Ouch - more cuts ...

[Dave2002]

But it's only for people who actually use it in a specified capacity - not for people who are just green with envy and would love it to be available where we live. And who appreciate the importance of what should be a treasured national resource.

Sounds as though a "write to an MP" and to a "Minister for Culture ..." job, then.

Is that DCMS? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret...edia_and_Sport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bradley

Perrhaps I should echo mrgg's comments, and suggest that HMG members don't know much about culture anyway, but ....

[MrGongGong]

Sounds as though a "write to an MP" and to a "Minister for Culture ..." job, then.

Is that DCMS? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret...edia_and_Sport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Bradley

Perrhaps I should echo mrgg's comments, and suggest that HMG members don't know much about culture anyway, but ....

Go for it
But,sadly, I don't have any faith in them doing anything different when they are so driven by ideology rather than an understanding of cultural history.

It's taken a while for these things to reach Surrey

[Dave2002]

Go for it
But,sadly, I don't have any faith in them doing anything different when they are so driven by ideology rather than an understanding of cultural history.

But what ideology? Do you really think they have any awareness of what they are doing, and why?

[MrGongGong]

But what ideology? Do you really think they have any awareness of what they are doing, and why?

The ideology that says that everything is better run by the private sector, that everything is best run by "market" forces and anything else should be run by "volunteers".

Yes, they are well aware of what they are doing and don't give a sh*t about it.

Sorry to appear so negative but that is the country we live in today I'm afraid.

[Dave2002]

I wondered if you meant some other principles - such as Mill's Utilitarianism (preceded by Bentham's) - maximising "good" (or happiness) for the greatest number of people, or based on some other form of philosophical tenets or reasoning.

[french frank]

It's taken a while for these things to reach Surrey

Presumably delayed by the £1m philanthropic subsidy from Denbies over the past 17 years.

[MrGongGong]

Presumably delayed by the £1m philanthropic subsidy from Denbies over the past 17 years.

Perfectly illustrating why we shouldn't be forced to rely on philanthropy
Part of me is thinking "serves you jolly well right" for voting for the folks who have been clearly stripping away resources for years.
BUT it would be a great loss indeed.

[Dave2002]

I did just manage to put in my twopenn'orth before the deadline, which I assume is sometime today.

One problem which Surrey commented on in response to another group was that people outside Surrey use the service, and Surrey people pay. So - surely there should be national funding for something like that, to balance things up. and inter county transfers (to create jobs ...!) to make things fairer. All a load of tosh really .... if we're a rich country, we should be able to afford things like this, though if on the other hand we're not really then perhaps we should stop pretending we are. Otherwise heaven help the countries which are worse off then the UK.

[khiiutvhjui]

Update - the service won't be closing altogether - though it is ominous that library use generally is declining year on year

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/news-and-events-in-surrey-libraries/library-news/surrey-performing-arts-library-consultation

[Lat-Literal]

I did just manage to put in my twopenn'orth before the deadline, which I assume is sometime today.

One problem which Surrey commented on in response to another group was that people outside Surrey use the service, and Surrey people pay. So - surely there should be national funding for something like that, to balance things up. and inter county transfers (to create jobs ...!) to make things fairer. All a load of tosh really .... if we're a rich country, we should be able to afford things like this, though if on the other hand we're not really then perhaps we should stop pretending we are. Otherwise heaven help the countries which are worse off then the UK.

Not convinced.

There is a fuzziness a quarter of a mile inside Greater London and close to the Surrey boundary. You can use your Oyster card a little way into Surrey. There is access to the Minor Injuries Unit just into Surrey though not GPs' surgeries. But neither of these things have much to do with Surrey County Council. The refuse disposal unit a mere mile and a bit away is out of bounds. The one in the London Borough of Croydon four miles away needs to be used. The Citizens Advice Bureau in Caterham turns away Croydon residents because Surrey residents pay for it. And I don't think library membership is possible. Conservative councils claim to manage finances well if often little else. I just don't get what is happening there.

[Dave2002]

Update - the service won't be closing altogether - though it is ominous that library use generally is declining year on year
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/librarie...y-consultation

Thanks for the update.

Re Surrey CC (Lat’s msg 25) wrt CRCs (Community Recycling Centres) you now have to undergo a grilling and show id in order to deposit material for “recycling” in Surrey. Only slightly joking here - you may be given the third degree by a council employee to make sure you’re not dumping “illegally” or sneaking in from neighbouring counties.

[Lat-Literal]

Thanks for the update.

Re Surrey CC (Lat’s msg 25) wrt CRCs (Community Recycling Centres) you now have to undergo a grilling and show id in order to deposit material for “recycling” in Surrey. Only slightly joking here - you may be given the third degree by a council employee to make sure you’re not dumping “illegally” or sneaking in from neighbouring counties.

I've been there.

What's in that bag? Leave it there. I need to check on it. Where's your badge, mate?

Never again..........although luckily old ladies get given badges at the drop of a hat.

(Croydon doesn't collect electrical items - I don't know what it expects us non car owners to do - be on a bus for three quarters of an hour with an old washing machine and a cooker?)

[french frank]

Thanks for the update.

Re Surrey CC (Lat’s msg 25) wrt CRCs (Community Recycling Centres) you now have to undergo a grilling and show id in order to deposit material for “recycling” in Surrey. Only slightly joking here - you may be given the third degree by a council employee to make sure you’re not dumping “illegally” or sneaking in from neighbouring counties.

Bristol has two recycling centres, the one close to the border with Gloucestershire is policed: council tax bill, together with proof of identity, checked. I can't get to either as I have no car, but I do have several neighbours willing to take anything I might have (including small electrical items!) when they're making a trip.

It looks as if the SPAL has a future, but as Dave2002 says, if we're such a rich country …

[Serial_Apologist]

.... and then they're surprised when there's flytipping everywhere - which it would have costed them (ie us) less to have collected in the old way, legitimately.

[Sir Velo]

It looks as if the SPAL has a future, but as Dave2002 says, if we're such a rich country …

Isn't the issue not the size of the pot but how that pot is allocated?

In other words, if we (or to be more exact the good denizens of Surrey) want the SPAL, this either means it gets the funding at the expense of other potentially equally worthy facilities/amenities (e.g. transport, policing, recycling facilities, education, other arts facilities, decent cycling infrastructure, footpath maintenance etc) or we all vote to increase the amount of council tax we pay in order to fund these amenities.

Just being a "rich" country doesn't mean these things pay for themselves, much though we would all like to think so!