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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 08/06/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2
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I have just visited "you choose" followed the steps etc, but all the time i was doing so, i was wondering if other people who have done the same know what they are selling and how much of an impact the sale of certain places would have on people using the service at present?
I cant help feeling that we are doing some else's job, and if this is the case then we could re deploy the indiviual / do away with the post make a considerable saving...
Are the decisions that the public make being taken into account, of which are the council taking on board that the decions made may not have been made with full understanding/ knowledge. if so then, if the council impliment the suggestions made on this "you choose" and places close, will the council be inclined to shift the blame onto the public buy saying we "listened and delivered as to what our residents requested?"
So my suggestion is that the councli re look at this site and add addition information for each place they are preparing to put in the firing line, so that people who take the time and effort to complete this will know what they are acutally closing/ selling.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 08/06/2008(UTC)
Posts: 2
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I was also wondering How the selecting of buildings came about for the sale of property, i know there are lots of other buildings within redbridge that would bring much more money than some of the places on that list.
£ 3 m for chadwell, those that know this building would know that it is a huge pliece of land, twice the size of the town hall car park, and worth much more than that, so where did this figure come from or where is the rest of the money going / gone if this site was to be sold?
what would be the piont in replacing chadwell with another small building, if the council are modernising day services, and everyone will community based, is the a need for this money to be put into a replacment building?
Why is the library on the list? when there are plans for £5 m to moderise libraries.
How long is the site going to be running? and what will come of all the information collated?
And finally why is no-one answering my questions? lol.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 01/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 124
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As I understand it the buildings identified for sale are those for which the Council doesn't have an ongoing need (or where the need can easily be relocated), or those that could form part of the Ilford Town Centre development but which could be disposed of if the development doesn't go ahead. The estimates of value are clearly simply that - rough estimates to inform the consultation process. The principal influence on the value of a piece of land (as well as its size and location) is the extent of any restrictions on what it may be used for if sold.
The Conversation formally ends on 31 July, although I imagine (and hope) the information will be left for public access for some more time, rather than 'taken down'.
The Council will be collating the information during the summer and it will then be considered in detail by the Capital Programme Review Panel, probably during a series of meetings in September and October which will be open to the public to attend and speak.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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If you are accusing me of nit-picking, so be it, but how can you have one 'you choose' thread and another one 'You Choose'?
If I knew how, I would try to text 'you choose' and see what happens!
annesevant:?
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Do we know if anybody has won the prize allocated to a lucky 'online participant? (Whatever it was!)
Do we have a few details on the analysis of responses to keep our interest going?
The CPCP should start to resume public meetings after the summer break. Are we going to be kept informed?
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 12/12/2007(UTC)
Posts: 1,025
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Hello Anne, The lucky winners of the online Redbridge Conversation competition were picked at random by The Mayor - Councillor Mrs Lorraine Sladden and will be published in the October '08 issue of Redbridge Life. The winners are receiving their prizes which are either an i-Pod Nano or a Nintendo DS Lite. Updated analysis will also be published on the Redbridge Conversation site tomorrow (Thursday 02 October) available from this page http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/conversation/, so please look out for this information. The last CPCP meeting was held on 12 May '08 and no date has yet been confirmed for the next meeting of the panel. Regards Redimanager :d
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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To redimanager: :d,
CPCP ?: they will have a busy October if they want to reach a recommendation for the Cabinet meeting on November 4th.
Are they aware that members of the public want to attend and that they(the councillors) must give some kind of advanced notice so that people can plan?
Sorry going public but personal emails are a bit 'hit and miss' and do not always get a response.
No, I am not dopeyf!
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Last year, when I first came in contact with the amorphous mass loosely described as LBR, I was faced with a litany of criteria, criteria, criteria, ... This year , I am told firmly to get to grips with 'good practice, good practice, good practice, ...
As I am so willing and docile, and as I don't know anything about good practice, I decided to look up 'good practice' in the search engine in the home page.
