The annual Youth Festival of Music did not happen today. In previous years the young people have performed during torrential downpours, and today was such a lovely sunny day.
The town crier had come out expecting to announce the music starting at 11, but as there was no stage and no performers, he gave a cry instead for the archaeologist in the County Hall Museum.
She had over twenty visitors during the day. Discoveries came mostly from Abingdon, but there were also visitors from Frilford, and Clifton Hampden. Their finds were mostly Roman and Medieval coins and pots. The two Roman Coins shown above are from the late third century.
Also of interest was a tandem for sale near the Market Place.
I guess it must have fallen foul of TC staff shortages – however there have been some great volunteer-run Market Place events, this year and in the past. Recently we have had Atom Science Festival, Cycling Festival and Yeah Baby 6 – and coming soon the Summer Music Festival (26 July) and Heritage Weekend (13-14 September). There have also been several performances by local musical groups.
It would be great to see more of these – the TC provide the facility, free of charge, and free publicity via notice boards and the town website – and gazebos are available at a nominal cost from Choose Abingdon.
Perhaps someone at the TC (Iain) will enlighten us as to why three of the best members of staff they’ve ever had were made redundant?
Deathly silence ! not even a comment from “George” ?? Well, word on the street is this. The Town Council have been spoofed, hook line and sinker, conned into believing that this autumn the towns business community will vote to implement a “Business Improvement District” (BID) for the town centre. A BID is an entity/area that over 50% of business have to vote for and if successful will collect, compulsory, a levy/tax of upto 4% of their rateable value which in turn would be spent within their pre -determined zone, remember its based on the rateable value, not the rates payable, for example the Crown & Thistle could end up paying a compulsory levy of over £4,000 a year, a typical precinct unit would pay over £1,200 p/y and a typical independent around £400 p/a, The proposer of this believes the scheme will be voted through and they will be awash with money, so much so that they, the BID will pay for their own town centre manager and ,market place co-coordinators, hence the redundancies,
Naively, the TC, in good faith, believes this will happen, boy have they got a surprise coming to them, businesses in town are struggling enough, does the TC honestly believe they will vote for paying more or their rates? of course they wont, but the sting in the tail is that the proposer (and we all know who that is) has arranged a £33,000 loan for the use of “Consultants” (here we go again) to organise the BID proposal, but if less than 20% of business vote for it the TC will be left to pick up the tab !
Now FFWD to next years LIB/Dem election manifesto.
YOUR TC HAS WASTED OVER £100k ON CONSULTANTS FOR THE GUILDHALL DEBARKLE & YOUR TC HAS WASTED £33k ON A FAILED “BID” PROPOSAL OR, YOUR TC HAS SpENT £150k ON CONSULTANTS !
What a load of ill informed rubbish
Wait and see !
You dont need to wait and see – your numbers are all guff Steve – i think you’re just trying to stir up trouble.
Restructuring at ATC and BID totally unconnected. ATC restructure preceded BID
4% BID levy is a number made up by Steve King – noone involved in BID to my knowledge has ever mentioned it. Numbers mentioned by BID team range talk about 1-2%
£33k loan by council on is not repayable if the BID is unsuccessful by the terms of the grant so zero risk to the rate payer.
Spend on redevelopment plans for cinema is currently running at about £60k not £100k. I’ve answered a question from you on this before – your number is yet again completely made up
I hope nobody pays any attention to what you write.
Fact 1, the TC made 3 people redundant in April, why?
Fact 2, Hester wrote above “I guess it must have fallen foul of TC staff shortages” why?
Fact 3, at a meeting in March you admitted the TC had already spent £65k on consultants, and that was before the latest redesign.
Fact 4, at that meeting Neil Fawcet would not commit to not using the above in the Lib/Dems manifesto.
Fact 5, a BID can charge upto 4% levy, read the info on the office of the deputy prime ministers web site.
Fact 6, again read the deputy prime minister web site for info on BID’s and you will find the “Loan” is just that, if it doesn’t go through it has to be repaid !
Fact 7, read the Chap’s/Bid web site re taking on staff and you will see why I’ve made the comments regarding TC staff.
All of my numbers are taken from info freely available in the public domain. It doesn’t matter if anyone believes me or not, it’s you who needs to convince them ?
Fact 1- i’m not prepared to talk about individual staffing situations to you or anyone. The restructure is aimed at better aligning the structure with the services it delivers.
Fact 2 – there are two roles which are currently being advertised as part of the restructure.
Fact 3 – correct ie nothing like the £100k you quote. I’d also point out that the ‘consultants’ you mention are mainly architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, etc. i am not prepared to embark on a major building programme without this sort of professional advice.
Fact 4 – what neil says is up to him – i’m sure he’ll comment himself, but to my knowledge the liberal groups are supportive of both the guildhall redevelopment and the BiD and have voted for these things so they’d look a bit foolish if they object in a leaflet
Fact 5 – so what – nobody is proposing a 4% levy
Fact 6 – you are wrong – the loan is not repayable if the bid is unsuccessful
Fact 7 – i dont understand what you’re talking about – conspiracy theory rubbish
I’ve covered your comments thoroughly and wont comment further as i know other readers get bored of the toing and fro-ing but it makes me angry when you put ill informed misinformation out as fact
Hi Steve.
It’s ‘George’ here, sorry i haven’t been able to respond to any of your ill informed drivel recently, i’ve been on holiday.
I hear you’ve been asking around town trying to find out who i am, unfortunately i have had the displeasure of sitting in pubs and bars with you and the good Lady King on numerous occasions.
Firstly, IF YOU WANT TO TYPE IN CAPS THEN PRESS CAPS LOCK, then you don’t end up with lower case characters in the mix.
I really don’t think it’s any of the towns business why staff have been made redundant, the fact that you think they were their best staff doesn’t mean thats true.
Of course this is probably because you are under the impression that because you think something it makes it fact.
On another one of these ‘Facts’ around town i hear the the new Vodafone store hasn’t opened yet because the staff have been abducted by the TC and are being held ransom in return for money to pay back the 33K loan, I’m sure you’ve heard this fact around town Steve.
Hi George, perhaps you would like to join Ian in pedaling more half truths ?
Ian, think very carefully about this next para, your reply could land you in big trouble !
You have stated quite categorically here that the £33k obtained for the BID process is not a loan ! Now read this statement from your own Chap’s web site
.” The Department of Communities and Local Government are loaning us £33 000 of support to help cover the costs of putting together and publishing the proposals”
Now Ian are you still insisting this money is not a loan? in which case there is some serious misrepresentation going by either you or the BID proposers and if you will not answer the question, here, voluntarily, then perhaps It’s time the ombudsman was called in?
It is a loan if the BID ballot votes to set up a BID Company then it is repayable by the BiD company but the loan is not repayable if the BID ballot votes against setting up a BID company (the government writes it off if you want to be technical).
The only misrepresentation going on here Steeve is by you.
There are no half truths in any of my previous statements (apart from saying i wouldnt comment again) and i resent the implication – you are just wrong
Any news on the Tandem??