Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:37 am Post subject: Street lighting
I'm not going to get involved in the lighting debate specifically since it doesn't directly affect where I live. However, I will say that, while I understand that Labour is just trying to make the most of what is certainly an unpopular measure among those affected, it begs the question of where they would be making the cuts if they were in power?
Because like it or not, there is a gap between the cost of council services and the money available to provide them. That gap is, of course,due to insufficient funds being made available to the council by the Welsh Assembly coalition of which Labour is a part, and ultimately due to the lack of funds provided to the Assembly by the national Labour government.
Even Mr Micawber understood the implications of that problem. And with the terrifying national debt that their government has accrued over the last year or so, and the continuing budget deficit adding to that debt, rest assured that we are going to see a lot more cuts in services and/or increases in council tax over the next decade or so. The extent of the current budget deficit is, I understand, worse than it was when Labour had to go to the IMF in the 1970s, if that gives you any idea of what a fix we are in.
No doubt if Labour have managed to get back into power in Blaenau Gwent, they will simply claim the state of the economy forces them to make those future cuts/council tax increases. Which is, of course, exactly the situation that the Independents are in. _________________ The compliments pass when the quality meet.
At the budget-setting meeting the Labour Group did provide a viable alternative but in my view it would have meant an unacceptable drain on the Reserves ( the 'rainy day pot' ) that the Council has.
In fairness it is or them to explain their thinking, not for me to read things into it.
I was asked today 'when is the big switch-on happening then David ?'
My reply was 'I found another one yesterday - off at Midnight and back on at 02:30'.
Labour Group members seems to think it's a fait accomplis all will be as it was. My view - and one I'll be pressing for - is that we optimise savings on street lighting energy.
That means getting the balance right between maximising savings and minimising the impact on citizens.
01:00 - 05:00 seems to fit the bill.
As someone said to me following my letter to The Gazette, 'you're right, does anyone believe that we have 3,000 vampires in Blaenau Gwent who come out from midnight to an hour before dawn ?'
Sane, sensible and logical, that's how to look at this.
But I bet the politicians and politics will get in there somewhere.
Wouldn't it be really nice if the outcome was a hybrid of the Partnership's initiative in tandem with part of the Opposition's alternative solution ?
No losers in the political stakes and a winner for citizens.
Hell Martyn, Mr. Macawber's got nothing on me !! _________________ Rocke
I understand that savings have to be made but I think the current switch off has just got peoples backs up.
My experience of it has been mixed.
The bad:
1. I am not happy that my daughter has to park her car in a dark street when she returns from a night out after 12 (not often I admit). She has a torch but that is still not as good as a street light
2. recently all the cars in 2 streets of llan had their windscreen wipers tampered with after the switchoff.
3. A few owners think that with no lights they they can let their dogs out on their own to do their business after 12
4. At the start an increase in noisy youths running in the streets which seems to have abated now...but the darkness seems to attract this sort of behaviour
Being a reasonable person (I think!!) I asked myself 'would these things happen without the switchoff' ? My answer is no to 1, not on such a scale to 2, maybe they would think twice to 3 and 4.
The good :
No lights outside bedroom windows !!!!!
I am not interested in the political fighting about the issue, what I want to see is peoples experiences taken into account. And any negative ones not discarded as 'just moans'.
If it has to happen 1 till 5 seems a better option as the pub revellers will hopefully be home by 1 and the early workers will be catered for.
I also think that publishing a breakdown by street of the savings from the switchoff (in an easy to read format)would let people see the benefit of it. Without clear evidence you cannot demonstrate that any benefit has been achieved.
Jools (trying not to be a nimby!)
_________________ Top tip: never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow
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