sundrydebts
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40p Monday, April 9, 2012 SEN-eO1-S2 [P/R] Reporting local life since 1854 Bank Holiday Edition [P/R] SEE BACK PAGE £381k is spent on empty sites HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds is being spent to help protect disused council buildings. Stoke-on-Trent City Council revealed security costs have increased significantly over the last four years. In 2011/12, the bill came to £381,000. It follows a decision to close facilities to save money. See Page 4 Water bill row may shut pub A PUB owner fears he could have to close after being landed with a huge water bill. Glen Geldard, from The Chesters pub, in Chesterton, owes £6,700 to Severn Trent Water and has been told the supplies could be cut off today. It follows a long-running battle to get the water company to fix two leaking underground service pipes. See Page 5 COUNCIL TO CHASE £8m DEBT Taxpayers failed to pay for services Plan to rip out church graves CHURCH leaders have unveiled plans to take up hundreds of gravestones to improve the entrance and grounds. The project, costing almost £200,000, would see an old mound at St Giles’ Church, in Newcastle, flattened and some gravestones repositioned to create a striking domino- effect feature. See Page 15 BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] TAXPAYERS owe Stoke-on-Trent City Council £8.6 million after fail- ing to pay for a host of services over a 15 year period. The authority is now trying to claw back millions of pounds in minor debts from thousands of people across the city. Much of this money is owed after the authority allowed res- idents to use services without settling the bill until later. Now new policies have been introduced, forcing them to pay upfront “wherever possible”. The sundry debts cover a range of items from allotments, skip hire, use of sports facil- ities, room hire, licensing fees and planning costs, com- mercial rent, market rent and collecting rubbish from businesses. Details of the bill were revealed just weeks after the Labour-run council confirmed budget cuts of £24 million for 2012/ 13, following city- wide cuts of £35.6 million last year. Councillor Abi Brown, Conservative group leader, pic- tured below, said: “We have got to make sure the city coun- cil is run like a business. “There are still services where charges are not being made up front. I just hope the council has learned its lesson.” The council has begun the process of selling off a package of rent, tax and other debts to a debt collection agency in a last- ditch attempt to reclaim them. But millions of pounds is expected to be written off by the cabinet later this year. Terry Cope, chairman of Greenfields Residents’ Associ- ation in Tunstall, said: “It just shows the level of incompet- ence there has been. Consid- ering they are making cuts all across the city, it’s no won- der people call us Joke- on-Trent.” The debts have been amassed in the years since Stoke-on-Trent gained unitary status in 1997. The council was unable to say who owed the most money. Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for finance, said: “It’s now about how we manage it from here on in. We have got to be much more savvy about what we expect of people.” The council said collection rates for the debts are improv- ing after changes in policy. Measures will also include allowing people to pay for more services by phone or online. The authority reclaimed 91 per cent of sundry debts raised in 2011/12, up from 89 per cent a year earlier. Officials admitted the coun- cil’s previous charging policies failed – and at its worst the amount owed hit £12 million. A council spokesman said: “A recent review has changed our processes to charge in advance or at the point of service deliv- ery, wherever possible, rather than after the event, thus guar- anteeing collection. “The council recognises that prompt income collection is vital for ensuring the authority has the resources it needs to deliver its services.” What do you think ? Email us at [email protected] NO OLD PALS’ ACT FOR HORTON CROUCHIE FOR ENGLAND? SEE BACK PAGE Plane terror over the Alps: See Page 3
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SEE BACK PAGE 40pMonday,April9,2012 Plane terror over the Alps: See Page 3 Reporting local life since 1854 BACK PAGE BY ALEX CAMPBELL HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds is being spentto help protect disused council buildings. Stoke-on-Trent City Council revealed security costshave increased significantly over the last four years. In 2011/12, the bill came to £381,000. It follows a decision to close facilitiesto save money. See Page 4 What do you think ? Email us at [email protected]
Transcript of sundrydebts
40pMonday, April 9, 2012
SEN
-eO1
-S2
[P/R
]
Reporting local life since 1854
Bank Holiday Edition
[P/R]
SEEBAC KPAG E
£381k is spenton empty sitesHUNDREDS of thousands ofpounds is being spent to helpprotect disused councilbu i l d i n g s.
