Tommy Brown Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Utterly bizarre. They are going to half the hours they are open and make half the staff redundant or redeploy. All in the in name of cutting costs. Any money saved will get swallowed in addressing the increased fly tipping. Most likely that due to reduced hours, they will implement a booking system. Give people the ability to dump their rubbish without ridiculous obstacles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ked Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 1 minute ago, Tommy Brown said: Utterly bizarre. They are going to half the hours they are open and make half the staff redundant or redeploy. All in the in name of cutting costs. Any money saved will get swallowed in addressing the increased fly tipping. Most likely that due to reduced hours, they will implement a booking system. Give people the ability to dump their rubbish without ridiculous obstacles. Ask the council to increase council tax. People should really start to become more self reliant. Recycling isn't anywhere near the level or sophistication it could be. It definitely is as you say a false economy even if you remove the flytipping angle . Let's be honest though you could half quite a few jobs with the council if folk got tgeir finger out and were not on the sick all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueRiver Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 5 minutes ago, Tommy Brown said: Utterly bizarre. They are going to half the hours they are open and make half the staff redundant or redeploy. All in the in name of cutting costs. Any money saved will get swallowed in addressing the increased fly tipping. Most likely that due to reduced hours, they will implement a booking system. Give people the ability to dump their rubbish without ridiculous obstacles. Guessing they're having to make cuts to balance pay increases and other services. Far from ideal I agree but I'm reticent to blame councils in general. They're getting squeezed like nobody's business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousset1 Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 1 hour ago, Ked said: Ask the council to increase council tax. People should really start to become more self reliant. Recycling isn't anywhere near the level or sophistication it could be. It definitely is as you say a false economy even if you remove the flytipping angle . Let's be honest though you could half quite a few jobs with the council if folk got tgeir finger out and were not on the sick all the time. WLC just increased the council tax rates by around twenty per cent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 1 hour ago, Rousset1 said: WLC just increased the council tax rates by around twenty per cent. No they haven't. Its a 5.8% increase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greedy Jambo Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 They all stand about doing nothing, to be fair, hanging monkeys up n shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousset1 Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 . 1 hour ago, Lone Striker said: No they haven't. Its a 5.8% increase I live there. I am now paying 20 pc more than last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 3 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said: They all stand about doing nothing, to be fair, hanging monkeys up n shit. Have you seen the Civil Amenities site in Blackburn? Length of the yard is covered in fluffy toys. WLC do another odd thing, bottle banks around the county (clear, brown, green) are all emptied into the same bin wagon! Whats the point of us separating them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 2 minutes ago, Rousset1 said: . I live there. I am now paying 20 pc more than last year. Mine was £105pm last year but there was a cost of living allowance of £150. Without that it would have been £120pm. 5.8% rise is about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greedy Jambo Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 5 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said: Have you seen the Civil Amenities site in Blackburn? Length of the yard is covered in fluffy toys. WLC do another odd thing, bottle banks around the county (clear, brown, green) are all emptied into the same bin wagon! Whats the point of us separating them? It's utter madness. We've now got 4 different bins here as well, nowhere to put them, and you can't put glass in any of them, are we going to get a 5th one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 7 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said: It's utter madness. We've now got 4 different bins here as well, nowhere to put them, and you can't put glass in any of them, are we going to get a 5th one? Put them to the middle of the blue bin, I hear them smashing everytime they get emptied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 2 minutes ago, Rousset1 said: . I live there. I am now paying 20 pc more than last year. I very much doubt any Council Tax figure itself has gone up by 20% in one year - there'd be riots in the streets if it did. Have you moved house to a higher band perhaps ? Or your household circumstances changed in some way so that you lost a discount ? There was a Council Tax freeze in place up till April 2021 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 31 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said: Mine was £105pm last year but there was a cost of living allowance of £150. Without that it would have been £120pm. 5.8% rise is about right. 9 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: I very much doubt any Council Tax figure itself has gone up by 20% in one year - there'd be riots in the streets if it did. Have you moved house to a higher band perhaps ? Or your household circumstances changed in some way so that you lost a discount ? There was a Council Tax freeze in place up till April 2021 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Caine Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, Lone Striker said: No they haven't. Its a 5.8% increase Really? Mine has gone up by 15%. Was £139 pcm, now £158 pcm Edited March 31, 2023 by Horatio Caine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 5 minutes ago, Horatio Caine said: Really? Mine has gone up by 15%. Was £139 pcm, now £158 pcm Just realised the 5.8% refers to next month's increase, not the jump from 2021/22 to 2022/23, Does the bulk of your 15% increase relate to the water charge part, or the actual council charge ? Although I'm in West Lothian, my area is run by Falkirk cooncil Looking back at the figures, my bill's gone up from 180 to 188 pcm - so a 6% rise from last to this year, and its going up by a further 7% from next month. Thats how I don't understand the 20% or 15% in WL - did your house get revalued and shoved up a band ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 22 minutes ago, Horatio Caine said: Really? Mine has gone up by 15%. Was £139 pcm, now £158 pcm These figures people quote - £158 per month and so on. What are they for? What