Welsh council removes flagpoles in cost cutting exercise
A Welsh council has been criticised for removing flag poles from buildings as part of a cost cutting exercise.
Powys County Council say it was costing the local authority around £20,000 a year to inspect and maintain the poles.
In January, councillors agreed to remove flagpoles from some buildings in order to save money on the compliance budget.
‘Bizarre’
A Powys resident branded the budget saving idea “bizarre” adding that the removal of a flagpole at Ysgol Llanbrynmair had upset the community council.
They said: “Powys have taken down all the flagpoles in Powys schools to save on costs. Bizarre!
“They took down the Llanbrynmair flagpole without checking it was the council’s or the community council’s – which it was.
“The community council are not happy and want it brought back to install somewhere else.”
Budget
A spokesperson from Powys County Council said: “Following full council’s decision as part of the annual budget setting, the council is removing the flagpoles from some council buildings to reduce the compliance budget by £20,000 per year.
“Regular safety inspections are required on flagpoles to ensure that there are no defects and comply with safety requirements.
“The inspections are paid through the compliance budget, which full council agreed to remove as part of budget savings.”
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They would probably save a lot more than £20k if they got rid of some of their six-figure salaried “executives” who have been comfortable in their jobs for years. If councils everywhere are cutting back on services they don’t really need such huge workforces because the people working in those cutback services and jobs are no longer needed. Having said that it would probably result in the taxpayer financing huge redundancy payments and pensions. It’s a no win situation for us as they have it all worked out to a fine art.
Just done some online research. Powys county council employ 5,800 and the chief executive gets paid £150,000 annually. Does she really need nearly £3,000 a week to survive? What are her needs more than anyone else? She cannot do more work during a 40-hour week than anyone else.
Seems a fair enough way to save money so long a they only took down their own flagpoles!
Can we please make sure they remove all those god-awful ‘pride’ flags?
They’re like the modern-day Swastika.
Swastikas are the modern day swastika
Shameful, we should be seeing more of our beautiful flag not less.
According to Powys Council it’s a cost cutting exercise lol? Sorry, but what a load of BS. £20,000 to inspect flagpoles the reason to down poles. I’ve never heard so much wind expelled since I had the misfortune once of walking in front of Neil Kinnock out leafleting for YesCymru. And as others have said. Powys councilors need to look at their little perks of work before resourcing to such drastic actions such as this.
How about we start charging 90% tax to earners over a million quid ( like 50s and 60s America). Instead of letting the super rich holding our economy hostage. 1st decouple the need for employers to only employ people with bank accounts. This simple step will ensure the super rich can’t benefit off of the means of others. This in turn will once again give government’s the authority rather than corporations and banksters. If they threaten mass unemployment by outsourcing to other nations, simply fine them into the dust, others will rise to take their place so no loss, and… Read more »