The Archive: 2007 |
 Human Contract 20
December 2007
More Fylde staff are transferred to Blackpool, and the Commissar bends the rules to pay Blackpool Council £199,000 a year for the next six years for a 'Human
Resource Service' - bloating his already swollen overheads still further. The payment includes a fixed cost of £119,000 payable irrespective of how many staff Fylde has..... |
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 City Region Blues
17 December 2007
We take an in-depth look at the background to the Growth Point Bid that could change the look of our border with Blackpool. Just how did we become part of
the Central Lancashire City Region and annexed by Blackpool?......
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 Home Grown16
December 2007
Councillor Tim Ashton tests the water with a planning application to see if he would be allowed to build on the Nursery Gardens on Mythop Road that has been
his family business and a Lytham Institution for decades. Have we heard about this before?....... |
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 Shuffling the Pack13
December 2007
We learn of changes to the Independent and Conservative groups on Fylde Council. The Independents get a new leader, whilst some old-time Conservatives get
dumped for fresh blood. So who's in and who's out? ...... |
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 'Affordable" Housing
7 December 2007
We look at just what 'Affordable Housing' means, and how it was planned and implemented as a way to 'balance' the population of Fylde, with special
reference to Lytham and St Anne's. Is it about to change again? ...... |
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 Fylde's State 20075
December 2007
Fylde Council holds another 'State of the Borough' event, apparently to justify decisions already half-made. We look behind some of the issues and hear some
alarming news about big housing developments off Queensway ...... |
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 More Muir30 November
2007
200 people pack a meeting at Mayfield School to protest at plans by Muir Group and Fylde Council to build a hostel for the transient homeless off St David's Road North.
Find out who said what, and what it might mean...... |
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 A Shambles29
November 2007
The Council meeting becomes a shambles. Procedure is now all but forgotten in the battle to get one over on the opposition. We take a look at how and why Fylde
Council has been turned into a war-zone, and whether the November meeting managed to get any proper business done at all...... |
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 Bus or Busted ?22
November 2007
When the over 60s and the disabled get free off-peak bus travel anywhere in England from next April, and journeys are charged to the Council in whose Borough
they start, how much is it going to cost Fylde taxpayers? Has Commissar Coombes made the right decisions? ......
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 Plans to Expand19
November 2007
A late item sneaks quietly through Fylde's Politburo Cabinet. If agreed by Government it will bring dramatic planning changes. Find out more about the Central
Lancashire and Blackpool Growth Point Bid...... |
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 More Fyreworks?18
November 2007
The agendas for the Joint Meeting didn't get sent to Fylde's Councillors, now some are angry they knew nothing about it, and plan to raise the matter at next
Monday's meeting of the full Council......
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 A Flying Tackle?15
November 2007
The airport land swap is back on the table. What does it mean for St Anne's and local residents. Who's getting the millions? We pitch in and look for a referee
in this supposedly sporting swap...... |
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 City of the Fylde?
November 2007
Is there a plan afoot to merge Fylde and Wyre Councils first, to give them a position of greater strength to negotiate a subsequent merger with Blackpool, thus
producing the City of the Fylde that many locals dread. ......
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 Don't Have Any
Muir?10 November 2007
The Muir Group's plan to build a hostel for homeless transients in St Anne's generates a lot of anger in the town - not all of it well informed.
Why are the sedate people of St Anne's revolting. We look into the causes and predict more anger to come ......
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 Two's? Company
8 November 2007
We take another look at Fylde Council's recently formed 'arms length' company 'FBC Solutions Ltd' It hasn't traded yet, but it might we planning to do
so soon. We speculate about its future....... |
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 Progress?
7 November 2007
We review the directional changes being made by Blackpool's new Conservative administration and quite like what we see, even though we're not ready to join
them anytime soon...... |
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 Joint Meeting
Snapshot 6 November 2007
Get the flavour of the meeting that heralds the demise of Fylde Borough Council, and sets a clear path toward one single Council covering Fylde
and Wyre (and possibly Blackpool)..... |
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 Wylde Fyreworks?1
November 2007
Fylde's Commissar Coombes plans to abandon service delivery by Fylde Council and have almost everything run from Wyre. Around 60% of Fylde Council staff are to
be pruned out in the first move. We break this exclusive story for our readers..... |
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 Pooling Resources
1 November 2007
After months of uncertainty and abortive spending on reports and plans to privatise its swimming pools, Fylde Council looks set to keep the pools
in-house..... or does it ??? |
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 Key Lessons 2 October
2007
Fylde Council makes a proper, old-fashioned planning decision and throws out a plan to develop a small house into a school...... |
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 Being
Positive for Once 1 October 2007
counterbalance is criticised for being negative. Ever helpful, we offer the accountingly challenged Fylde Council some
positive suggestions ....... |
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 Call-in
Lowther Parking 30 September 2007
The follow on from the plan to charge for parking at Lowther Gardens, or - "When is a Charitable Trust not a Charitable
Trust? when its run by a Council." See if you can work out which who actually decided to implement charges...... |
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 No Accounting
for Fylde 12 August 2007
There is a serious financial muddle at the Town Hall. The brave new world of outsourcing, and the new accounting system has gone awry. So has
the man in charge. He is also going. Find out more............
