Forum Topic

£35,000 spend by Ealing Council on a survey

So, cash strapped Ealing Council has found £35,000 down the back of the sofa to ask residents what they think of the service it offers.It's quite staggering that this money is being wasted in this way. Regardless of what Mr Bell says about the Council listening to what the people of Ealing think, this is a massive con, all at our expense. We had an election 6 months ago - surely that was the time to find out what people wanted the Council to do. If they are that bereft of ideas, then they should stand down.I suspect the poll - just 1,250 people - will be formulated in such a way that it will rubber stamp many of the lunatic policies now emanating from the Town Hall. Some 2,800 people across the borough said they disagreed with the Council's transport strategy this summer - and how much notice did Mr Bell and his mate take of that? None!If you agree with the idea of your taxes going towards this meaningless exercise then all well and good. If not, why not write to your local councillor and tell him/her what you think.

Simon Hayes ● 2646d25 Comments

The £35,000 spend by Ealing Council on a survey, probably predetermined, seems like a self serving exercise by the privileged top dog governing nomenklatura of the above named council to look good and virtuous about themselves. They happen to be Labour. High rise build for non families is also self serving exercise for the privileged top dog Labour nomenklatura of Ealing Council. They seem to use targets to justify their own self serving selves. Mid-Staffs. Hospital Crisis(2008) is another example of this self serving, where targets were set irrespective of need and circumstance, just to look good meeting them, no matter how many people died. This is self serving and this happened under Labour, the so-called protector of public services.

Anthony Hawran ● 2630d

You will probably find that Mr Bell isn't that concerned with the hospital other than as a political stick with which to beat the Tory government. He has the same attitude towards Brexit - much hand wringing and shouting about it but he has as little influence as the rest of us in changing the result.There are a lot of myths about the NHS which politicians and, to an extent the media, propagate and allow to flourish.The key problem is not the actual level of funding, it's how that money is spent by administrators. Billions were wasted on a totally useless, and subsequently abandoned computer system. Of course, there was no accountability, and the money that went on that was not spent on clinical care or other areas.For as long as I can remember the NHS has been in a state of crisis, and yet no solution ever seems to be forthcoming. Perhaps there should be less reliance on it and people should become more responsible for their own health by adapting their lifestyles and eating habits.It won't happen but it's not for the local authority in Ealing, or anywhere else, to tell people how live their lives - too much nanny state intervention never works.

Simon Hayes ● 2630d

If they really wanted to save the hospitals, they should be doing wonderful things in the borough, communicating at all levels with the electorate and review their high rise build for non families policy. Then we would sing their praises loud and clear so that the electorate here and in other boroughs vote Labour in the next national election, get rid of these self serving tories and put the NHS back on course.

Libby Kemp ● 2630d

If memory serves right they part funded a inquiry headed by Michael Mansfield QC along with Hammersmith and Fulham into the local NHS. Mr Mansfield has done some admirable things in his career but he is the last suitably qualified person you would pick if you didn't want the results of your enquiry to be pre-judged.This sort of thing is basically party political funding on the taxpayer and the rules should be tightened up to stop it happening. It may already be technically illegal but I have no doubt other parties get up to the same sort of thing elsewhere so a code of silence prevails.

Andy Jones ● 2630d

You'll find the Council will only make something of the results if it shows them in a favourable light. Call me a cynic, which I am, but Mr Bell is only in this game for himself and his chums.You may be interested to know that he's managed to spend well over £300,000 on campaigning to save Ealing Hospital, all out of taxpayers money. He will claim it's because it's what the voters want - and they carried out a survey on that - but at the end of the day he and his administration have no say over what happens with the hospital. Fine to protest, but don't spend money you claim not to have doing so.

Simon Hayes ● 2632d

Long time since I have done this, but I don't think a sample size of 1,250 from a population of 342,500, 0.36%, will give any meaningful information as the sample size is too small.  It would also be interesting to know what method will be used to identify the 1,250 assuming across all demographics and then of course not all of the 1,250 will respond say a generous 60%, which could result in c. 0.22% of the population of Ealing responding.  Would this data be considered robust and of any value whatsoever?

