Planned council spending

[joshua]

NEW CAPITAL SCHEMES

ENVIRONMENT
Crematorium – music system £12,000
This scheme is to improve the range of music available for services and to
introduce video streaming to show “family memories” at services held in the
Chapel.

COMMUNITY
Additional Funding for Disabled Facilities Grants £250,000
Additional funding has been approved for 2012/13 to meet anticipated
demand and prevent a backlog in applications.
Improvements at Glover Street Caravan Site £35,000
The scheme is to improve and modernise the amenities of the Glover Street
Caravan site, thereby improving the living condition to the vulnerable
residents occupying the site. The scheme will be undertaken over a period of
two years.

LEISURE
Heritage Sites – Toilet Refurbishment £40,000
This scheme is to refurbish the public toilet blocks at Stafford Castle and
Izaak Walton’s Cottage.
Stafford Leisure Centre – Gating and Blinds £15,000
This scheme is to replace the reception barriers and install blinds to reduce
solar glare in the reception area.
Stafford Castle – Visitor Centre Refurbishment £25,000
This scheme is to refurbish the interior of the Visitor Centre to reflect the
recent external works to the trail and heritage boards.
Gatehouse – Electrical Harmonic £12,000
This scheme is to ensure that the Theatre’s lighting equipment is compliant
with current regulations and enables variation in lighting levels as required.
Gatehouse – Hydraulic Orchestra Pit £45,000
This scheme is to purchase a hydraulic lift system to raise and lower the
Theatre’s orchestra pit platform automatically, saving time and risks of
accidents.

PLANNING AND REGENERATION
Waterscape Path – Central Riverside £300,000
This scheme is to continue the Waterscape path and link the section between
Bridge Street and Queensway, complementing the Riverside regeneration
plans in 2012/13 and 2013/14.
Stafford Christmas Lights £40,000
This scheme is to provide new lighting displays in South Walls and
replacement lights in existing streets in 2012/13 and 2013/14.

RESOURCES
Intranet & Internet Mapping £25,000
This scheme is to create an electronic maps database accessible to all users
of the Stafford Borough Council intranet and internet.
Replacement Photocopiers £90,000
This scheme is to purchase photocopiers that are currently leased at the end
of their lease contract over the next three financial years.
Contact Centre Phone System £55,000
This scheme is to replace the current contact centre phone system with one
which has the capabilities to service all the requirements of the Contact
Centre.
CCTV Upgrade £177,000
This scheme is to replace the existing CCTV cameras and to provide
infrastructure to support the CCTV system at street level. This project will be
combined with the CCTV wireless link project (see next scheme) so that one
contract is awarded.
CCTV wireless link with Riverway nursery, SLC & Civic Centre £40,000
This scheme is to install a wireless CCTV link between Riverway Nursery,
Stafford Leisure Centre and the Civic Centre to improve security at the
Nursery.
Civic Centre Ground Floor Reconfiguration £1,250,000
This scheme is to reconfigure the ground floor of the Civic Centre to provide
additional retail units in 2012/13, which will increase the income to the
Borough Council from lettings.

So is this money well spent or are there things that you feel should not take place in these times of cost cutting ?

 

[fatfrog]

I would be interested to know how many of the contracts have gone to local companies. Although I find it difficult to comment on wether any of this money should be spent...if it is helping the local economy then one couod argue it is monay well spent??

 

[My Name is URL]

NEW CAPITAL SCHEMES

ENVIRONMENT
Crematorium – music system £12,000
This scheme is to improve the range of music available for services and to
introduce video streaming to show “family memories” at services held in the
Chapel.

Haven't got time to pick holes in all of those now, but I know if I went to my boss and said I wanted to spend £12k on a new music system for my offices, (after picking himself up off the floor) he'd ask to see the business case. He'd want to know that by spending £12,000 to improve the service to our customers, what are we getting back in return... are we able to charge higher prices? will our customers come back to us more often and buy more from us? will this attract new customers for us? will the investment allow us to reduce our own costs?

I would love to see the business case presented to the council for that.

(Just to add, I know funerals are very sad and i'm not belittling anyone here or disrespecting anyone, but I have been to enough funerals to know that video streaming isn't that important.)

 

[fatfrog]

I must admit that this is the one I looked at. It is not as though they will lose business by not spending the money!? £12,000 can be spent better by giving that to the voluntary services in grief counciling

NEW CAPITAL SCHEMES

ENVIRONMENT
Crematorium – music system £12,000
This scheme is to improve the range of music available for services and to
introduce video streaming to show “family memories” at services held in the
Chapel.

Haven't got time to pick holes in all of those now, but I know if I went to my boss and said I wanted to spend £12k on a new music system for my offices, (after picking himself up off the floor) he'd ask to see the business case. He'd want to know that by spending £12,000 to improve the service to our customers, what are we getting back in return... are we able to charge higher prices? will our customers come back to us more often and buy more from us? will this attract new customers for us? will the investment allow us to reduce our own costs?

I would love to see the business case presented to the council for that.

(Just to add, I know funerals are very sad and i'm not belittling anyone here or disrespecting anyone, but I have been to enough funerals to know that video streaming isn't that important.)

 

[Miss Red]

They could use my music system for rent a whole lot cheaper than that

 

[darben]

will our customers come back to us more often and buy more from us?

ROFL

 

[joshua]

Gatehouse – Hydraulic Orchestra Pit £45,000
This scheme is to purchase a hydraulic lift system to raise and lower the
Theatre’s orchestra pit platform automatically, saving time and risks of
accidents.

Anyone else read this and think of the ballroom at blackpool tower, with the man on the organ rising up ?