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 Lowther
Car Park Carping 27 July 2007
An individual decision by a Cabinet member plans to impose parking charges in Lytham's Lowther Gardens. What's behind the move......
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 A Town Council
for Lytham? 22 July 2007
After months of saying "No" - the Commissar's supporters are proposing a Town Council for Lytham. What's going on, and why now? We answer
some of the questions and rectify some of the mis-statements....... |
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 The Dust Settles
20 July 2007
Things are settling down in Blackpool, St Anne's and Fylde Councils after the election. We have a look at the first meetings and see what's going on ....... |
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 Election
Results 2007 4 May 2007
Shocks for many in Fylde's election results. A sea of blue sweeps over Blackpool and Wyre. Fylde is less clear cut. We're one step nearer
to the 'City of the Fylde' as a result. ...... |
|
 Election
Special 2007 1 May 2007
We look at the political landscape, review some of the runners and riders and dabble in the black art of forecasting results...... |
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 What a Load of
Bankers 19 April 2007
We go interantional and look at the changes proposed for the IMF. How they are failing their mandate to provide a universal bank of
last resort to ensure global economic stability, and how the changes will make it worse rather than better...... |
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 A Wing and A
Prayer 19 April 2007
A plan for Blackpool Airport might be more than it seems. They could be hoping we're asleep as they try to slip an application past
Fylde's Planners to turn green belt into industry.....
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 Miscellany -
April 2007 16 April 2007
A multi-subject issue of counterbalance. We hope you find something palatable..... |
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 Road
Relief.. For Some 14 April 2007
Fleetwood's relief road to the Motorway gets a step nearer as the Yellow route moves up a notch and becomes 'the people's
choice'. (or so they tell us)...... |
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 Pre Election
Review 10 April 2007
As the campaigning moves into gear, we look at some of the candidates standing for Fylde Council in the May elections What's their
background, and what's the result going to be?..... |
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 Sold Down the
River 7 April 2007
Preston City Council wants to dam the Ribble and sell off land for 4000 homes on the floodplain to prove its civic manhood. What's going
on?..... |
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 City Sickers
14 March 2007
The City of the Fylde is on its way now the Commissar is supporting joint working with Blackpool. Fylde's Independent councillors are concerned. So are
we....... |
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 Any Play Dough?
07/082 March 2007
Fylde Council approves the Politburo's budget for 2007/08. Everyone wants playground equipment but no one gets extra. Queen Elizabeth says it is a "Fur
coat and no knickers budget"....... |
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 Flagging
Support 26 February 2007
The Commissar's plan to raise his profile before the election and strike a blow against political correctness with St George's flag
backfires.......
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 Cabinet
Budget 07/08 23 February 2007
The Commissar's draft budget is debated by the Politburo in preparation for a nod through at the next Council meeting. What
stayed in and what went out?....... |
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 Declaration
of Independents 17 February 2007
Fylde's Ratepayer and Independent councillors join forces to launch a new group, and they call for independently minded
people to join them...... |
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 The Eyes Have It
12 February 2007
A wonderful new website you must visit. The Politburo are transported to safeguard Middle Earth (Watch carefully - no doubt they'll introduce the Cabinet
system there!)......
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 Who's Bidding?11
February 2007
Fylde's planners want to bid farewell to the design for St Annes latest auction house when they can't even get it right themselves....... |
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 Doing the Business
10 February 2007
FBC goes into business - what's behind this move and is it going to cost us more. We look at the possibilities and the threat (or promise?) of fines in the
future..... |
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 Estimating for
2007/08 8 February 2007
Shocks are in store for Fylde's taxpayers if the budget plans are approved next week. 'Double taxation' is in the way - if the
Commissar can get away with it..... |
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 The
Great January Sale? 3 February 2007
A secret, four page list of saleable assets has been put together for the Cabinet Politburo. Consultants are valuing the land as you
read this. Are they are planning to sell off your park?....... |
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 ASBO or Anarchy?
2 February 2007
Our friend Howard Clemmow wonders where we are being taken for a joy-ride, and treats you to a personal perspective that counterbalance just couldn't
miss..... |
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 Listening Day 2006
28 January 2007
Results of FBC's day spent listening to what we think. We're less happy than before, but don't expect anything to change....... |
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Dated: 31 December 2007  |
