Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Town tax rise

Has the town been told that the precept will be increased by 37% due to mismanagement of Swanage Bay Holiday Park by the Town Council??



Posted by Anonymous to swanageview at 1:15 AM
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Press Release from Swanage and isle of Purbeck Liberal Democrats 24 / 02 / 09


In having to raise its tax precept by 37.9% just to keep the town running, Swanage Town Council confirms that it is in a financial mess. It has been denying this for a long time.

In failing to plan properly over the last 25 years for the maintenance of buildings and for the replacement of vehicles and other equipment, the Council has been deluding itself as to its true financial position.

Even last year, when confronted by an alarming financial report, the Council refused to raise the precept in a realistic manner. As a result, yet another budget deficit is expected for the current year of 2008/9 - this time of £66,763.

The initial discussion for the 2009/10 budget centred around the need for a rise of 135.9% - yes 135.9%. So how has this been reduced to a mere 37.9% rise? £200,000 is lopped off by deferring loan repayments, thus storing up more problems for the future. Part of the remaining reduction has, quite properly, been done by combing through the figures. However, there are dangerous assumptions made in changing the previous estimates by reducing maintenance costs and increasing revenue from car parks, etc.

Also, the White House's future, which is the home of the Tourist Information Centre on the front, is in great danger. It is so sad that this iconic Swanage building is to be closed for four months next winter and that the aim is to close it down for good as a Tourist Information Centre. Next attention will surely go to the Town Hall. This is another iconic building with its old Mercer's Hall front brought from London by George Burt, which the Council does not seem able to repair or update.

One thing is certain. More swingeing rises in the town's part of the Council Tax will be needed before the Council's Finances are back on track.


P.B.Clark, Secretary, Swanage and Isle of Purbeck Liberal Democrats.

11/3/09 1:47 pm
Anonymous said...

The reason is simple. The District Auditor stopped the council selling caravans on the grounds that it is not allowed to run a risky commercial venture. As a result the town has lost a major source of income. This has nothing to do with competence and everything to do with the financial rules that apply to councils. To give the council its due it fought against this ruling as much as it could but to no avail. Unfortunately there are always large numbers of people eager to proclaim the stupidity or worse of the representatives they have chosen to look after their affairs.

11/3/09 6:53 pm
Anonymous said...

You must be a Councillor. You are right in that the DA stopped the use of town money to be used in a speculative business (caravan sales). All the TC needed to do was to make an agreement with certain suppliers of caravans, keeping town money out of the equation and supplying the town with a percentage of profit. This is common.

The real reason caravan sales stopped is that the TC flip-flopped on the future of the site, which is well documented. Potential buyers walked out when they were told the park's management might change very soon.

That is unvarnished fact.

11/3/09 11:32 pm
Anonymous said...

What is left out, which might explain these puzzling deficits, is a recent agreement by the Council to reduce and freeze core figures for site rentals at SBV. This will result in a further 100,000 pound deficit in the 2009 budget, which may account for the figure quoted. In addition, the Council has agreed it overcharged for VAT and other expenses in prior years and will reimburse this to caravan owners in 2009.

All will be paid for by Swanage ratepayers.

11/3/09 11:59 pm
Anonymous said...

At a TH meeting in December, a number of issues of expense were debated. I actually witnessed some very well intentioned council workers argue whether they could replace defective swing seats, or broken (and hazardous fencing) around the playground up by the kiddie railway, both of which they felt were hazards to children.

No head teacher would ever choose between one or the other!

I also heard a discussion about the need to divest the Town Hall. It is simply too expensive to maintain and run (this may be true) and that is may be best to sell or lease it to a hotelier or similar who who maintain its historic importance to the town. This is not a bad idea.

Which got me to thinking - if the Mowlem is still searching for its identity, and if the White House is to be disposed of, then why not have the TH lease the whole Mowlem, preserve the theatre and film aspect of it, turn part of the downstairs pub into the Tourism Centre and public access parts of the TH, and use the upstairs facilities as the Town Hall offices? Council meetings could be held in the theatre. Tourism would have a focus right on the beach. The theatre and cinema would be available most evenings. The Mowlem would rise as the focus of Swanage, become financially secure, and finally find its identity.

12/3/09 12:11 am
Anonymous said...

It’s funny that there is no mention of selling the Caravan Park, from which I presume the Council are going to use the cash to pay off it’s debts and to build nice new Council Offices (with car parking). There has been no rise in the precept for - is it 4 years? Is this so the people of Swanage will not know about it until the deal is done?
Also no mention of the fact that one councillor wanted to hold a public meeting to explain how they got in this state and couldn’t get it seconded

12/3/09 9:01 am
Anonymous said...

The Council has been quite open about disposing Swanage Bay View. I remember a notice in the board in from of the TH to this effect in September (it may still be there) and a lot of mention of it in Council minutes going back several years.

It is my understanding that the Park will be leased (not sold) on a long term basis (such as 99 years) and the rent will produce for the town an income stream from the operators. I rather doubt the place can be sold for anything reasonable in the present economic climate.

12/3/09 4:40 pm
Anonymous said...

Does anyone else find it interesting that no local papers have picked up on the big hike in local tax? I bet the tory-run papers would be quick to publicise a low rise. Shows how much control they have that they can keep this news out of the press for weeks and weeks. Shows why we need blogs like this to raise issues that media owners would like kept quiet.

20/3/09 6:34 pm

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