A Letter to the Editor from CHRIS RIDDOLS of Eskdaleside, whose eagle eye has spotted what appears to be evidence of Scarborough Borough Council “feathering the nest” of the soon-to-be Scarborough Town Council – at the cost of the wider Borough. And there is more to this than meets the eye – as is generally the case in this open and transparent asylum.
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Sir,
Would any reputable business that knew it was going to close down in 15 months’ time, go to the expense of changing its masthead logo and stationery?
This is exactly what Scarborough Borough Council (SBC) has done.
How much has this cost the Borough rate-payers? How can this benefit all rate-payers?
No record can be found in SBC minutes to show that the members of the Council, elected to represent all rate payers, have even been consulted, let alone given it their formal approval.
So who is responsible for this waste of money?
The new logo has been taken from the coat of arms granted to the TOWN of Scarborough in 1935. This appears to be a cynical misuse of public money to help set up the new Scarborough Town Council before the Borough Council is dissolved and the new North Yorkshire Unitary authority takes over in 2023.
This is not the first misuse of Borough rate-payers’ money in relation to the proposed new Scarborough Town Council. Most of the public toilets in the Borough are run by the local town/parish councils, who have to levy a local parish precept to maintain them. The toilets in Scarborough town are paid for out of SBC central fund, i.e. by all ratepayers of the Borough.
Now the toilets in Scarborough town are all being refurbished. No doubt this is to make sure that they are handed over in good condition, so keeping down the local precept that will need to be charged by the new Scarborough Town Council, once it is formed.
Is the Borough Council also planning to transfer other capital assets to the new Town Council, such as the Argos building, Trust House Forte, Spa complex, etc? Is this how a responsible Public Authority should act without asking permission from its electors? Or, for that matter, the permission of the wider electorate and rate-payers of the new North Yorkshire Unitary, who would be denied those assets?
It is about time that the rate-payers of Scarborough Borough stood up to our Council leaders. We need to make it crystal clear that we will not allow them to misuse our money, by feathering the nest of the new proposed Scarborough Town Council at the expense of the rest of the rate-payers of the Borough.
Yours, etc
Chris Riddols
Eskdaleside
Eskdaleside
SLEIGHTS
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