These are available as pdf file at http://www.thanet.gov.uk/pdf/Draft%20Statement%20of%20Accounts%2010-11%20updated.pdf the advantages here are mainly you can search the whole document, if you haven’t got a search box pressing Ctrl and f at the same time usually does the trick. For example if you want to find the chief executives golden handshake you put “chief executive” in the search box and keep pressing enter until the following comes up:
“The Authority terminated the contracts of a number of employees in 2011/12 incurring liabilities of £694k (£111 in 2010/11). Of this total, £92k is payable to the Chief Executive, in the form of compensation for loss of office and enhanced pension benefits of £81k, a further £67k was payable to the Director of Regeneration Services for loss of office and enhanced pension benefits of £83k, these would be disclosed in note 35 however, although the restructure was agreed in 10/11 and a as a result the cost accrued, the staff will not leave until 2011/12. The remaining £370k is payable to 13 officers from various services who were made redundant as part of the Authority’s restructure.”
If like me you are interested in Pleasurama type it in the search box and the following will come up:
The Council has entered into a development agreement with SFP Ventures (UK) Limited (SFP) for the Pleasurama site. The Council is the freehold owner of the property. The developer has agreed to carry out development works on the property in accordance with the agreement. The Council have granted leases to SFP and will transfer the freehold interest when the works have been completed. As the leases are long term (199 years) and the intention is to transfer the freehold assets, any sales will be treated as a disposal. An overage payment will be due from the developer on the sale of each unit developed on the site. These payments will be treated as capital receipts. However, due to the economic downturn in the property market, it is not possible to foresee when the overage payments may materialize and therefore a contingent liability has been shown within the accounts.
Alternatively if your computer has difficulties with pdf documents click on this link for the draft accounts published as a series of linked webpages http://www.thanet.gov.uk/council__democracy/council_budgets__spending/statement_of_accounts_2010.aspx when you get to the end of one page click on the link next to the word “next” to get to the next page.
I don’t know whether to read anything into this apparent reluctance to publish them, and of course now I am no longer a council accredited news source I don’t receive their press releases so I don’t know if they have issued one saying that their accounts have now been published. Possibly they just don’t think that they are that important, possibly they don’t think the unborn denizens of Thanet would be able to read a balance sheet.
A lot of money for roundabouts that go nowhere in the middle of some fields, no wonder they want to turn it into a housing estate.
I had a bit of a funny dialogue with the council over the accounts, back around the 20th of last month the council put a statement saying the accounts were coming out in the latest news part of their website.
I complained to them that this was important information and should have been included in their news feeds, they then moved it from the latest news section and told me that it wasn’t a news item but would be included in their news feeds next year.
I then asked them where the accounts actually were on their website and they said they would put them on their website on the 8th of this month. They didn’t appear then so I asked them again today and the said they were just going to put them on their website, well now the have done.
Searching the accounts for East Kent Opportunities helps to understand the Eurokent business, this is an example of what I mean.
“The additional £2.541m represents the liability owed to Kent County Council for the authority’s share of the cost of construction of the spine road at Westwood, as part of the East Kent Opportunities Partnership agreement. Kent County Council passed a decision on 10 June 2010 to defer repayment to 2013/14.”
So now we know, the chief execs payoff was not the £200,000 as reported by Thanetstar earlier this year but just £173,000!
ReplyDeleteBut did he receive an additionl £30,000 for being the returning officer at the local election and referendum?
Over at KCC the then chief exec, Peter Gilroy, paid himself an extra £18,000 for performing the same duty at the KCC elections.
A payment that has been deemed illegal. I trust this will be looked into and his offer to pay it back will be accepted by KCC.
Pupil: "My career plan, miss, is to be a public sector parasite"
ReplyDeleteTeacher: "We are not parasites in the public sector"
Pupil: "Outside of this room, miss, I'll sing exactly the same tune as you luv. Now any other jargon I should master ?"
Teacher: "Oh yes. We accept lower pay in the public sector because we have a spirit of service to the community"
Pupil: "Nice one, nice one. I'll try to slip that one in at interview establish rapport with the parasites on the interview board"
Teacher: "You could try socvial work. That is a one year training course called CQSW. That provides you with all the additional jargon you need to pass yourself off as a professional"
Pupil: "Oh love it love it. You are a slippery genius Miss. One year learning the jargon eh, one fifth of a skilled man's appreticeship and I don't have to get my hands dirty."
That photo is Margate Road is I'm not mistaken - Before the viaduct was built. The building on the far left is the Derby Arms.
ReplyDeletepayments for loosing jobs plus extra pensions. Who ever it is righting these contracts need shooting if I have ever been sacked I was shown the door with sod all. This cant go on has no one got a brain in the public sector or is the general idea screw the lot for it aint our money. SHAME ON THE LOT OF EM.ITS A DISGRACE.
ReplyDeleteYes it is Margate Road Ramsgate, I suppose the file name, that appears in the address bar when you enlarge it, was a bit of a giveaway. The viaduct was built in 1926, so obviously the photograph has to be before then.
ReplyDeleteYou can also look on the historic maps at www.kent.gov.uk/kentview they are a bit of a palaver to use and don’t seem to work in the Chrome browser properly or even with it open.
My guess would be about 1910 but as you see if you play with the historic maps it aint easy.
As for the accounts if you aint happy about them you can ask the district auditor questions about them, I will be asking a few about Pleasurama and Eurokent.
The district auditor’s answers don’t have the same restriction placed on foi requests and tend to come promptly.
What irritates me though is that the council wastes so much money by not just publishing all of the information online when they get or write it, so that everone public officers and councillors can access it easily.
The basic expedient of charging people more for information not presented in an appropriate file format or information that is to be kept secret would probably make council publishing of information self financing.
Dithering around in their dated and secretive way just wastes or money.
Pupil: "Oh love it love it. You are a slippery genius Miss. One year learning the jargon eh, one fifth of a skilled man's appreticeship and I don't have to get my hands dirty."
ReplyDeleteTeacher: "The one year training comes on top of a four year degree course for which I will have paid out something in the order of £60,000. How dare you suggest that a brain-dead grease-monkey has the right to earn on a par with me. Get back in your workshop and don't come out unless I call for you."