Graham Plant
Help us cut grass, says Norfolk County Council
by DAN GRIMMER
Saturday, November 20, 2010
7:00 AM
Parish and town councils across Norfolk are being asked whether they would be willing to take on services such as grass cutting and pavement gritting from the county council - to save County Hall money.
With the coalition government committed to the Big Society idea and Norfolk County Council needing to save £155m over the next three years, bosses at County Hall hope to save money by persuading parish and town councils to carry out services such as gritting footpaths in winter, grass cutting, fixing signs on minor roads and spraying weeds.
The invitation comes after a review of the council’s environment, transport and development department, although bosses say it also reflects a long term plan to make the county council’s highway services more responsive to local needs.
Graham Plant, cabinet member for travel and transport, said: “Like other county councils, we are facing a future with far fewer resources to spend on services, but I hope local councils see this as a real opportunity to make more of a difference in their local areas.
“The county council will be able to fund some of the work, but not everything. Our budgets are going to be under extreme pressure and street scene work of this sort will certainly be squeezed.
“By taking responsibility for these tasks local communities will be able to set their own priorities and standards, even if that means using unpaid volunteers.
“I hope local people will then feel they have more of a stake in their own roads, paths and verges, and can respond quickly when needed - in wintry weather, for example, when the main road gritting services may be at full stretch.”
The county council has asked for local councils to register expressions of interest by the end of January, before more detailed discussions are held with a view to new arrangements being in place early in 2011.
However, the council is keen to pilot the use of local councils for gritting pavements over the coming winter and has asked for those interested in doing so to contact County Hall as soon as possible.
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13 comments
Council tax discount to volunteers?
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Richard Waugh
Thursday, November 25, 2010
How many of the people who are critisising their parish councils actually bother to go to the meetings to see what they actually do? My local parish councillors work hard for our parish in the Plumsteads but are often ignored by the District Council, despite their views coming from the true grass roots or the community. Seems they are useful now the District Council want to offload the costs that we all pay for in our council tax bills. Parish Councils often struggle to recruit councillors as they are unpaid but in my view do a fantastic job, in my parish anyway!
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Canary Gal
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Parish councillors are unpaid (John Martin). It seems that each year the Parish Council want more of my money, but year on year I've yet to see any increase in activity. Could it be that they are too important to get involved with such things ....?
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Andy T
Monday, November 22, 2010
Surely those using pesticides have to have training and certification? It is not just as straightforward as going out and doing these things voluntarily There is equipment and protective clothing to be considered. If parishes have to have contractors or their own road men as they did in the 1920s how is that saving money? I pay quite enough to my parish council and they can't even organise a web site let alone look after verges etc
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Daisy Roots
Monday, November 22, 2010
I am of the same opinion as John Martin. Will our County Councillors and District Councillors who wear twin hats be leading the volunteers in the field? I very much doubt it! It takes all the time to get them to attend Council Meetings!
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Burton Old
Monday, November 22, 2010
did`t I read some where that a man was asked to stop cutting the grass outside of his house as it was against Health and Safety rules as he don`t have the proper training
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bigrayc
Monday, November 22, 2010
Unpaid volunteers ensuring the survival of NCC's overstaffed management, scheme!
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ingo wagenknecht
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Does this mean our Council tax will be reduced?
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BigSean76
Sunday, November 21, 2010
As the country's in trouble, how about letting those who have a debt to pay to society pitch in - get the prisoners out cutting grass, hedges, etc.
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Mr B
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I can imagine many thinking this sounds a straightforward idea, and in some contexts giving local communities more control over their environment will be positive. I do see, however, two potential drawbacks that in their own way exemplify the problems with a very narrow view of society in current policy thinking: 1. What will happen in communities where there aren't sufficiently 'able and available' volunteers able to do this - will they just get tattier and rundown? Particularly on gritting, what happens when the volunteer is ill or just doesn't feel like braving the cold? 2. Most serious in my view, lis the effect on employment. It seems sensible to me to use tax and rate revenue to employ specialists - often people with a keen interest and to whom it is more than just a job to perform these community roles. The community benefits from having access to dedicated professionals, and the individuals benefit from having paid work - and as their service benefits the whole community, the cost is spread across the whole community through the contribution we put into the communal kiitty (taxes and rates). Now, to me, that sounds more like a big society in action than the small 'look after yourself and your immediate neighbours' 'vision' we get from the coalition.
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Tressell's broadbrush
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Yeah a Parish council with a budget of £5000 a year can manage this i'm sure.
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Richard Waugh
Saturday, November 20, 2010
That really is a bit rich. Town and parish councillors, who already take on a considerable burden, are entirely unpaid whereas their counterparts in County Hall soak up over £1m a year in allowances. Why not send them out with mowers and sprayers?
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John Martin
Saturday, November 20, 2010
I will add that to my "To Do" list so it's cut grass, clear snow, grit pavement, anything else while I am at it?
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chucky noris
Saturday, November 20, 2010