The Answer is – YES
At a meeting, Waverley’s Executive Leader, Paul Follows, highlighted the issues facing Waverley due to the failing services of local authorities elsewhere in Surrey, including Woking and Surrey Councils.
He told his Executive colleagues that the financial difficulties local authorities such as Woking are facing would undoubtedly impact neighbouring authorities, including Waverley. He carefully avoided mentioning Guildford, with whom Waverley is in collaboration.
He gave as an example the lack of The Citizens’ Advice Services previously offered in Woking, which was now impacting the Waverley service.
He said:
Even if we are realtively stable ourselves it is something we have to think about a lot more over the coming months. The idea that we may be turning people away from Waverley because of their (Woking) CAB difficulties is at issue in a papers please mentality at the border is not something any of us want to see. It would, quite franlly be immoral, but that it the scenario we are moving in to with local government having further financial pressures put upon it.
Here at the Waverley Web, we couldn’t help wondering if the loss of the Woking loos will impact cash-strapped Guildford & Waverley. Residents there have been caught short literally by bankrupt Woking.
Woking Borough Council has decided to close almost all its public toilets and eliminate 60 staff to save £8m. It said the decision would help balance the books for the next financial year. It declared effective bankruptcy over a £ 1.2 billion hole last year due to its Investment strategy. The Conservatives ran up the bill during its tenure of control.
If you see any cross-legged Woking residents walking around Waverley, please capture a photo and send it to us here at the Waverley Web.
Aren’t we past the point of no return with regard to local government finances? Woking for example allegedly made a terrible gamble with their finances and are now on the precipice, are we all about to sink under the weight of such a gamble? All well and good rolling up the sleeves and helping our neighbours but surely it’s condemning us to a quicker demise, what can we effectively do to help fatally wounded authorities like Woking? I really feel for the public over there- massively failed.
We already have a papers please mentality in Waverley and surrounding boroughs at recycling centres!
So why don’t local businesses offer to pay to keep the toilets open, their absence will deter shoppers? So why have their Chief Financial Officers failed these local authorities? Is there no accountability? The Local Government Act 1972 requires local authorities to make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs. An independent external audit of annual accounts also helps.
I would have thought that it is the government’s responsibility to help Woking not it’s neighbouring boroughs. What is the point of paying for local services through our council tax if they are not local. Waverley should not be put in the position of bailing out an incompetent council. All councils are currently under financial pressure and it is not acceptable that a council not only has to manage it’s own budget but assist other bankrupt councils.
However much we sympathise and agree with the sentiments you express how exactly is Waverley’s CAB supposed to turn away needy clients? Also, Do we put a sign up on our toilets – “For the use of Waverley residents only.”
Just to add a few facts about who funds what in Waverley.
Whilst Citizens Advice are partially funded by local authorities, the majority of their funding comes from the Legal Services Commission, lottery funding, primary care trusts, charitable trusts, private companies as well as individuals.
With regard to toilets, Waverley are responsible for the toilets in their Greenspaces (parks & sports grounds that they own) whereas the toilets in town centres are funded by towns and parish councils.