Libby Kemp ● 2632d

Last year Ealing Matters,through the community and neighbourhood groups carried out an independent survey on residents attitudes to the council. We met with Julian Bell in September and gave him a copy of the survey, we asked for his response to the results.  He has so far not come back to us.  It showed the residents were unhappy with the council in many areas.  The results of the survey, which make interesting reading, can be read at the top of the Ealing Matters Facebook page, you don't have to join FB to read it.

Libby Kemp ● 2635d

Sorry Simon I have been following Ealing Council's public consultations for 2 years and I have been assuming each cost £25k. I am not including the cost in Ealing Council staff but only the money Bell, Johnson and Bassam Mahfouz pay their consultants.I am involved with Just Space and other groups that receive no government funding but I can prove with letters from Ealing Council that the average reposes are 357.I also have evidence that Ealing Council destroy the evidence of these abject response rates.I suggested to Dr Rupa Huq that they email Council Tax payers but she said it was too expense. So did Dan Crawford. I agree Socialism is lunacy but the dishonesty of Labour Party is the only real issue.

Martin Cain ● 2635d

Residents Associations still get funded from Ealing Council but actually because of the Localism Act their role has been taken over by the Neighbourhood Forums. The reduction in services you mention is due to the dire management of Bell and his CEO.

Martin Cain ● 2635d

That includes national government as well.  Not enough technical and trained people in so many areas of life now.

Philippa Bond ● 2636d

I have no insight into why this money needs to be spent, I do though know that this is a flagrant waste of taxpayer money. £35,000 to survey 1,250 people??? Services like SurveyMonkey (I have no affiliation) offer everything required for professional surveys at a fraction of the price. In fact, the highest level annual subscription is £1,188 annually. There's a quick saving of £33,812 to spend on something useful. Additionally, with a modern survey service the council could actually open up responses to an unlimited number of people, conduct the survey in multiple languages, brand it etc etc. One administrative staff member of the council could run this (a fraction of their time) and analyse the data easily.Why do we have bureaucrats taking decisions like this and wasting money, and not sensible business people who understand how to get value for money? I do wish people would stop blaming central government for budget reductions and start holding our councillors accountable for value for money. Everywhere you look there are opportunities to deliver better service for less money.

James Putland ● 2637d

MIPIM and it isn't just LBE

Philippa Bond ● 2638d

The present privileged ruling nomenklatura of Ealing Council seem intent of keeping people uninformed of planning developments next/near to them, because the present leadership seem to go out of their way to endear themselves to developers, including some of the housing associations/trusts. Housing associations seem to have degenerated into greedy property developers obsessed with targets of development to show off how great and virtuous they are. This includes A2Dominion, out of which came Julian Bell - the present council leader, threatening the old Woolworths building in West Ealing. As stated before the £35,000 survey seems to be just patronizing, probably predetermined, gibberish propaganda by the present council leadership.

Anthony Hawran ● 2639d

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/news/article/1290/more_savings_agreed_as_council_grapples_with_205million_of_cutsI think Residents Associations are probably a very worthwhile way of finding out about planning applications and discussing them.I'll bet that there are many of us who have suffered from the lack of notifications - it has happened right across the country.  The closing of youth centres, respite centres, accessible day centres for the elderly has been going on for years dividing society and making many lives more lonely and stressful.

Philippa Bond ● 2641d

I wouldn't ever presume that just because money can be used for one purpose it could also be used for another.Nowadays it is so often has to be applied for and won from one Government department or another -  but only for what those departments have deemed important - not necessarily for what the Council considers more important.I think you'll find quite a few services have been cut and buildings sold so that they cannot be returned to use when funds are available.

Philippa Bond ● 2641d

If Ealing Council can find £35,000 to patronize residents with a survey, that means they could fund the informing people of planning applications near/next door to them with a planning notification letter. It seems that ruling privileged nomenklatura of Ealing Council are being disingenuous as well as narcissistic, officious and discourteous.

Anthony Hawran ● 2642d

If only there was the freedom to spend money on everything we wished for!  Unfortunately we don't pay enough Council Tax and the Government won't allow more to be charged without a consultation.

