Debt owed to us all

It was no surprise to learn that Peterborough City Council has had to write off debts of £390,000. The size of the organisation and the nature of some of its business means that some debt write off is inevitable. However what was surprising, actually scrub that, what was staggering was some of the reasons.

In some cases a lack of proper paperwork meant the debts couldn’t be proved.

Sorry, run that one past me again... a lack of proper paperwork!

These weren’t for insignficant amounts either – £11,546, £21, 658 and £28,850. Just as surprising were the “debtors’’ - Peterborough College Of Adult Education, North West Anglia Health Care Trust and North and South Peterborough Primary respectively.

These are organisatons of the type that are usua- lly trumpeted as “partner’’ organisations. Presumably they are as inept as the council and don’t have any paperwork either. Because, of course, if they did they would have done the right thing and paid their debt.

Then there is the sorry tale of Cafe Limon, the cafe in Bridge Street. Right under the noses of council bosses, literally, the owners of that business racked up debts of just short of £80,000.

Businesses come and go, and sometimes they go owing money. But who at the council was managing the debt? It didn’t become £80,000 overnight.

When it stood at £20,000 wasn’t somebody concerned? What about when it reached £30,000, £40,000, £50,000? Surely, the alarm bells were ringing off the wall.But still it mounted... £60,000, £70,000, £80,000.

Still lessons were learned, as they always are with public bodies, and when the next small business moved in The Clock, they left owing a mere £12,000.

Result! There must have been much high-fiving in the Town Hall at that.

The current Tory administration is constantly repeating the mantra of how times are hard and how the council has to take tough decisions ie cut services.

Cabinet member Cllr David Seaton had the unenivalbe task of defending the indefensible. He said: “I would like to reassure taxpayers that today the council has a very robust system in place to make sure we are on top of late payments.’’

I hope that’s the case... I’m going to sign up for the brown bin tax and see how big an arrears bill I can run up. The council is fond of telling us it’s equivalent to 70p a week so if I don’t pay for 2,200 years I should get close to the Cafe Limon debt. The gentlemen pictured above was a visitor to Peterborough on Saturday.

He didn’t come to admire the ancient cathedral, nor to do some shopping in Queensgate. He came to take part in a protest march organised by the English Defence League.

Why did he choose to cover his face? Was it because he wanted to hide his identity? Or maybe it was an attempt to intimidate? Perhaps it was simply a show of support for his cause? Or even maybe it was an ironic protest given some of his fellow supporters were shouting: “ban the burka’’.

The event passed off almost without incident and only one arrest was made.

There was a huge police presence which will have cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds. I have no criticism of the police – they have no option but to plan for the worst case scenario. Imagine the outcry if there was major civil disorder at such an event and the cops just had a few PCSOs on patrol?

Last time the bill for policing the EDL in Peterborough was three-quarters of a million pounds. Even if the cost is a third of that, that works out at about £1,000 for each of the 250 EDL marchers.

There is a hefty price to pay for freedom of expression... I hope the gentleman in the mask appreciates it.