Failed Market Stall Traders

Funny thing happened at Scrutiny the other day. The Cabinet member came to scrutiny to tell us (the panel operates like a select committee with cabinet members coming to explain decisions), that the Tory attempt to sell off Southampton Golf course on very favourable terms had failed. All of us on the committee was amazed as the council was offering very generous terms, on a long forty year lease to run and operate the golf course. However there were not "any suitable bidders". I wonder what happens next? A closing down or giving away of city owned leisure facilities to try and make them more attractive to bidders. The cabinet member was obviously frustrated that commercial sector was so uninterested and he would not tell the panel why bidders were considered unsuitable or did not come forward to bid using commercial sensitivity as the reason. I suspect that the investment needed and restriction of public access were the stumbling blocks.



The policy that no leisure facilities should be run or funded the council is still being pursued by the Conservative administration. E.g. The selling of the art gallery works to fund the new exhibition build at the civic. (A short sighted policy I believe, especially when council tax discounts are part problems of funding. ) Is starting to come unstuck as the combination of the economic downtown and need to provide public access means many the cities leisure assets are not viable to the commercial sector.

The pledges of not putting up council tax, providing discounts and the need to provide to decent quality services are heading for a collision. As apparently (as always) the government funding gap is huge again next year, another issue brought forward at Scrutiny as the Tories prepare a mini budget for next month. So what do the Tories do to fund the gap, not increase local tax and provide discounts to wealthy members of the community but they have to cut services and/or borrow money and/or sell assets. I wonder which they will go for?

Watch out for the market at the Bargate having a Market stall saying "Knock off Council assets".

Interestingly was how it was Tory own back benchers who questioned the cabinet members and picked holes the policies. Many of the points I and opposition colleagues intended to make were effectively made by Tory councillors................

Oasis Schooling

The local authority must now prepare for the possibility of taking back the schools from Oasis if they are not financially viable. Especially as Oasis is so reluctant to spend any of its own cash in supporting the schools.

All funding is based on the grant from government and what the Local authority gave them last September. What is sad will be the loss of the City Farm from Millbrook, an excellent project will go without funding from Lordshill, which will probably mean its demise.

For new schools to work what ever format they are in they need twenty percent extra funding, above the norm to help establish themselves in the first two years, support of local population, authority and accountability. Oasis has had some extra funding but not made the financial commitment itself and has not "persuaded" the local communities that the schools serve.

The new school developments/build must also be in doubt if the schools themselves are not financially viable or if the backers do not put any large financial commitment to making the plans happen or spend any time in the communities they serve reassuring residents about the potential developments.

What is telling is that application to Southampton schools has risen by over ten percent (from year 6 to 7) which means more Southampton residents are sending their children to Southampton schools but not the Academies?