Well, when I cliked on the link, it brought back memories of a new venture and hopes and willingness,... The good old days of Morris Hickey having a go and the Chief Executive on a learning curve. (Not a cheeky remark, it is there in black and white)
What failed so badly?
And I still don't know about 'good practice'!
annesevant:(
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Reading the whole You Choose' report is rather tedious and time consuming but you do come across interesting snippets: if an online opinion was filled in very fast, it was rejected!
If I remember correctly, Gecko, (who is very bright ) said he completed the online 'you choose' questionnaire in record time.
Kind of Mensa type of personal achievement. At the time, Gecko promised me he did this in good faith and I believe him.
Was his contribution rejected? Would they have told him or just rejected, on a hunch?
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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Last CPCP last night, and a big thank you to all councillors who worked so hard and managed to cope between the outrage from the public and the valiant efforts from the Council officers who were trying to explain the finances of the borough.
Now, you won't believe this, but , as far as I can see, such important decisions, at such high level, were made exclusively on the strength of the analysis of the 'you choose' questionnaire.
The percentages were based on a totally uncontrolled sample of responses. (Could have been from anyone, any age, etc,...)
They listed the preferred options for spending, and selling, on a percentage basis. School improvements came top in the percentages: schools can get what they want
Land sales came top in the realising of assets: land will be sold!
We were lucky allotments made it just at the middle line and are not proposed for sale by the CPCP!
(We must of course be aware that these are just recommendations!)
I don't think the results were tweaked, it's just that the You Choose survey was assumed to provide a representative sample of the opinions of the residents and tax payers of the borough. It could have been, I don't know but I doubt if this could be proven.
I think it would have been much fairer to put it to our elected representatives with a 'free' anonymous vote.
Well, that's my opinion!
annesevant
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 01/10/2007(UTC)
Posts: 124
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Well Anne it has certainly been an interesting exercise, tackling some very difficult issues, and although not perfect I hope we've done our best to find a way through it all. Most significantly we are recommending that the Council should abandon its previous attempt to raise funds by selling off valuable local amenities such as our allotments and car parks.
Like you I doubt that the sample was perfectly representative - but in some ways that misses the point, since by definition the people who participated were those who were interested, whereas its a sad fact of local government (and really of modern life) that there will be a large number of people who aren't particularly interested in many of the issues covered by the Conversation. Government at all levels will always be most responsive to those who are most interested. Nevertheless it's a good sample - at the upper end of our expectations when we started the exercise - and the range of returns and views expressed suggests we've picked up a good cross-section of people and not been hijacked by any particular interest group. And, as you say, the final outcome clearly reflects the broad priorities that emerged from the consultation, recognising that it was always inevitable that a fair chunk of expenditure would have to be prioritised because of the Council's legal obligations. The 'free anonymous vote' suggestion is an interesting one, but in a Council where free votes are almost unheard of, let alone anonymous ones, I am not sure it would have taken us forward. And in any event, surely it is better that we gave the people who will be affected by all these decisions the chance to have a say, as part of the process, rather than simply deciding everything behind close doors...
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 15/05/2008(UTC)
Posts: 186
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annesevant wrote:I think it would have been much fairer to put it to our elected representatives with a 'free' anonymous vote.
Well, that's my opinion!
annesevant
Have to disagree on the anonymous bit. As an elector, I want to know what the person that is representing me is voting for. How can I tell if they are adhering to their manifesto promises? If they consistently vote contrary to my views , they will not get my support or vote in the next elections.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 14/07/2007(UTC)
Posts: 975
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vfmctax,
I like your strong opinions but I think you have a lot to learn about democracy in this borough.
I will chance this: spell democracy for me please. ans: t, y, r, a, n, n, y
The spelt word is part of my national Anthem, La Marseillaise and we sing as loud as we can against it.
If councillors finally give in to their conscience, they are disciplined and I am not jopking.
annesevant:x
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