As we are digesting the depressingly familiar news that our council taxes, will once again be increased by around five per cent, Thanet council are doing their utmost too raise our spirits.
Looks like local bureaucrats are sparing no expense, in softening the blow of the their latest hideous creation, Gateway Plus which if you are not familiar happens to be a library crossed with a tax collection and benefits advice service, having all the ambience of a post office queue.
I guess that Thanet District Council are getting some adverse feedback from their new enterprise which looks more like the result of an appalling genetic experiment, which would explain why, they have spent big money on promoting it, with this week's Thanet Extra, along with Kent Council they have paid for, what is known as a wrap, that is the first and last two pages of the paper given over to advertising and promotion, in this case of special events and entertainment to convince us, that a massive mistake has not been made in creating this monster(Gateway Plus).It seems local authorities have no limits on the amount of money that they can spend in self promotion, and buying patronage with the local press, it's just a pity that the money runs out for museums and libraries.
Incidentally I checked with the sales department of the KM and I understand that a the ballpark figure for this type of advertising would be around £3500 which of course would not include artwork and in this case the entertainment being laid on.
well put Tony.It is a complete mess..you have to fight your way in through screaming kids and people with benifit issues,ther is no signage and the counters are all together so when you are bringing books back it is a fight to get in..Books have been reduced oh it is shameful what has been done to our Library
ReplyDeletePeter Gilroy, the £260,000 a year Plus unelected KCC official whose idea this is, must be getting some messages by now.
ReplyDeleteIt is Gateway MINUS the library.
ReplyDeleteI see an opening for some sharp witted business men to create a private library and arts centre in the wake of this loss that could do very well and be immune to land grabs while possibly being able to obtain some of the funding that once ran the local library system.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can gather this was all the idea of one of TDC's senior officers, who, ironically, began his working career in libraries, and now seems determined to finish them off.
ReplyDeleteTony, no local authority wants to spend money, after all its the ratepayers money, and if it were not spent rates would be lower, (a sure vote winner) But people like the audit commission, IDEA, and various other governmental bodies insist that we 'Engage' with the local community.
ReplyDeleteMy view is that the best way to do that is to provide good local services, but these faceless, unaccountable people tell us that we have to spend shedloads of your money telling you what your council does. Sounds like job creation to me
Seems to me that Tory councils have a particular addiction to self promotion, you've only got to look at the scandalous spend by those Muppet's in Maidstone. £6,500000 much of it on advertising job posts, its a pity that the worlds greatest chief exec (and most expensive) doesn't do something to protect us from Tory squander culture.
ReplyDeleteKen don't blame anyone else you and your Tory group are in power.
and are therefore responsible.
Finally could any Tory tell me why a public authority like Kent should be paying for promotion of Freemasonry (as with Kent TV).
Most decent people regard Freemasons at best as self seeking at worst people who pervert the course of business with their bent loyalty beyond law and religion.
Whoever can up with the idea for the revamped libary in Margate should be sacked, as it is a complete shambles. I did not feel comfortable feeding hundreds of pounds for my rates into a machine and being watched by all..Then the machine spat out most notes.Then the choice of books..this not a libary, it's an absolute joke, and the noise etc!!
ReplyDeleteI gather that footfall in the actual library part of this fiasco is down to about 10% of what it was before the improvements. I can only suppose that this is why the bookshop is busier than I would expect despite all the improvements in Ramsgate.
ReplyDeleteWhy was the money wasted on advertising and not spent on the improved choice of books. And there has been alot of money also spent on people with questionaires asking the general public what they think of the new service. Well let's start with the reception area, a diabled elderly friend went down to pay his rent, the seats are far too low to sit on, he had problems with paying the rent into the machine. Also one notes the serious lack of Art reference books that would normally be associted with a town which has artistic connections or future ambitions.
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteI did not say that we do this sort of stuff because we want to, we have to, or the audit people will be down on us like a ton of bricks.
Ken don't worry about auditors, just think voters.
ReplyDeleteWho are sick and tired of local councils like Thanet and Kent, pouring vast amounts of our money into advertising.
Voters are also getting sick of Tdc putting up parking charges excessively to raise 200K
ReplyDeleteand seen happy to let our town centres decline further.It's time everyone including the public, traders organised a protest, as the Councils are failing our community, from our high st's,libaries, to installing prison like fencing everywhere, wasting money on advertising, Job adverts free benefits for their employees parking etc etc The Council's should save more money within, this is where valuable ratepayer's money could be saved rather than burden the taxpayer even more and ruin our towns even further!!
Lsat sunday I went down to Argos in Margate on Sunday morning. The surrounding roads there was no parking charge in force,but was unable to park due to people going to church etc I parked in College Sq carpark, and had to pay a fee, this should be free on a sunday? Next time I will go to Westwood. Thanet council needs to bring the parking restrictions in line with kent council policies rather than ripping the public off, or least state in the carpark that the on road parking is free on a sunday.
ReplyDelete