 

[Gramaisc]

Gatehouse – Hydraulic Orchestra Pit £45,000
This scheme is to purchase a hydraulic lift system to raise and lower the
Theatre’s orchestra pit platform automatically, saving time and risks of
accidents.

Anyone else read this and think of the ballroom at blackpool tower, with the man on the organ rising up ?

Reginald Dixon.

 

[ATJ]

I don't really think the money making capitalist agenda should have to apply to funerals. If there were ever a service which should exist without trying to make money, hosting funerals is it.
'Can we charge higher prices?' should not even be a consideration for a council run funeral service.

 

[70-plus]

I get the impression that they really do not know what to spend their money on. Cutting out the sun in the Leisure centre is rather odd as is the possibility of video images in the crematorium. There must be a comic book someone could write on local government spending because this list is rather weird.

 

[Rikki]

My first thought when reading most of those plans was how overpriced they seemed to be.

 

[proactive]

NEW CAPITAL SCHEMES

ENVIRONMENT
Crematorium – music system £12,000
This scheme is to improve the range of music available for services and to
introduce video streaming to show “family memories” at services held in the
Chapel.

LEISURE
Gatehouse – Electrical Harmonic £12,000
This scheme is to ensure that the Theatre’s lighting equipment is compliant
with current regulations and enables variation in lighting levels as required.
Gatehouse – Hydraulic Orchestra Pit £45,000
This scheme is to purchase a hydraulic lift system to raise and lower the
Theatre’s orchestra pit platform automatically, saving time and risks of
accidents.

RESOURCES
Intranet & Internet Mapping £25,000
This scheme is to create an electronic maps database accessible to all users
of the Stafford Borough Council intranet and internet.
Replacement Photocopiers £90,000
This scheme is to purchase photocopiers that are currently leased at the end
of their lease contract over the next three financial years.
Contact Centre Phone System £55,000
This scheme is to replace the current contact centre phone system with one
which has the capabilities to service all the requirements of the Contact
Centre.

Don't know enough about the other items to comment but all the above seem way overpriced. Presumably all these items went out to tender in order to get the best price but I know from my own experience that items like the music system and the phone system need cost nothing like that, even when getting all singing and dancing kit.

Strikes me that the BC has lost sight of the duty it has to provide value for money when spending taxpayer money!

 

[hammerman]

i would be asking how many times do they use the Orchestra pit at the Gatehouse, bet less than 12 times per year.....they have done without for nearly 30 years so why now?????

I have to work with local authorities quite a bit and iy never ceases to amaze me their Cavalier approach to spending our money.....as someone alluded to if it came out of their bank account i bet they would be beating people up to get the best deal....or asking themselves the question do we need it.

on another similar note why does SCC spend so much money on twinning visits? anyone asked FOI relating to this...bet they stay in 4 or 5 star hotels......similar when they visit us, we roll out the red carpet and give them gifts that we pay for...i mean how many times do they need to visit Bremen?

 

[highguyuk]

RESOURCES
Intranet & Internet Mapping £25,000
This scheme is to create an electronic maps database accessible to all users
of the Stafford Borough Council intranet and internet.

Just FYI, this is bang on buck. We've had quotes at work similar maps databases and the specialist webserver, software etc costs around this figure.

 

[tek-monkey]

Can't they just google street view it?

 

[Stafford Dunc]

Blinds to reduce .......Solar Glare !!. I use the Leisure Centre daily in all seasons and I have yet to find myself being blinded by 'Solar Glare'. I am struggling to workout where this glare is coming from. The location is surrounded by other buildings which block most of the sunlight. the actual reception desk is set quite far back in the room and the staff sit behind a high counter . So who is being affected by this 'Solar Glare'. Confused

 

[markmh]

Stafford Leisure Centre – Gating and Blinds £15,000
This scheme is to replace the reception barriers and install blinds to reduce
solar glare in the reception area.

pretty sure dunelm has blinds in a sale, if they are quick they could save some money before they sell out

 

[andy w]

Blinds to reduce .......Solar Glare !!. I use the Leisure Centre daily in all seasons and I have yet to find myself being blinded by 'Solar Glare'. I am struggling to workout where this glare is coming from. The location is surrounded by other buildings which block most of the sunlight. the actual reception desk is set quite far back in the room and the staff sit behind a high counter . So who is being affected by this 'Solar Glare'. Confused

This forum has probarly discussed the new leisure centre in the past, imo the site was too small and the foyer area is a waste of space.If I was spending £15,000 I would use it to put in a coffee/snack bar where the vending machines are and bring in a private caterer to run it.

 

[markmh]

Blinds to reduce .......Solar Glare !!. I use the Leisure Centre daily in all seasons and I have yet to find myself being blinded by 'Solar Glare'. I am struggling to workout where this glare is coming from. The location is surrounded by other buildings which block most of the sunlight. the actual reception desk is set quite far back in the room and the staff sit behind a high counter . So who is being affected by this 'Solar Glare'. Confused

This forum has probarly discussed the new leisure centre in the past, imo the site was too small and the foyer area is a waste of space.If I was spending £15,000 I would use it to put in a coffee/snack bar where the vending machines are and bring in a private caterer to run it.

i like the sound of that othe leisure centres ive been to do have cafes in the reception area, to get all those people wating around and i agree with the comment over the size of the reception area theres way too much space, reducing it may also reduce the solar glare as well.

 

[highguyuk]

Can't they just google street view it?

For that price, you're looking at a service like this:
http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgisserver/index.html

Specialists can be brought in to create authority owned, managed and maintained Street View Videos/Information, with the ability to accurately scale each video for measurements and other features. But this would be at additional cost.

Both features are something authorities and Highways Agency areas are looking into for Asset Management and Data Collection.