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Council tax increase - Resident (10th Mar 2021 - 09:01:01) Just had the annual council tax bill come through. Some increases this year, which I am sort of ok with. What gets me is the 7.1% increase on Policing and the lack of their presence in Liphook.

Re: Council tax increase - rolli (10th Mar 2021 - 09:24:51) We don't see any police in Liphook because we are crime free. Vandalism, assault, drug dealing and anti-social behaviour are not proper crimes so are not worthy of investigating.

Re: Council tax increase - Richard (10th Mar 2021 - 09:29:52) You are not alone. There appears to be no accountability on why the increase is so much. Perhaps there needs to be a cost rationalisation exercise instead

Re: Council tax increase - D (10th Mar 2021 - 11:05:32) I'm more concerned at the cost of keeping the Millennium Hall. Surely by now it should be a profit making entity standing on it's own feet. The audience capacity there could easily be accommodated in the Village Hall or the Church Centre. Unnecessary white elephant comes to mind. Couldn't it be privatised?

Re: Council tax increase - James (10th Mar 2021 - 12:19:21) D if you had your way everything would be privatised, including the NHS. You probably like the fact that our railway system is privatised (public owned systems run a lot more efficiently and are more accountable). The millennium hall also provides many services, for example the youth club and I know that St Johns Ambulance use to operate from there not sure if they still do.

Re: Council tax increase - D (10th Mar 2021 - 14:53:43) James, my post concerned the Millennium Hall only. However, as you have gone off on a tangent on at least one subject I have expertise of, it would be rude of me not to respond. If you google British railway accidents (I don't have to because I remember them) you will see that as a result of heavy investment from the private sector in the development of new rolling stock, since privatisation the amount of accidents on Britain's railways has plummeted. I think the safety of the fare paying public far more important than your "clarity of accountability." You mention the N.H.S. The N.H.S. has been working in partnership with the private sector since its formation. The N.H.S. could not possibly afford the heavy investment in the development, production, procurement and maintenance of things like M.R.I. scanners; C.A.T. scanners; dialysis machines; tomography scanners; (is that enough or do you want me to continue with my long list?) The N.H.S. could not afford the development and production of life saving drugs for cancer treatment to give but one example. Given how half the population will have some sort of cancer in their lives, I think it imperative that the continued support of the private sector is maintained. You are probably not aware (as the last time you were in hospital was probably when your mother was giving birth to you) that hospital services such as porters; building maintenance; cleaning and catering are now provided mostly by the private sector. An excellent example of partnership between the N.H.S. and the private sector is His Royal Highness Prince Phillips' operation last week. Much if the recent development done at Queen Alexandra Hospital Cosham (and, I believe, St. Mary's) involved heavy investment from the private sector. An initiative of the Labour government of Tony Blair as it happens. The N.H.S. could not possibly afford to achieve all this on their own, not even in James's deluded socialist superstate. Unless that socialist superstate imposed crippling tax rates. So you see, James, the N.H.S. could not exist without the involvement and investment of the private sector. Something I for one am certainly grateful. I'm sure you will be bashing away in your bedroom tonight trying to prove me wrong. Don't make too much noise.

Re: Council tax increase - Jan (10th Mar 2021 - 18:56:38) Actually, the UK railway system , both infrastructure and rolling stock) is now all owned and run by the UK government. The railways were already in trouble before the pandemic started but 2020 finished them off, it seems. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/... On the subject of the NHS: James, all GP services in England (not sure about Wales, Scotland and NI) are private businesses and have always been, as have dentists and opticians.

Re: Council tax increase - Sam (10th Mar 2021 - 20:29:24) D, You repeat the phrase “could not possibly exist” or “could not possibly afford” when referring to the NHS, what are you basing this upon, for the NHS as great as it is isn’t the best health service in the world, you don’t have to go very far to find many better funded thus better performing health services. The NHS CAN exist and CAN afford everything if the Governments of this country decide to actually invest in it. The private sector always wants PROFIT and when profits go into fat cats pockets it’s not being spent on patients, so overall the whole thing costs more money.

Re: Council tax increase - D (10th Mar 2021 - 20:47:11) Sam, the N.H.S. regularly funds individual cancer treatments costing upwards of £30,000 per patient per year. Show me another health service or private insurance that would do this. With the greatest of respect, you don't know what you are talking about.

