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CITY
COUNCIL SURVEY
It has been reported that Derby City Council, in
fulfilling their obligations to the government,
is to carry out a resident's survey to find out
what people think about a range of council
services and life in their area. Independent
consultants will be used to collate the
information gathered so that it can be included
in the annual performance plan summary to be
delivered to every household in the city some
time in the Spring. Apparently, this information
has to be collected every three years so that the
government can compile a list of national council
performance figures.
4000 residents are to receive questionnaires,
with a further 800 planning applicants being
asked what they think of the planning services!
(Let us hope they don't look for the public car
park at Roman House, there isn't one!). Adults
visiting the library are to be asked what they
think of the library service, 780 housing and
council tax beneficiaries were asked what they
thought about this service in August and a
further 780 are to be asked in January. Some
might think it a good idea to ask people what
they think about the system, after all, those who
use these services are the best people to
ask....aren't they?
This is where I would have to disagree. Although
these facts and figures are required by the
government, who is picking up the bill? The same
people who have paid for the survey of course,
the general public! The council, our local
government body, is largely made up of
administration staff, for this is what they do -
administer local government. Why then, is it now
de riguer to use independent consultants to
collate the information resulting from such
surveys? This is surely an extra cost that could
have been avoided by being handled in house. It
is hardly rocket science is it now? No doubt the
independent consultants will be rubbing their
hands with glee once more!
The sums that are being spent on such exercises
is not insubstantial. A similar activity is being
undertaken in Buxton, once again, it is reported
that consultants will be used, to determine the
best places to charge motorists a parking fee. I
would have thought that, were this exercise
unavoidable, a councillor or a clerk with a
clipboard and a stout pair of shoes could have
done the job, but no, consultants are being
brought in here as well, the cost to the taxpayer
(us) for this one? £20,000. It seems that the
lunatics are running the asylum!
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