The DERBY Gripe - What's happening in Derby today

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Latest News: A52 road is not fit for purpose ........ City Council saves £¼m from mobile phone bill ........ Council bribes to spy on neighbours ........ Convicts to be sent to City Gate Hospital ........ New bus station finally set to open ........ 20,000 council snoopers can enter your home........ Velodrome proposed for the city ........ Council tax rise of 4% revealed ........

A52 ROAD NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
A52Drivers have been told to slow down on the A52 dual carriageway because the surface is not "fit for purpose". The road suffered frost damage in recent cold weather but officials have said the entire carriageway may not have been laid correctly. The city council has said motorists should drive at 40mph instead of the usual 70mph to lessen problems and that it wanted to get the winter weather out of the way before starting major repairs. John Hansed, head of highways, said the surface laid 10 years ago was coming away.... more >>>
CITY COUNCIL SAVES £¼M FROM MOBILE PHONE BILL
Mobile phoneDerby City Council reckons it saved £250,000 by putting its mobile phone bill up for auction, and now everyone else can get financial help to do the same thing. The saving came at the end of a 52-minute auction, conducted electronically, with the eventual winner offering a price around 60% of what the council had expected to spend. It's a result that has prompted the government's procurement arm to offer financial support to other public bodies tempted down the auction route.... more >>>
COUNCIL BRIBES TO SPY ON NEIGHBOURS
Spying on neighboursBribes for people spying on their neighbours could be paid by councils under new proposals from the Government. Housing benefit officials, environmental health squads, trading standards officers and even private security firms would be allowed to offer cash for information about people suspected of committing relatively low-level crimes under legislation going through Parliament. It would give council officials the same powers to bribe as MI5, MI6, the Armed Forces and the police.... more >>>
CONVICTS TO BE SENT TO CITY GATE HOSPITAL
City Gate HospitalThe new mental health hospital is to take prisoners from jails and courts and Derby City Council has admitted it did not even know about the criminals when it initially gave the go-ahead for the City Gate complex without proper public consultation. Developer Cygnet did not legally have to tell the council who was going to be treated but Paul Bayliss, an Alvaston ward councillor, was shocked the public had not been told it would house prisoners. Under planning law, applications can be approved without the finer details of what buildings are to be used for.... more >>>
NEW BUS STATION FINALLY SET TO OPEN
New Bus StationThe new bus station will be open from 5.30am to midnight Monday to Saturday and 9am to 11pm on Sundays. The opening details were revealed by Councillor Lucy Care, cabinet member for highways and transport. She said it would not be cost-effective to open the bus station for 24 hours when those opening times will meet the needs of the vast majority of people. She added that the first date by which changes to timetables and systems could be made was March 28.... more >>>
COUNCIL SNOOPERS DON'T NEED A WARRANT
Council SnooperNearly 20,000 council snoopers have the power to barge into our homes. Armies of clipboard-clutching officials can demand entry to check anything from pot plants to fridges. Town halls have an average of 47 staff with the right to intrude. They can storm in to check if pot plants have pests or imported "passport" documents. Inspectors can also enter to survey gardens, check if fridges have the right energy ratings or if owners keep rabbits. They can also use a little-known law to see if the occupants are practising hypnotism illegally.... more >>>
VELODROME PROPOSED FOR THE CITY
VelodromeAn indoor velodrome and a 50-metre swimming pool could be built in Derby as part of a major overhaul of the city's sport and leisure facilities. The new swimming complex would replace Derby's ageing Queen Street baths and the velodrome could also be used as a concert venue with a capacity of up to 3,000 people. Almost £50m could be spent on the facilities. The proposals will be put to the city council's cabinet in 2010. The proposals are the result of work by the council and specialist consultants.... more >>>
COUNCIL TAX RISE OF 4% REVEALED
Council TaxFamilies face a 4% rise in council tax next year. The increase of £1billion was revealed in the small print of Alistair Darling’s Pre-Budget Report. The report shows the total council tax paid in the UK will rise from an expected £24.8billion this year to £25.8billion in 2010-11. Ministers insist, however, that the council tax figures are just “projections based on assumptions” and deny that cuts in services will be required.... more >>>
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