Another year, another rise
HAVING read the statement issued by Councillor Peter Rees in the Evening Post (March 5), it would appear that Neath Port Talbot Council have done what was suggested by the Unison trade union representative earlier this year by "just putting the council tax up" by more than the Welsh average.
This appears to have cured the possible problem they were going to have with their employees by simply ignoring the fact that NPT is already one of the most heavily taxed communities in Wales whilst seeing little or nothing in return for the annual increases.
Councillor Rees says that the increases are needed to protect front-line jobs, whereas many people that voted for him have possibly lost theirs because they work in the private sector or have suffered pay freezes and pay cuts.
What about the residents who are not on lower bands? Must they subsidise the majority whilst driving around the pot hole-riddled roads to pay and display in a car park that was supposed to have been a new shopping precinct after having navigated the gridlocked traffic and instead go shopping in a town centre that has as many shops shut down as open?
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This council have to realise that you can only squeeze so much blood out of a stone, and value for money is not what the residents are at present receiving.
M J Parfitt
Cimla Crescent, Neath
4 Comments
by retepseer
Thursday, March 21 2013, 6:05PM
“Bueller misses the point I was making. Of course there are roads in the county Borough which need attention, and given the finance we could address those problems. With a budget gap of £21 million over the next four years this is going to be difficult. Councillors in all the areas mentioned in your reply are aware of the difficulties and they try to address them. The point he makes about street lighting is not valid. The changes to the lamp posts - and 6000 are being installed - means that there is some disruption to the service. However the new lighting will be much improved and more efficient, thus providing better value to the council tax payer.
Refuse collection is not every two weeks- it is collected weekly - but is now aimed at getting people to re-cycle their waste.
Other councils in Wales are facing similar problems ,they too and NPTCBC is still one of the best authorities in Wales.”
by retepseer
Thursday, March 21 2013, 9:34AM
“Bueller's rant about the state of roads misses the point. It is not suggested that there are not difficulties in some roads in the County Borough. However we are attempting to tackle the problem as far as financial resources allow.
The street lighting is being changed to a more efficient and better service. The installation of 6000 new lamp standards necessitates some disruption but will pay benefits in the long run. The waste collection service is still weekly, but we are trying to encourage householders to re-cycle their waste thus preventing stringent charges for land fill.
Other councils across Wales are all facing similar problems and NPT was not imposing the highest council tax authority this year in Wales. We attempted to protect front line services and jobs. That was the right thing to do.”
by Bueller
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 7:49PM
“By Bueller
I sggest retepseer drives to the bottom of Cimla Crescent. Dyfed Road, Lantwit Road on the bends at the cemetery, New Road in Skewen, the traffic lights at the Drill Hall in Neath to name but a few to confirm that there are pot holed roads in our town.
The regeneration was supposed to have begun when the old Civic Centre was demolished with the only signs to date being the recently finished small portion of The Parade.
Street care means recently having no lighting for 6 days and pavements that are a danger to walk on, refuse collection - reduced to once every two weeks and at the same time the council tax still going up every year. I state again that many people in Neath working in the private sector have lost their jobs with no one readily available to maintaining their families or prospects of future employment. Maybe those of us who have strived to live in a house that is in the higher tax band should down size to a garden shed where the services would be no better but at least it would be cheaper to live there.
The Council is failing the reidents of our town where instead of using the usual political ploy of blaming whoever is in Westminster should face up to the fact that other councils in Wales are going through the same austerity measures as Neath but without having to penalise the residents by having the tax increased by more than the national average and showing no plausible benefit for it.”
by retepseer
Wednesday, March 20 2013, 11:54AM
“The letter from MJ Parfiitt is not an accurate portrayal of Neath. The roads in Cimla - particularly in Cimla Crescent are not pot holed. A rolling programme of resurfacing roads in this Ward has been taking place over the last eight years. Neath does not have as many shops open as closed. The re-generation of Neath with a £13.5 million pound start has already commenced.
The services of Education. Social services, Street care, refuse collection has been preserved to the benefit of the wider community. To protect jobs and families from the prospect of unemployment is surely something to be pursued. If people chose to live in houses that are in the higher bands then that is individual choice. The banding of properties is not a Council decision.
The decision of this Council was to protect front line services and protect jobs in this time of austerity brought about by the policies of this Con-Dem Government in Westminster.”