Empty homes scandal isn’t only drain on council funds
WITH an election now confirmed for May (or at least until it is unconfirmed), we can expect the electioneering to begin in earnest here in Rossendale.
There’s a lot at stake this year, including borough and county council elections.
The Conservatives will be keen to find a way to make the last push needed to retain control of Rossendale Council for the first time in a decade.
To that end, expect a lot of noise about how Labour has run Rossendale Council for the last decade.
There is much for the Tories to focus on - including Spinning
Point ( the town centre) and, of course, the Empty Homes Scandal which, under Labour’s watch, has cost the council more than £6m.
In his column in the Free Press last week, Rossendale Tory leader Peter Steen warned people that Labour would make much of the spending cuts imposed on the council by the Government since 2010, but voters should also ask questions about the Empty Homes Scandal.
Both points are true - but it’s also important to ask questions of the Conservatives approach to the Empty Homes Scandal too.
There has been a lot of hot air, criticism and condemnation from successive Tory leaders in Rossendale about the Empty Homes Scandal - but to what end?
Has the ruling Labour group changed tack?
Has it become more open about what’s gone on?
Heck - we don’t even know what the final cost will be.
On more than one occasion, this column has asked why the biggest self- inflicted financial wound Rossendale Council has probably ever seen hasn’t been the sole focus of the borough’s overview and scrutiny committee.
Yes, it’s odd that the scrutiny committee is chaired by a member of the ruling party, but was there ever anything stopping the Tories demanding the overview and scrutiny committee devote itself solely to understanding what happened here?
This column would argue not.
Yet, credit where credit is due to the council’s current leadership - they have managed turbulent financial times, overall, very well.
In 2010, the council had a budget of around £ 11m, with over half coming from the Government (£6.2m).
Last year, it had a budget of around £9m, with just £3.7m coming from Government.
The cuts from government have been nothing short of huge, and it’s surely credit to the council that it has lost so much money while limiting the impact to front- line services.
The financial cuts over the last decade weren’t the start of cost-saving measures.
Indeed, looking back at the financial reports from when the Tories were last in charge of Rossendale, they were already making large savings because government grants weren’t keeping up with inflation.
The change of colours in 10 Downing Street - from red to blue/ yellow and then just blue from 2015 - meant debates about impact of inflation on spending were replaced by panic about how to keep the council upright at all.
And credit where it is due.
Rossendale Council has been managed through that storm.
It’s easy for local Tories to focus on the Empty Homes Scandal.
And indeed they should, that’s the job of being in opposition.
But they also too need to explain why they supported a political leadership in Downing
Street which has time and again left councils without enough money - and expected us, as taxpayers, to make up at least some of the difference.
We are paying more for less - and for all the problems the Empty Homes Scandal has caused, it is isn’t the reason we’re in that state, as local Tory campaigners know all too well.
DATES have been announced for Covid-19 testing and mobile testing centres at three sites throughout this month.
Mobile testing units will be deployed between 10am and 3pm (normally) seven days a week at Haslingden Sports Centre and Whitworth Civic Centre Car Park, on the dates below.
HASLINGDEN SPORTS CENTRE:
Saturday, February 13 to Monday, February 15;
Friday, February 19 to Sunday, February 21;
Thursday, February 25 to Saturday, February 27.
WHITWORTH CIVIC CENTRE CAR PARK:
Thursday, February 11 to Friday, February 12;
Tuesday, February 16 to Thursday, February 18;
Saturday, February 28
These sites are complemented by the local testing site on the Valley Centre in Rawtenstall which will be in place until Thursday, February 25, normally open seven days a week between 8am and 8pm.