Questionable conduct

Update: this story has been covered by the Oxford Mail today

Ruth

I referred to a question I was going to put at Full Council tonight in an earlier post. Here is the text:

I note the reference to the working up of area forums.

Can the Leader give an assurance to the residents of Barton, Sandhills,  Headington Hill, Headington Quarry and Risinghurst that area forums won’t be cancelled at short notice by Labour councillors when failed ex-Prime Ministers attend constituency dinners?

The reply was that each member would take responsibility for their own decisions.

I make no further comment in writing.

Tuesday’s NE Area Committee meeting

I wish to correct the post given below. It now appears that the inquoracy of councillors at Tuesday’s meeting was not due to the lateness of the county council budget-setting meeting

Apologies were sent by seven out of twelve councillors for NEAC so it was cancelled. No apologies were sent by Liberal Democrat councillors, and I was standing by to chair as required.

I shall be asking a question in full Council on Monday to find out why so many apologies were sent by councillors from neighbouring wards

Ironically one of the topics up for discussion was the paper on changes to democratic processes proposed by the Labour administration

Tuesday’s NE Area Committee cancelled

Sadly our area committee meeting for Tuesday 15 February has been cancelled. This is not through lack of business, but because a number of councillors are likely still to be at County Hall for the budget meeting. Today’s Oxford Mail piece is not correct – NEAC is definitely cancelled. Next meetings will be on 15 March (ordinary business) and 17 March (Planning)

Bury Knowle Library talks

A meeting was held this afternoon at County Hall with Cllr Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Libraries, John Jackson, Director of Social and Community Services, Jillian Southwell from the County Library Service, and Claire Phillips from the Policy Directorate. Representatives from Headington were:

  • Tanya Field (Headington Action)
  • Tony Joyce (CCOHRA)
  • Sarah Eddie and Lynda Hayward (Save Headington Library)
  • Cllr Roy Darke
  • Cllr Ruth Wilkinson
  • Fiona Mackenzie ACA (accountant)

A huge amount of information has been released by the County recently including:

The Director confirmed that a 23% reduction needed to be made from the Library Service budget, a reduction of £2m from the current total of £8.7m, by 2014/15.

The implementation of any discontinuation of funding to libraries would take place at the end of December 2011.

The request for a meeting with the Director and Cabinet Member by the above group would be considered by the County Council as an expression of interest in looking at all options in keeping library services going in Headington, in their current or an alternative form.

The decision of whether to approve bids for transition funding for community library projects is likely to slip to the end of June or beginning of July, details will follow.

The County had considered other options, including a reduction across the board for all county libraries (which would result in a reduction of opening hours and staff costs by 30%) and had discussed the possibility of outsourcing all its services with a UK provider, but neither had proved viable. Discussions on outsourcing are currently underway with a US provider.

The County has not yet released its guidance to community groups on what service level agreements can be offered by the County Library Service as buy-ins by community libraries. Professional services might include access to the library management system and bookstock, infrastructure support and training of volunteer staff. This will be released by the end of this month.

It is likely that bids for transition funding from Big Society libraries would include the cost of installing self-issue systems but criteria are to be decided.

Financial questions are being sent to the Director by our accountant and he will respond as soon as he can.

There was an emphasis by County on ensuring that the funded library hubs would be spread geographically. One of the most significant factors taken into account when selecting which libraries would be retained or cut appeared to be travel time. Another was the proximity of libraries to shopping areas. There was also a mention of “community drop off points” which are under consideration to those areas where library services would be cut.

The County is preparing a local needs analysis for each area and this will give us more information about what each area is like in terms of nos. children on free school meals, nos. people not in employment, education or training etc. etc.

Significant points that were raised included:

  • ·         The possibility of employing volunteers alongside library staff
  • ·         The need to examine current book provision in school libraries
  • ·         The need to take into account the value of early years reading support
  • ·         The level of educational attainment in library catchment areas

Most importantly, it was emphasised that the timescales were unattainable for an effective business case to be built up for the biggest libraries in the existing schedule. This point was understood and taken away for further consideration.

A meeting is being scheduled for the end of March. This will allow the County time to send out guidance and local needs assessments, and will give the group more time to analyse the information, learn about different types of social enterprises and how community libraries can be run, and work out alternative ways in which the County can make the savings without closing libraries.

Fighting for Bury Knowle Library

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The County has proposed to discontinue funding for 20 of its 43 libraries, but has not indicated clearly the criteria determining which libraries to cut. One reason that has been given is because there is a good bus route to Westgate Library

Full sets of figures for the County Library Service in terms of income, expenditure and usage county-wide are being obtained. We have details of income and expenditure for Bury Knowle Library.