Re: Council tax increase - James (11th Mar 2021 - 06:49:44) D, For someone who accused me of going off on a tangent and then doesn't try and defend their case for privatising the millennium hall, I find it quite hypocritical. You can not measure the success of a railway system based on its low incident rate. The average price of a train journey has increased by 23.5% in real times, and they have risen twice as fast as wages since 2009. Great Britain while does have an excellent rating for safety however we can't just compare it for safety, we need to look at freight utilization and quality of service and we all know Great Britain scores low in these, with high fares and low punctuality of regional trains, think about how many times threads have been made on this site about late trains and fares going up. Now only looked at Boston Consulting Group for this data however there are plenty of sources out there that will back my argument. And onto the NHS. D, I am fully aware of which hospital staff are private, like most people I have been to hospital. Let's look at the caterers, last time I was in hospital I was speaking to a member of staff and they brought up the catering staff, and how poorly they were treated, this lady was catering my ward (probably around 50-60) and she had to see everyone on that ward, wait for everyone to get there choices and then order on time, if she didn't she would get in trouble. His words not mine. Private companies will refuse to hire more staff so they can take home the maximum profit, which is the problem when we are talking about peoples lives. The CQC published a report on residential mental health units, and noted that 28 that were run by private companies to be inadequate in the past three years, that report was published in 2019. Cygnet a mental health provider which operates more than 150 facilities in the UK has been consistently criticised, for example, at Godden Green hospital in Kent in October 2020 identified serious concerns about environmental risks and the ability of staff to keep patients safe. That hospital was put in special measures. There are hundreds of reports just like this D. The private sector can be involved in drug production and machine production but when it comes to day-to-day life the private sector needs to stay far away. Let's take a look at NHS funding, the NHS has had to cut back on a lot of services because of this governments failure to properly fund them. France spends approximately 260billion euros on health care, we spend only 233 billion euros. We spent over 20 billion pounds on a dodgy track and trace system, and of course the covid contract with a jeweller worth 70.5 million pounds to buy sterile gowns, which could not be used because the contract did not request the double packaging used in sterile settings and then the face masks millions spent on unusable face masks because they had the wrong fixing. If we can find the money to mess up with all of this then we can find the money to properly fund our NHS. Let's stop with petty insults as well. D, as for your last comment directed at Sam, literally any country with free healthcare.

Re: Council tax increase - Sam (11th Mar 2021 - 12:14:10) D, You are the one whom, the greatest of respect, you don't know what you are talking about ! Your opinions are limited and unambitious, you lack any vision of what is actually possible, what part of the line “Many other countries have massively better public health systems than the UK” don’t you understand??? Why can’t the UK have the same? Why can’t we have some drive to do better, instead we listen to people like D whom has admitted defeat on the clear possibility

Re: Council tax increase - Peter (11th Mar 2021 - 12:33:45) D- Sorry you are way off the mark with the capacity of the Millenium hall, there is no way in the world you could fit the same amount of people and have the luxury of tiered seating, not to mention dressing rooms, production box, stage size and scenery dock. I have put on productions at both venues and they are non comparable.

Re: Council tax increase - D (11th Mar 2021 - 13:17:58) James, you must have been up all night in your bedroom pounding your keyboard on my behalf. It was you who raised the issue of railways and the N.H.S., not me. As a retired N.H.S. employee of many years, my post is facts based on personal first hand experience. Not meaningless drivel cobbled together off the internet. I am, as a former N.H.S. employee, concerned that catering staff are being badly treated (according to you.) Where was this?

Re: Council tax increase - James (11th Mar 2021 - 14:17:02) D, everything I have said was factual, and no I was not up all night in my bedroom writing that response it took about 20 minutes. D you have not put in any facts at all, it is all garbage. Everything I have said comes from reliable sources and first-hand experience not based on personal opinion which is what you do. As for the catering staff being unfairly treated this was Royal Surrey County Hospital, D, you know that hospital Guildford. Believe it or not, many people do have to go to the hospital they don't just deal with childbirth. I also did not say that the NHS member of staff was former, it was when I was in the hospital and we were discussing the food. I'm not sure why you keep on bringing up my bedroom either, that's a bit weird. You have failed to argue any of the points I made. Just admit it D, you don't know what you are talking about, and the fact that someone younger does infuriates you.

Re: Council tax increase - D (11th Mar 2021 - 16:43:16) James, may I refer you to Charlie's final post on the "nice weather and corona" thread.

Re: Council tax increase - Ian (11th Mar 2021 - 16:46:18) Going back to the original post, I couldn't agree more. I can't remember the last time I saw a policeman or woman in the village.Thankfully I haven't had to call the police but reading some of the reports on here i.e drugs anti social behaviour etc, they should show their faces more often! Is there a way we can protest about this increase?

Re: Council tax increase - Paul Robinson (11th Mar 2021 - 18:58:06) We seem to be straying a little off piste on this thread that started with a question about an increase in our rates to pay for policing.. Part of that increase will go toward payment for the Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane who will be standing once again for election in May 2021. From the web site of the PCC we are told that his priorities are to: "Stand up for every resident: being visible, accessible and accountable to the people I represent ensuring their concerns are heard and addressed." How many of us are aware of anything that Michael Lane has done to improve the level of policing in the parish. Is he aware that the police are unable, or unwilling, to take steps to reduce the incidents of under age drinking, drug selling, vandalism and anti social behaviour in the village? Is it time to do away with the post of Police and Crime Commissioner and spend the money on more proactive police patrols ? Paul Robinson

Re: Council tax increase - James (11th Mar 2021 - 19:07:08) Ian, the police crime Commissioner elections are coming up, see what each candidate offers and vote of that.

Re: Council tax increase - Kris (22nd Oct 2021 - 12:30:25) Back to this thread. I see the money for policing is well spent with the increase of cars being stolen/vandalised, number plates stolen, hooligans on motorbikes, flat bed vans eyeing out properties.... and so on.

Re: Council tax increase - Ivor Biggen (22nd Oct 2021 - 13:04:58) 7% increase, errr well they do have to pay for their Chrimbo party.

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