Comments on: Birmingham’s Conservation Department cutbacks and closure still a threat http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/conservation/birminghams-conservation-department-cutbacks-and-closure-still-a-threat Environmental News From the Midlands Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:23:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rachel Trinder http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/conservation/birminghams-conservation-department-cutbacks-and-closure-still-a-threat/comment-page-1#comment-1162 Rachel Trinder Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:02:15 +0000 http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/?p=3454#comment-1162 Hi Julia, Thanks for all the feedback on here and via email too, it's much appreciated.Nice to see someone else is just as curious as I am. Thank you for the info on how I should be able to find the budget report, hopefully it'll have some figures in it I can use for an infographic and an easy way to break down what's being spent and where. I have also asked them for previous years budgets as a comparison but I don't know how far i'll get.... I suppose what they meant by possible disbanding is like you say the longer it takes them to make a decision the more money they'll spend meaning cutbacks will be bigger - getting rid of the department might be a drastic option but save them more money in the long run? No one seems to be very clear on the whole subject matter and their responses aren't great but at least for now they're something I suppose. The plot thickens so it would seem. Hi Julia,

Thanks for all the feedback on here and via email too, it’s much appreciated.Nice to see someone else is just as curious as I am.

Thank you for the info on how I should be able to find the budget report, hopefully it’ll have some figures in it I can use for an infographic and an easy way to break down what’s being spent and where. I have also asked them for previous years budgets as a comparison but I don’t know how far i’ll get….

I suppose what they meant by possible disbanding is like you say the longer it takes them to make a decision the more money they’ll spend meaning cutbacks will be bigger – getting rid of the department might be a drastic option but save them more money in the long run? No one seems to be very clear on the whole subject matter and their responses aren’t great but at least for now they’re something I suppose.

The plot thickens so it would seem.

]]> By: Julia Larden http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/conservation/birminghams-conservation-department-cutbacks-and-closure-still-a-threat/comment-page-1#comment-1161 Julia Larden Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:25:55 +0000 http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/?p=3454#comment-1161 Further to my last, it seem that: "Although the Council’s budget report identified cost savings, including disbanding the Conservation team in Planning Management, no decisions have yet been made on cutbacks. Any decisions on restructuring would need to be subject to full consultation with staff and unions." means what it says: the formal decision can't be made until the statutory consultation with unions/staff has happened or they've all got unfair dismissal claims! In the meantime posts will not be filled and withering on the vine will occur. But the longer it takes the more overspent they'll be this year (paying people they've no budget for) and the bigger the cuts will have to be NEXT year!!! Further to my last, it seem that:

“Although the Council’s budget report identified cost savings, including disbanding the Conservation team in Planning Management, no decisions have yet been made on cutbacks. Any decisions on restructuring would need to be subject to full consultation with staff and unions.” means what it says: the formal decision can’t be made until the statutory consultation with unions/staff has happened or they’ve all got unfair dismissal claims! In the meantime posts will not be filled and withering on the vine will occur. But the longer it takes the more overspent they’ll be this year (paying people they’ve no budget for) and the bigger the cuts will have to be NEXT year!!!

]]> By: Julia Larden http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/conservation/birminghams-conservation-department-cutbacks-and-closure-still-a-threat/comment-page-1#comment-1156 Julia Larden Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:41:09 +0000 http://www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk/?p=3454#comment-1156 Thanks for this Rachael - and all the very useful background research. I don't really understand what they mean by 'possible disbanding'. The wording in the budget report (23 February, was pretty unambiguous, I thought. It said 'disband'. The report was voted on and passed. Cllr Paula Smith, Chair of the Conservation and Heritage Panel abstained from the vote, and expressed her concerns in an interview in the Birmingham Post here http://xr.com/Disband. The full budget report is available on the internet. It is on a pdf and a bit fiddly to track down, but it should come up if the whole phrase here is Googled. (I such c & p back into Google) 10 Feb 2010 ... Planning Management service review. (Phase 2) – Disband Conservation Thanks for this Rachael – and all the very useful background research. I don’t really understand what they mean by ‘possible disbanding’. The wording in the budget report (23 February, was pretty unambiguous, I thought. It said ‘disband’. The report was voted on and passed. Cllr Paula Smith, Chair of the Conservation and Heritage Panel abstained from the vote, and expressed her concerns in an interview in the Birmingham Post here http://xr.com/Disband. The full budget report is available on the internet. It is on a pdf and a bit fiddly to track down, but it should come up if the whole phrase here is Googled. (I such c & p back into Google)

10 Feb 2010 … Planning Management service review. (Phase 2) – Disband Conservation

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