Bury Knowle House is a grade II listed building, and the space within it is leased to the County Council. The lease was signed last year, and we have now obtained a copy of it.  It appears that the County Council has the ability to terminate the agreement upon the giving of six months notice.  The annual rent passing is in the sum of £16,300 per annum. Effectively the County has paid rent in advance up to March 2016 from which date annual rental payments would again commence, so the rent would be subject to review on 25th March 2016.

Our current information is that the City pays for maintenance/repair to the outside of the building and for the foyer and that  the County pays for repairs to the interior of the library space – repairs to listed buildings can be expensive.  We are checking this out.

Additional to the library space, the County rents a large staff workroom and a staff rest room.

The Library stock has been RFID security tagged ready for the introduction of a self-issue machine. This would mean that potentially the Library could be run using fewer staff if the linked RFID computer software is implemented. We have requested further details on this from County.

IT facilities are oversubscribed, and the children’s workstations are in high demand in the summer holidays. It is odd that this library has been earmarked for discontinuation of funding as its customer base and transaction statistics are very healthy. Local residents use it as central point for information on activities and events within the area (it is currently displaying the new play area equipment to be installed in Bury Knowle Park).

The income from overdue books and charges more or less pays for many expenditure items such as utilities, stationery, but not the £31K on books and £128K on staffing recorded in the most recent set of annual figures that we have available to us.   

We are awaiting a response from County for information on the following:

  • What criteria were used to select the libraries earmarked for discontinued funding?
  • Will county stock currently in the Library be made available to users if it is taken over by a social enterprise or voluntary group?
  • Will any new library management group be able to use centralised County systems such as IT support, library circulation and fines management system and RFID, user database etc?
  • What will become of the s106 developer money earmarked for the library service from Ruskin projects?
  • Postcode information on BK library users to show how far they come to use the library and from where

The nature of any prospective ‘takeover’ is up for debate: could the City take over the running of the County libraries on a not-for-profit basis, for example? One hitch is that there is no wheelchair access to the building.

Ruth has approached the Bodleian, Oxford Brookes University and Ruskin College for possible help. The County Librarian is moving jobs in the spring of 2011.

There will be a public meeting on 11/1/11 at 20.00 at St Andrews School and there is a public petition which you can sign here

Please contact Ruth or David if you want to get involved with any working group, we already have seven volunteers from our ward, two of who have worked at Bury Knowle Library, and a local accountant keen to look at the figures. We are working alongside the County Councillors and Headington Action on this.  North East Area Committee has some funding available – should this be used to conduct a survey of local library-related needs?

Clearly we would like to make a case for the County to reconsider its decision to discontinue funding for Bury Knowle Library. But we also need to have a Plan B, and before we can decide what that Plan B can look like, we need to have a greater understanding of what local people want from the Library and how they would like the space at Bury Knowle House to be used most effectively. We’d appreciate your comments on this!

Ideas about more creative use of the use of space at BKH given to us by local residents and staff so far include:

  • Change the opening hours to open later in the day with full IT access. The large room could be kitted out with internet access – maybe with a Costa Coffee cart? (and relocate the workroom)
  • The member of staff supervising later opening could also service room bookings for community groups in what is currently the library rest room and/or rooms on the top floor
  • Brookes could be approached to provide IT equipment/help with classes as outreach
  • A gourmet funding not-for-profit company based in Kidlington thinks it can generate income by asking people doing their grocery shopping online to consider making a small charitable donation (this could pay for new books along with donated material)
  • Use of Bury Knowle House as a venue for wedding ceremonies
  • Library staff to act as an information point/book out sports hire for the Park
  • Close the Library on its two half days and use the space for other activities

Another option that has been mooted is to move the library to another location so that it is cheaper to run, and Barton has been mentioned in this context, although our latest information is that the library is well-used by Wood Farm School too. Access to another venue using public transport might prove more difficult though.

If you have any comments, feel free to click on the comment button and add them here!

Lib Dems delivering for Britain. Part 8. Your community

Here is the latest in our series showing the Lib Dem manifesto in action

Lib Dem manifesto p.76 

“We will end the detention of children in immigration detention centres”

On 16 December, Nick Clegg announced the ending of child detention for immigration purposes.

Lib Dem manifesto p.83

“Through our policy on capital gains tax, ensure that those who use second homes as speculative investments will pay tax on enhanced capital value at the same rate as on earned income, not 18% as at present.”

In June’s emergency budget, we increased the rate of Capital Gains Tax to 28% for higher rate taxpayers while keeping it at 18% for basic rate taxpayers

Lib Dem manifesto p.77

 “In a fair society, everyone should have the right to a decent home, but this is not the reality of Britain today. There should be quality social and private rented housing available for those who need or choose it.”

