Taxpayers To Get Money Back If Councils Fail To Deliver

[Over Carl]

Householders could soon be getting their taxes back from councils that fail to deliver promised services, under new plans.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears MP says that if a local authority does not fulfil its promises then taxpayers should be compensated.
She has unveiled plans to establish so-called "community contracts" whereby residents could get written guarantees from councils that they will deal with specific problems like drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, dirty streets or graffiti.
However, any cash payments are likely to be limited to a small number of major failures.
More minor breaches could result in councillors and officials facing a public meeting when they would have to explain themselves to angry taxpayers.
In a speech to the New Local Government Network, Ms Blears said: "People rightly expect a good standard of service and redress when things go wrong.
"When trains are delayed, they know they are entitled to refunds or compensation."
She added: "Improving transparency for other public services on a similar scale will not only improve standards but also increase confidence in local democracy."
And Ms Blears claimed that the community contracts "will help councils, police and health authorities and local people to work together in tackling the issues that matter, improving their local neighbourhoods and public satisfaction".
The first 12 trials of the "community contracts" scheme will be conducted in Barnsley, Blyth, Brighton, Gateshead, Kidderminster, King's Lynn, Kirklees, Lewisham, Manton, Oldham, Sunderland and London's South Bank.
Shadow local government secretary Eric Pickles called the scheme a smokescreen and said it was designed to hide the fact that council taxes have doubled under Labour.

"There have been no tax reductions by any of the town halls which have been forced to axe weekly rubbish collections due to Whitehall under-funding.
"Local taxpayers are increasingly paying more and getting less, due to fiddled funding and the imposition of extra regulations and burdens by Gordon Brown."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/200...c-45dbed5.html

If only this applyed to the Gov't.

[B B Leo]

dont think the govenment will ever get it right.
so wheres my money

[QfanatiQ]

Thsi has been reported before. I remember a small town and in that town there was a short road and on that short road there lived short old people.

Ok, off the bed time story line, there was a group i thin kof OAP's that took the council on regarding collections and general care of the estate (not the higher taxes not that set of grumblies (kidding))

I did not see anything after that.

I dont fancy much chance of getting money back, yet again apparently most counciles are on a shortfall of cash. Plus witht he recent uproar on equal pay and the men refusing to take a paycut (lawyers so far reported the men have a good case) means the women will eb paid equal (this higher amount) this even more strain.

Good luck if ti does come into effect, our taxes will rise in order to manage the people and thier saleries in order to get through the paperwork of the complaints.

Cheers.....Q