs of a strike.
(7) Senior officer panics and sets about showing the rumour leaked from within HBC (not by me) is not true.
(8) Moves are made to ensure a community group opperating from within the HBC owned building can produce its OWN receipts for the flooring.
(9) The talk on the post about money being wasted on flooring in the community building when HBC had carpets they may have used will be 'proven' to be fake news.

It's all so predictable.

Still, at least if this DOES happen HBC will be able to put the rumours to rest and appease their staff.

Unless of course someone produces another screen shot of a purchase order . . .

jawsbbc

Quote from: Hartlepudlion on November 12, 2018, 08: PM
Is it tru that the Forces Champion aka Ceremonial Mayor, entertained yesterday to the tune of several thousands of pounds of taxpayers CT?

Spend, spend, spend.
it is true   https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156996836116004&set=pcb.10156996836246004&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156996836176004&set=pcb.10156996836246004&type=3&theater 

  Fantastic night at Mayor's do

jawsbbc

Quote from: DRiddle on November 26, 2018, 10: AM
Interesting developments again on this.

Firstly, it's worth remembering HBC has a history of certain 'explanations' being put forward AFTER the Hartlepool Post has raised concerns of issues on a particular matter. 

For example, the carpets in the CIL. First there was the claim the carpets were changed on the advice of experts, when in fact we later learnt that carpets were CHOSEN (initially) BY the very experts the council blamed for the change.

Secondly, the 'was there or wasn't there' ever an intention to buy a gold medal for Paul Beck. First came the denial, then came the claim they found one in a drawer, later came from WITHIN HBC (not from me) what for all the world looked like a purchase order of the very thing that was denied in the first place.

There are many, many examples of the council reacting to cover its ar$e after something has been raised on the post.

The word is the same thing will happen regarding a recent saga. The saga will play out as follows.

(1) A HBC owned building floods.
(2) Somebody approaches the council asking about new flooring for the building due to the flood.
(3) A senior officer allegedly authorises the acquisition of new flooring for the building.
(4) A few weeks go by.
(5) The issue of NEW carpets/flooring reportedly being bought for the building is raised on the post. It is pointed out this was NOT the flooring in the CIL.
(6) Staff get angry, there's murmurs of a strike.
(7) Senior officer panics and sets about showing the rumour leaked from within HBC (not by me) is not true.
(8) Moves are made to ensure a community group opperating from within the HBC owned building can produce its OWN receipts for the flooring.
(9) The talk on the post about money being wasted on flooring in the community building when HBC had carpets they may have used will be 'proven' to be fake news.

It's all so predictable.

Still, at least if this DOES happen HBC will be able to put the rumours to rest and appease their staff.

Unless of course someone produces another screen shot of a purchase order . . .
lets see david, fake news. fake news. fake news. is that all hbc can come up with if the rifty can produce a   receipt for £30,000 were have the rifty got that kind of  money ???