We have announced plans for 150,000 new affordable homes over the next four years, the first net increase in the social housing stock by any government in 30 years.

Lib Dem manifesto p.77

We will make sure every new home is fully energy efficient by improving building regulations”

We have required a 25% improvement in energy efficiency standards for new buildings.

Lib Dem manifesto p.78 

 “We will scrap burdensome Home Information Packs, retaining the requirement for homes to have an energy performance certificate”

We have scrapped Home Information Packs, and retained the requirement for homes to have an energy performance certificate

 Lib Dem manifesto p.82

“We will stop ‘garden grabbing’ by defining gardens as Greenfield sites in planning law so that they cannot easily be built over”

We have ended ‘garden grabbing’ saving considerable amounts of green belt land from being built over

Lib Dem manifesto p.83

“We will promote schemes for affordable homes like equity mortgages and ‘Home on the Farm’ which encourages farmers to convert existing buildings into affordable housing”

We have promoted ‘Home on the Farm’ schemes that encourage farmers to convert existing buildings into affordable housing

Lib Dem manifesto p.74

“We will make prisoners work and contribute from their prison wages to a compensation fund for victims.”

The government’s sentencing green paper included proposals for ‘working prisons’ to get prisoners used to working regular hours, and to contribute toward financial reparations for victims.

Lib Dem manifesto p.75

“We will give people a direct say in how petty criminals and those who engage in antisocial behaviour are punished by setting up Neighbourhood Justice Panels”

The sentencing green paper also included proposals for increasing the opportunities for communities to become involved in local justice through Neighbourhood Justice Panels

Lib Dem manifesto p.75

“Champion restorative justice programmes which make offenders confront their behaviour and are more successful at reducing crime.”

The sentencing green paper also includes proposals to make more use of restorative justice as a more effective punishment

Lib Dem manifesto p.74

“Move offenders who are drug addicts or mentally ill into more appropriate secure accommodation”

As of June 2011 we will pilot drug recovery wings in priosons, reviewing this in June 2012 with a view to working with the Department of Health to roll it out more widely.

The sentencing green paper proposes to pilot and roll out liaison and diversion services nationally by 2014 for mentally ill offenders who present a high risk of harm where this is linked to a severe personality disorder

Lib Dem manifesto p. 73

“Require better recording of hate crime against disabled, homosexual and transgender people”

In December 2010 Lynne Heatherstone launched the government’s new equalities strategy, which includes a commitment to promote better recording of, and response to, hate crimes.

Lib Dem manifesto p.79

“Include promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans”

In September Norman Baker announced plans for a new Local Sustainable Transport Fund to challenge local transport authorities outside London to develop packages of measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon in their communities, as well as delivering cleaner environments, improved safety and increased levels of physical activity.

Lib Dems delivering for Britain. Part 2. Your job

Lib Dem manifesto p22

“We will break up the banks, to ensure taxpayers are never again expected to underwrite high-risk banking. We will introduce a Banking Levy so that banks pay for their tax-payer guarantee until the break-up is complete”

We have set up an independent commission on separating investment and retail banking, reporting by September 2011, and introduced a banking levy that will raise £2.5 bn a year

Lib Dem manifesto p.24

“To help the transition to a green economy over the longer term, we will set up a United Kingdom Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) to attract private finance”

The creation of a UK-wide Green Investment Bank will be funded by £1 bn spending allocation and additional proceeds from the sale of Government-owned assets. The Bank will encourage significant additional investment in green infrastructure.

Lib Dem manifesto p.26

“Support public investment in the roll-out of superfast broadband, targeted first at those areas which are least likely to be provided for by the market”

The Government has published an action plan, “Britain’s Superfast Broadband Future”, announcing an £830 m strategy to put a digital hub in every community, making sure the UK has the best broadband in Europe by 2015.

Lib Dem manifesto p.28

“Give both the Royal Mail and post offices a long-term future, by separating Post Office Ltd. from the Royal Mail and retaining Post Office Ltd. in full public ownership.”

The Postal Services Bill is curently passing through Parliament. It allows for the restructuring of Royal Mail, including the introduction of private sector capital and expertise from the sale of part of it, an employee share scheme, and provisions for Post Office Ltd. to continue to be owned by the Crown or a mutual ownership structure.

Lib Dem manifesto p.30

“We will extend the right to request flexible working to all employees”

We have put in place secondary legislation to extend the right to request flexible working to parent of children up to age 18 and are consulting with busines on shared parental leave and extension of flexible working to all employees.