do you get for your money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) It covers water & sewage services (from Scottish Water) plus all services delivered by your local Council (e.g. your share of costs associated with schools, sport & leisure centres, libraries, bin collections, road repairs, social work, parks maintenance, street lighting, etc .... probably others that I can't think of). Its local government taxation, as opposed to central government taxation. Hope that makes sense !! Edited March 31, 2023 by Lone Striker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ked Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 17 minutes ago, Ulysses said: These figures people quote - £158 per month and so on. What are they for? What do you get for your money? Lots of people who have had covid more than 5 times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 5 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: It covers water & sewage services (from Scottish Water) plus all services delivered by your local Council (e.g. your share of costs associated with schools, sport & leisure centres, libraries, bin collections, road repairs, social work, parks maintenance, street lighting, etc .... probably others that I can't think of). Its local government taxation, as opposed to central government taxation. Hope that makes sense !! Gotcha. We have very limited local taxation, but probably higher central government taxes, if you see what I mean. One odd feature of our system is that waste management is entirely privatised, whereas most other services are mixed or are entirely public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 6 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: It covers water & sewage services (from Scottish Water) plus all services delivered by your local Council (e.g. your share of costs associated with schools, sport & leisure centres, libraries, bin collections, road repairs etc .... probably others that I can't think of). Its local government taxation, as opposed to central government taxation. Hope that makes sense !! 23 minutes ago, Ulysses said: These figures people quote - £158 per month and so on. What are they for? What do you get for your money? Prices are based on what "Band" a house is in, pretty much what they base it on is what they think your house is worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 The amount you pay depends on the notional "value" of your house - e.g. Band A might be 50k to 75k Band B might be 76k to 100k etc Band B residents will pay more than Band A residents. Its a bit crude, but its an attempt to make perceived wealthier folk take a bigger share of the burden. There's a discount of single occupant households - and children under 18 (I think) don't count, so a single parent with a 15yo chold in the house gets the single occupant discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) 10 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said: Prices are based on what "Band" a house is in, pretty much what they base it on is what they think your house is worth. 10 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: The amount you pay depends on the notional "value" of your house - e.g. Band A might be 50k to 75k Band B might be 76k to 100k etc Band B residents will pay more than Band A residents. Its a bit crude, but its an attempt to make perceived wealthier folk take a bigger share of the burden. There's a discount of single occupant households - and children under 18 (I think) don't count, so a single parent with a 15yo chold in the house gets the single occupant discount. We have a similar banding system here - but it doesn't cover the entire cost of services. That's partly because most high-value payers are in Dublin and partly because Ireland's education system is centrally funded, as is a lot of spending on roads. So even if you find yourself 4 or 5 bands up the scale you're paying something like €35 or €40 per month. On the other hand we would pay more in central taxation, and most of us pay between 15 and 30 euro a month to private providers for bins. Edited March 31, 2023 by Ulysses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/council_taxpensions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 6 minutes ago, henrysmithsgloves said: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/council_taxpensions Ooooh, I'm glad I'm not B. Ovens (or his maths teacher). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 24 minutes ago, Ulysses said: We have a similar banding system here - but it doesn't cover the entire cost of services. That's partly because most high-value payers are in Dublin and partly because Ireland's education system is centrally funded, as is a lot of spending on roads. So even if you find yourself 4 or 5 bands up the scale you're paying something like €35 or €40 per month. On the other hand we would pay more in central taxation, and most of us pay between 15 and 30 euro a month to private providers for bins. If we paid 35 to 40 a month THEN had to pay for bins fly tipping would go off the scale, even worse than it is now. We have to pay WLC £25 per item for a bulky lift ie. beds, wardrobes etc. Since they introduced that fee farmers and WLC are having to pay clean up fees. Farmers because so much gets dumped on farmland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 19 minutes ago, FinnBarr Saunders said: If we paid 35 to 40 a month THEN had to pay for bins fly tipping would go off the scale, even worse than it is now. We have to pay WLC £25 per item for a bulky lift ie. beds, wardrobes etc. Since they introduced that fee farmers and WLC are having to pay clean up fees. Farmers because so much gets dumped on farmland. It's weird. For some reason bins were privatised right at the height of a boom when there was loads of money sloshing around, and people just accepted it. Local property taxes were introduced later - and AFAIK as I know something like 75% of people pay less than €25 per month for those. We do have fly tipping, but I don't get the impression that it's any worse than in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Caine Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 7 hours ago, Lone Striker said: Just realised the 5.8% refers to next month's increase, not the jump from 2021/22 to 2022/23, Does the bulk of your 15% increase relate to the water charge part, or the actual council charge ? Although I'm in West Lothian, my area is run by Falkirk cooncil Looking back at the figures, my bill's gone up from 180 to 188 pcm - so a 6% rise from last to this year, and its going up by a further 7% from next month. Thats how I don't understand the 20% or 15% in WL - did your house get revalued and shoved up a band ? Just offhand I'm not sure where the main increase refers to. My house is band D and has not been revalued. My son & his wife live a couple of miles up the road and are in I think a band E house. Their increase is smaller. WLC have some confusing bollox about `the multiplier`, with band D appearing to be the base. I don't understand it I'm afraid. I assume you must be in