October 2008

The Archives

• Breaking News

  A considered assessment of the recent BBC radio presenter scandal

  10.30.08 | Permalink | 1 Comment

  I thought it might be in the the public interest for me to spend some time weighing up and assessing the issues which have arisen as a result of the recent news coverage about Messrs Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand.
   

• Being Labour, The world beyond West Lancashire

  Shouldn’t Labour be making more of this?

  10.29.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  I’m a bit surprised that Labour-supporting blogoland has not made a lot more of this important-looking report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as intially posted about by Hopi, which provides evidence that Labour has for 10 years been doing what;s supposed to be on its tin – reducing inequality. 
  Maybe those naughty boys at [...]

• Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council

  Chief Executive – Robocop manqué

  10.28.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  The Chief Executive of West Lancashire District Council is at it again with his videoblog.  A month or few ago I commented on his desire to play the heavy, and how this suited the Conservative Council just fine as it helps them avoid responsibility for actually doing anything. 
  Now here he is again,  spending valuable Council money (i.e his [...]

• Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  ‘Shared services’ – privatisation by stealth?

  10.26.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  This appeared in 7 Days, West Lancashire District Council’s internal email newsletter from the Chief Executive, on Friday:
  ‘It’s been a very busy week in terms of meetings with colleagues from outside and inside the Council…..On Tuesday, the Leader, x and I met with Enterprise Limited for some exploratory talks around Shared Services themes………. On Wednesday, x and [...]

• Cotterill on the Council

  No surprises as West Lancs Conservatives opt out again

  10.24.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  There’s a pretty useful online funding search tool, run by a company called j4b , which helps community and voluntary organisations identify appropriate grant funding possibilities.  Bascially, it’s a search engine which you can interrogate in several ways – type of work, type of ‘client group’, type of funding needed – and you end up with a list [...]

• Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  The betrayal completed, 1633hrs 23 Oct 2008

  10.23.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  At 1633hrs I received the following response, via  the Council’s member services, from either the Conservative leader or the Conservative Chairman of West Lancashire District Council (I’m not quite sure which one as there was no name at the bottom):

   I have considered this matter with officers and set out below my conclusions. For your assistance, [...]

• Bickerstaffe Thoughts, Breaking News

  New rural fund open

  10.23.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  This Rural Lancashire Development Fund has just opened and the application window runs through to March, though early application is advocated.
   It’s open to  individuals, businesses and community groups in rural areas of the County. Bickerstaffe Ward is eligible.  So if you live round here and have a cunning plan which fits the criteria, off you go.  [...]

• Being Labour, Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  The timetable of betrayal (part 2)

  10.23.08 | Permalink | Comment?

   Introduction
  This is the second part of the detailed analysis of the Conservative-controlled West Lancashire District Council’s decision to turn its back on the government’s Free Swimming programme for under 16s.   It has been delayed a little by the usual deadlines of the week but also by time spent on my last ditch effort, via Legal Services at the Council, [...]

• Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  Last ditch

  10.22.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  In a last ditch effort to save free swimming for children 16 and under in West Lancashire, I made the following submission to Council legal services this morning:

  I am now in a position to make the following submission on the need for an urgent review of the Council decision taken last week, by the appropriate members in [...]

• Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council, Leisure and culture

  Mmm….was Council decision to turn down free swimming unconstitutional?

  10.21.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  Yes, yes, I know I’m supposed to be doing part 2 of the West Lancs ’swimming betrayal’ story, but mid-drafting a thorny issue reared its ugly, thorny head – whether the Council actually acted beyond its constitution in reaching its decision last Wendesday.  So I stopped drafting and wrote this to the District Solicitor.
   Dear District [...]

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