As closure of Pfizer gets closer, I just wonder what KCC, is doing to help the economy apart from lending out the Council Leader to head up the “Task force” and it occurred to me that over the years the West of Kent has benefitted quite considerably from money harvested from East Kent taxpayers.
Much of Kent’s bureaucrats do whatever they do based in Maidstone and the West of Kent, and prompted by this thought I checked out this web page which gives some headline figures, of just how much it costs to shuffle papers and indulge ego’s in administering the goings on Kent council.
Now like you, I’d it expect the sums involved to run into millions but crikey (and their is a recession on) the budget for Management, support services and corporate overheads is running at a humongous £103,000,000.00 for this financial year (not sure whether this figure also includes dubious Fat Cat bonuses and credit card bills).
Now what I’m thinking, is this, much of the money we pay in Tax subsidies, affluent West Kent, now if Paul Carter (Conservative Leader of Kent council and the Pfizer Taskforce supremo) could, if he actually gave a toss for this area, investigate the sell off of all those palatial offices in Maidstone and West Kent and relocation to the Pfizer site or even a partial relocation so that local East Kent money stayed here and helped boost the economy.
A bit of a tall order, particularly given the poor performance of Conservative county councillors, in representing local interests, most of whom quietly take their “allowance” and accept the status quo.
Just think if half this money was spent, round here £50 million, it wouldn’t replace Pfizer but it would be a start.
On the plus side, some of Paul Carters colleagues, now admit that, times up for their leader, so maybe Kent council will change in direction.
over 700 have already left Pfizer
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that, I assume in that number there must be quite a few "contractors"
ReplyDelete300 a month will be leaving Pfizer leading up to the new year,then the rest soon after.
ReplyDeletePopulation of Kent (excluding Medway) is 1,450,000. Population of East Kent is 470,000. I am sure that East Kent has had its fair share of the budget in the last few years with the necessary high spend on social and childrens services and other benefits in East Kent.
ReplyDeleteI work for UKBA in Kent. Front line staff are down by 20% - just in line with HO target reduction, but they are hiring new managers by the day!
ReplyDeleteSuch a move from Maidstone to Sandwich by KCC would cost us tax payers at least £50 millions in redundancy and recruitments costs, in staff relocation costs, in paying commuting costs for many and for losses on property that is only suitsble for demolition if KCC left.
ReplyDeleteThe only way this would happen would be if the government paid for it. This govement did not want to help East Kent in any way apart from giving Enterprise status to a very small area of Sandwich and I dont see them changing this without a big U turn. And thats something you would not want the coallition to do Tony.
KCC could finance this by selling off property in Maidstone
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