Warrington Council. Suffer The Little Children

The Labour run Council in Warrington is one which has well and truly lost not only it’s priorities but it’s way. No wonder the Central Labour Party itself feels the need to investigate them.

Whilst all this goes on, the top 15 executive officers continue to earn well over £100k AND get a pay rise and the local school children have their school buses withdrawn to save a mere £69k. As I say priorities ALL wrong.

So where to begin ?

Unlike Warrington Council, I’m going to put the school kids first. Here’s a potted history of how we’ve got to a situation where a significant number of school kids can no longer get to school come September.

For years Warrington, along with many local authorities, had a system of primary schools which were feeder schools for secondary schools. These were long established and though not guaranteed, if your child went to a certain primary school they would then move with all their friends and siblings to the same secondary school.

These relationships between primary and secondary schools had existed for years the links being created largely through similarly grouped communities rather than distance, though distances were never excessive.

An example of a linked community all going to the same secondary school is that of Croft, Kenyon, Winwick and Culcheth all feeding into Culcheth High School. Makes sense doesn’t it ?

School buses were provided to take the kids to their school, those within a few miles who could walk, paid. Whilst those from farther away like Winwick had a free pass. Again, nothing particularly unusual.

Lets save some money

In 2012, Warrington Council came up with an idea to save what they though would be a significant amount of money by withdrawing the free school buses. This on it’s own wouldn’t have been a major issue, yes it would have hit hard working families in the pocket, parents would have grumbled but they’d have ultimately paid. The kids would have just paid to get on the normal school bus instead of showing a pass and to school they would go.

Warrington though, haven’t created anything so simple. It’s like they’ve tried to be clever and failed abysmally. Here’s what happened.

Consultation

Firstly they go out for consultation very discreetly without much advertising during the 2012 summer holidays when the kids aren’t at school . Sneeky or what ?

They then decide that feeder schools are being abolished from Summer 2013 and if you want free buses, children must go to their nearest school rather than where they’ve traditionally gone. Note this is starting to split kids up from the same family who will end up going to different schools.

The Council then re-affirm the Government’s choice of school agenda but say if you choose to go anywhere except your nearest school then you pay yourself. So much for choice !!

Amongst these proposals was one whereby those children in Years 10 & 11 in 2013/14 can continue with their free passes but everyone else can’t. Thus having a Transport Zone for older children and another for younger ones both of whom were in the one Transport Zone previously. Is this not age discrimination ?

Parents have had to apply for free school bus passes if they felt they’re children were entitled to one. The vast majority of these applications have been declined by the Council. It has also presented a situation where certain children from the same family who go to the same school have applied, one being declined, the other successful – what an utterly stupid, inefficient system.

Some parents have appealed to the local ombudsman to get the whole thing overturned, this they were largely unsuccessful with, merely gaining minor changes which changed next to nothing for those actually effected.

We are where we are ?

You might think "so what ? We are where we are." Well actually we’re not.

Remember I mentioned about the kids just paying to get on the normal school buses? Well no they can’t, it appears they are free school buses and as the kids are not eligible for free school buses they can’t get on them. What about the normal service bus ? Again, no, apart from the timings not matching the school times the driver’s do not let the number of children involved on them, they either refuse to let them on or simply drive past.

So Warrington Council, you set up the feeder school’s system, we played by those rules, our children played by those rules, they went to the school’s through the route you set up. Please can you tell us how the many kids that are effected are supposed to get to school ?

• Car maybe ? I’m sure you’d welcome an additional hundred or so cars on the streets of Warrington during each rush hour, that’s safe and sustainable isn’t it ?
• Walk ? 5 miles is too far, and the route isn’t safe (your words not mine)
• Bike ? The route isn’t safe, we’ve already established that.

The point is Warrington Council has abandoned these kids. NOTHING has been put in place to help these children get to school.

Savings must be colossal to warrant this disruption to our children’s lives ?

Nope. A mere £69k in 2013/14, reducing each year thereafter.

Where else can they save this amount ?

Well this is where the truth about Warrington Council’s real priorities come out.

The local bus company is one of the few in the country still owned by the local authority. In 2013 it finds itself in the position where it is losing significant amounts of money and had to be baled out by the Council to the tune of a reported “substantial six figure sum”. Why are we baling out loss making operations that other local authorities got rid of years ago ? See the following previous blog for my thoughts on that one. Stagecoach in Warrington, Hopefully

The Big One 

Executive staff salaries.

During 2011/12 (Last published year of salaries) FIFTEEN Warrington Council officer picked up salaries of more than £100,000 a year. They picked up £3,825,305 between them.

That figure saw Warrington Borough Council among the top 38 local authorities paying the high-level wages to 15 or more employees in a year. The numbers were part of Taxpayers’ Alliance list of the highest paid council workers from across the country.

Makes you gasp with amazement doesn’t it?

They’ve made a few changes since then. The plans to alter the current structure, include the removal of an executive director post costing £113,025, BUT the remaining directors are in line for pay rises as they take over some of this work.

They’re pocketing nearly FOUR MILLION amongst FIFTEEN of them, whilst disrupting HUNDREDS of children’s education to save just SIXTY NINE THOUSAND. 

The answer to the funding problem lies here, NOT with the kids.

SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN

So there you have it, Warrington Labour (Party of the people) stick two fingers up to the children of Warrington, looks like they’ll just have to suffer. 

We’re alright in the council though !! Another G&T councillor? Give that man a pay rise !!

I do wonder why they’re being investigated by their own party though? Hope it’s nothing trivial.