Bo'ness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Findlay Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 8 hours ago, Ulysses said: These figures people quote - £158 per month and so on. What are they for? What do you get for your money? Is the money you give to your local council for the services they provide, like emptying your bins. Some would argue you get very little further council tax you pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor FinnBarr Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 On 31/03/2023 at 17:01, Tommy Brown said: Utterly bizarre. They are going to half the hours they are open and make half the staff redundant or redeploy. All in the in name of cutting costs. Any money saved will get swallowed in addressing the increased fly tipping. Most likely that due to reduced hours, they will implement a booking system. Give people the ability to dump their rubbish without ridiculous obstacles. I actually know quite a few guys who will affected by this. No doubt a decent pay out by WLC paid by me and you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder and Lightning Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 This can't be true. Nicola said the SNP would scrap it back in 2007. Must have been done away with years ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milky_26 Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 On 01/04/2023 at 00:44, Ulysses said: It's weird. For some reason bins were privatised right at the height of a boom when there was loads of money sloshing around, and people just accepted it. Local property taxes were introduced later - and AFAIK as I know something like 75% of people pay less than €25 per month for those. We do have fly tipping, but I don't get the impression that it's any worse than in Scotland. one thing to note, in england (i dont know about wales) water rates are not included in council tax (it is in scotland) so i need to have a separate monthly payment to another company for water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gentleman Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 On 01/04/2023 at 16:16, Horatio Caine said: Just offhand I'm not sure where the main increase refers to. My house is band D and has not been revalued. My son & his wife live a couple of miles up the road and are in I think a band E house. Their increase is smaller. WLC have some confusing bollox about `the multiplier`, with band D appearing to be the base. I don't understand it I'm afraid. I assume you must be in Bo'ness? Got me wondering too. Westfield?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueRiver Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 3 minutes ago, milky_26 said: one thing to note, in england (i dont know about wales) water rates are not included in council tax (it is in scotland) so i need to have a separate monthly payment to another company for water. Same in Wales as in England I'm 90% sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 5 hours ago, BlueRiver said: Same in Wales as in England I'm 90% sure. It's owned by the Scottish government here👀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 On 31/03/2023 at 23:05, Lone Striker said: Just realised the 5.8% refers to next month's increase, not the jump from 2021/22 to 2022/23, Does the bulk of your 15% increase relate to the water charge part, or the actual council charge ? Although I'm in West Lothian, my area is run by Falkirk cooncil Looking back at the figures, my bill's gone up from 180 to 188 pcm - so a 6% rise from last to this year, and its going up by a further 7% from next month. Thats how I don't understand the 20% or 15% in WL - did your house get revalued and shoved up a band ? Falkirk clowncil are skint but can afford twenty million on a vanity project 🤬🤬 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 3 hours ago, henrysmithsgloves said: Falkirk clowncil are skint but can afford twenty million on a vanity project 🤬🤬 All councils are skint these days. I may have missed it but whats Falkirk's vanity project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 14 hours ago, Lone Striker said: All councils are skint these days. I may have missed it but whats Falkirk's vanity project Overpass at Falkirk football stadium, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, henrysmithsgloves said: Overpass at Falkirk football stadium, Aahh... so thats why the traffic's been chaotic at the Westfield roundabout !! Presumably its a pedestrian walkway & cycleway ? According to the media reports its going across all 4 roads that emanate from that roundabout, and high enough so that lorries & buses can travel under them. They're getting £20m from the UK Govt as part of "levelling up" Sounds clever, but will probably look like a grey concrete monstrosity. Wester Hailes springs to mind 😞 Edited April 3, 2023 by Lone Striker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder and Lightning Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 I'm all for recycling West Lothian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Reynolds Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 3 minutes ago, Thunder and Lightning said: I'm all for recycling West Lothian. Agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Striker Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 1 hour ago, Thunder and Lightning said: I'm all for recycling West Lothian. Fair comment, but just leave ma wee corner bit alone thanks 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder and Lightning Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 14 minutes ago, Lone Striker said: Fair comment, but just leave ma wee corner bit alone thanks 😉 Agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Australis Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 On 31/03/2023 at 21:51, Greedy Jambo said: They all stand about doing nothing, to be fair, hanging monkeys up n shit. Signs at the Craigmillar tip saying do not ask for help, since COVID and it has a booking system. Fit young men and women quite happy to watch elderly people struggle or left to get on with it. As said above they seem to hang up every stuffed toy they find, must make them paggared. Not an ounce of sympathy for them from me. Wish I had been paid to just stand about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueRiver Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 56 minutes ago, Australis said: Signs at the Craigmillar tip saying do not ask for help, since COVID and it has a booking system. Fit young men and women quite happy to watch elderly people struggle or left to get on with it. As said above they seem to hang up every stuffed toy they find, must make them paggared. Not an ounce of sympathy for them from me. Wish I had been paid to just stand about. If they're injured helping folk move stuff the work doesn't take kindly to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysmithsgloves Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 What's white and sleeps four?? Spoiler A council van😳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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