Philippa Bond ● 2643d

Philippa, in the past, until the summer of 2015, Ealing Council informed residents directly about near/next door developments with a planning notification letter. Not any more, residents have to be alert to planning notices and/or be presented with the done deed. Why cannot the Council put one or two those "brighter planning application notices" through the letter box of the immediate neighbors of any development on top of what is left on display on lamp posts or other such posts. Surely it will not cost an arm and leg for the privileged nomenklatura of the Council to do this, instead of giving up on their responsibility of informing residents.Instead, the Ealing Council resort to some patronizing, probably predetermined, survey in order to show off how supposedly virtuous they are, like some dictator.

Anthony Hawran ● 2643d

The newer brighter planning application notices are an improvement.We are being told all the time that there are a lot of homeless people who need homes so we can't stop all planning changes.  With a Residents Association you can perhaps discuss better any proposed changes to your neighbourhood to find best options.  This also includes being able to discuss those buildings which have been/are overoccupied and don't have the requisite planning permission necessary for the safety of everyone.  Also the problem of no bin space having been designed into the housing space.

Philippa Bond ● 2644d

Well said Anthony.This Council works on the basis of disinformation or simply no information until a decision has been made and processes are underway. That's the time when residents are told about new policies - the latest edition of the Council propaganda magazine carried two pages on CPZ changes, whereas there wasn't a single mention of it when the proposals were first being developed. If you don't consult with affected parties BEFORE putting a policy into place, you can't claim to be acting democratically.Planning is a mess across the country, but Ealing is particularly afflicted by hideous new development. The Broadway and Uxbridge Road are a mess. New blocks of flats are springing up all over the place, most of which are totally out of keeping with the existing buildings alongside them. West Ealing is to lose its only building of any architectural merit.But it's what we want apparently, since Mr Bell and his cronies got themselves in for another four years.As I will keep mentioning, pressurise your own local councillors to out your views to the Council. They are supposed to represent you, not simply serve as Mr Bell's glove puppets!

Simon Hayes ● 2644d

It seems the privileged political and executive nomenklatura of the Council want to patronize Ealing residents with survey, probably manipulated and disingenuous,in order to communicate down to them what they want to hear. Suddenly, despite austerity and Tory cuts, they now have money to communicate down to the people with what will probably be a predetermined survey. As far as communication is concerned, instead of showing off with a survey, would it be possible for the privileged Council nomenklatura to reinstate planning notification letters as far as new/next door developments are concerned, and not on some "far off" planning notice on a lamp post where they can be ripped off.The present Council leadership/nomenklatura seem to want to just want to endear themselves to developers at the expense of individual residents. This survey, probably predetermined, seems is just a fig leaf for the present Council nomenklatura, including the present council leader to show off about how virtuous they are. It's hard not to be cynical.

Anthony Hawran ● 2644d

As I said in my first post, contact your local councillor and register your disapproval. I've asked my Labour councillors to tell Mr Bell that it's wrong of him to plead poverty on the one hand and then spend money on an exercise like this. They have said they will mention it to him next week (assuming they can tear his attention away from his iPhone for more than a minute)If he really wants to know what people in Ealing think he'd be advised to read the various forums across the sites covering the Borough. But then a does or reality wouldn't be welcomeQ

Simon Hayes ● 2644d

How about simple basics.A telephone number,fully manned.A contact email which is replied to

Peter Yale ● 2644d

Pointless exercises like this in local government are apparently often a result of a bit of budget being unspent. The one thing any department is desperate to avoid is not completely using up its budget. If they don't it means that it would be cut next year. A survey is a neat way to hoover up a bit of unspent cash. Councils have an ill-defined statutory obligation to consult with the public and they can use them to show they have fulfilled this. The chances of them actually having the slightest influence on what the authority actually does are just about zero.

Dennis O'Shea ● 2644d

Yup, the Grinning Bell certainly knows how to squirt other people's cash down the pan.  Wait for his next whining and whinging address to the sheeple, "The council is very strapped for cash", shortly before next year's council tax rise.

Tony Heath ● 2646d