Stoke-on-Trent City Councilrevealed security costs h aveincreased significantly overthe last four years.
In 2011/12, the bill came to£381,000.
It follows a decision to closef acilities to save money.See Page 4
Water bill rowmay shut pubA PUB owner fears he couldhave to close after beinglanded with a huge water bill.
Glen Geldard, from TheChesters pub, in Chesterton,owes £6,700 to Severn TrentWater and has been told thesupplies could be cut off t o d ay.
It follows a long-runningbattle to get the watercompany to fix two leakingunderground service pipes.See Page 5
COUNCILTO CHASE£8m DEBT
Taxpayers failed to pay for services
Plan to rip outchurch gravesCHURCH leaders h aveunveiled plans to take uphundreds of gravestones toimprove the entrance andg rounds.
The project, costing almost£200,000, would see an oldmound at St Giles’ Church, inNewcastle, flattened and somegravestones repositioned tocreate a striking domino-effect feature.See Page 15
BY ALEX [email protected]
TAXPAYERS oweStoke-on-T rentCity Council £8.6million after fail-ing to pay for ahost of servicesover a 15 year period.
The authority is now tryingto claw back millions of poundsin minor debts from thousandsof people across the city.
Much of this money is owedafter the authority allowed res-idents to use services withoutsettling the bill until later.
Now new policies have beenintroduced, forcing them to payupfront “wherever possible”.
The sundry debts cover arange of items from allotments,skip hire, use of sports facil-ities, room hire, licensing feesand planning costs, com -mercial rent, market rentand collecting rubbishfrom businesses.
Details of the bill we rerevealed just weeks afterthe Labour-run councilconfirmed budget cuts of£24 million for 2012/13, following city-
wide cuts of £35.6 million lastyear. Councillor Abi Brown,Conservative group leader, pic-tured below, said: “We havegot to make sure the city coun-cil is run like a business.
“There are still serviceswhere charges are not beingmade up front. I just hope thecouncil has learned its lesson.”
The council has begun theprocess of selling off a packageof rent, tax and other debts to adebt collection agency in a last-ditch attempt to reclaim them.
But millions of pounds isexpected to be written off bythe cabinet later this year.
Terry Cope, chairman ofGreenfields Residents’ Associ-ation in Tunstall, said: “It justshows the level of incompet-ence there has been. Consid-ering they are making cuts all
across the city, it’s no won-der people call us Joke-
on-T rent.”The debts have been
amassed in the yearssince Stoke-on-Trentgained unitary statusin 1997. The councilwas unable to say
who owed the mostmoney. Councillor
Sarah Hill, cabinet member forfinance, said: “It’s now abouthow we manage it from here onin. We have got to be muchmore savvy about what weexpect of people.”
The council said collectionrates for the debts are improv-ing after changes in policy.
Measures will also includeallowing people to pay for moreservices by phone or online.
The authority reclaimed 91per cent of sundry debts raisedin 2011/12, up from 89 per cent ayear earlier.
Officials admitted the coun-cil’s previous charging policiesfailed – and at its worst theamount owed hit £12 million.
A council spokesman said: “Arecent review has changed ourprocesses to charge in advanceor at the point of service deliv-ery, wherever possible, ratherthan after the event, thus guar-anteeing collection.
“The council recognises thatprompt income collection isvital for ensuring the authorityhas the resources it needs todeliver its services.”
What do you think ? Email usat [email protected]
NO OLD PALS’ ACT FOR HORTON
CROUCHIE FORENGL AND? SEE
BAC KPAG E
Plane terror over theAlps: See Page 3
