en-us Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:33:08 +0000 forum@oxle.com 60 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/ Tredegar Forum http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/../ http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/images/tredegar1.gif 298 68 pierre@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12105 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Thu, 13 Jun 2013 09:38:54 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12105 Source: SouthWalesArgus

THE cost of school meals in Blaenau Gwent will rise by 10p in September in a bid to recoup around £30,000 of lost revenue.

The cost of nursery and infant meals will rise from £1.80 to £1.90; junior meals will remain at £1.90; secondary school meals will rise from £2.05 to £2.15 and adult meals will go up from £2.88 to £2.98.

The cost to pupils has not altered since a 10p rise in September 2010, although in that time the cost of producing a primary school meal has gone up from 50p to 68p, and a secondary school meal from 60p to 88p.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent Council’s executive, members approved a report by acting chief officer for environment and regeneration Hannah Meyrick, which recommended the price increase.

The 10p price rise in 2010 meant 201 fewer meals were served each day and the catering service lost around £30,000 in income as a result.

This latest increase should raise around £12,700 in the primary sector and £15,900 in the secondary sector, according to the report.

“Low-income families who are not eligible for free school meals will be incurring additional expenditure for the cost of a school meal,” the report said.

A spokeswoman for Blaenau Gwent Council said: “Due to cost pressures affecting all local authorities, the council has to increase the cost of school meals.

“Having assessed other school meal prices, our new pricing structure is not only in line with other local authorities in South Wales, but competitive.

However, we will be monitoring the situation closely.”

According to 2012 data published in the report, Blaenau Gwent Council charges £1.90 for junior meals, the same as Torfaen and Newport but 10p more than Caerphilly and 15p more than Monmouthshire.

For infant meals, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Torfaen charge £1.80 while Monmouthshire charges £1.60 and Newport £1.90.

Nursery meals cost £1.80 in Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent but are £2.20 in Caerphilly. No data was given for Newport and Monmouthshire.

Adult meals cost £2.80 in Torfaen, £2.82 in Monmouthshire, £2.88 in Blaenau Gwent, £2.90 in Caerphilly and £3.10 in Newport.

Secondary meals cost £2.05 in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Torfaen, while in Newport they cost £2.20.

No data was given for Monmouthshire.

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Search on this website is your friend!]]> Davey81@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=11957&REPLY_ID=58511 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Thu, 16 May 2013 20:46:28 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11957 Quote:
We seem to keep on hearing empty words from the powers that be in Blaenau Gwent Council about things
improving when clearly they are not. Change is needed & heads should roll.]]> pierre@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=8539&REPLY_ID=57635 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:12:40 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8539 Quote:
Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent social services merger rejected
Source: BBC

A merger of social services departments in Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent looks unlikely to go ahead after one of the councils voted against the move.

Caerphilly council said pooling budgets posed a "significant risk" as it could be considered to be subsidising its neighbour's services.

The Welsh government has previously encouraged authorities to work collaboratively to improve services.

Blaenau Gwent council's cabinet will consider its position on Wednesday.

A group of council officials have been looking since 2011 at the feasibility of merging the departments to try to improve services and save money.

The report presented to cabinet members showed that in 2011/12, Blaenau Gwent reported an overspend on social services by £1,137,751 which is 3.22% of the total budget.

In contrast, Caerphilly reported an overspend of £164,847 last year - 0.23% of the total - but in 2010/11 had a surplus of £994,287.
Business case

Keith Reynolds, Caerphilly cabinet member for corporate services, described the decision to reject a merger as "the only sensible way forward".

He added: "It was always going to be predicated on the business case for merging.

"In local government there are too many uncertainties ahead of us, including a comprehensive spending review by the UK government and the effect that could have on the Welsh assembly.

"Collaborative management should only take place where there is a robust business case."

Referring to the council report, Caerphilly's head of corporate finance Nicole Scammell said: "One issue with the pooling of budgets is whether one authority could be seen to be subsiding another.

"Blaenau Gwent's social services budget situation is worsening. The two authorities financial situations have moved apart in the last two or three years. A fully integrated merger would be a significant risk."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Whilst we believe in good quality and effective local democratic representation, not all services should be replicated 22 times.

"This would not make good financial or organisational sense in the current economic conditions."

The spokesperson said it has supported collaboration with a "generous financial settlement" and has repeatedly urged councils to make the most of this and to use the time and money to invest for the future.

"While there has been some progress, more work needs to be done.

"We have recently announced £4.6m from the regional collaboration fund to help public services work together."

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News & Information on Tredegar since 1991.
Visit the Tredegar Timeline Project at : www.TredegarTimeline.co.uk
Search on this website is your friend!]]> Webteam@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11099 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:02:04 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11099 Recycling rates in Blaenau Gwent have improved
Source: WalesonLine

BLAENAU Gwent has registered one of the highest improvements in recycling rates in Wales, with the refuse collection changes being lauded as the potential reason.

As recently as this time last year, Blaenau Gwent was regularly topping the list of shame, with recycling rates being well behind the minimum target necessary to avoid fines from the Welsh Government.

While the borough is still 4% off the 2012-13 target, its 48% rate between April and June this year is the second highest leap out of the 22 authorities – doubling its record in just four years.

It also means Blaenau Gwent has leapfrogged the likes of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Powys and Rhondda Cynon Taf in the tables.

The report may also be held up as evidence for those who supported the changes to the way our refuse is collected.

The change to a fortnightly collection has been met with a lot of criticism, but the report seems to suggest it was a much-needed move.

In the report congratulating Blaenau Gwent on its improvement, it states: “These increases are possibly due to improvements to service provision such as an introduction of a fortnightly residual collection and roll out of a more comprehensive recycling service involving a weekly kerbside recycling and food waste.”

Executive member for environment and community safety Coun Keith Hayden said: “We are extremely pleased at the improvement in the recycling rate for Blaenau Gwent and this is due to the effort and support we have received from our residents.

“We still have a great deal of work to do if we are to achieve the statutory target of 52% for this year. But by working together we can achieve our target of 52%.”




_________________________________________
News & Information on Tredegar since 1991.
Visit the Tredegar Timeline Project at : www.TredegarTimeline.co.uk
Search on this website is your friend !]]> GOM@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=11075&REPLY_ID=54159 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:25:31 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11075 Quote:
"Bin men in Blaenau Gwent can only carry one bag of rubbish at a time due to health and safety concerns.

The carrying of two bags at a time has been described as "strenuous" "


I bet there poor wives have to struggle with more than 1 shopping bag how pathetic, and then down the pub they call themselvies MEN

lol.


The

G.O.M.

[img]http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Others/old-300.gif[/IMG]]]> pierre@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11076 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:27:34 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11076 Support for troubled authority is scaled down
Source: WalesOnLine

EDUCATION Minister Leighton Andrews has announced a scaling down of government support in a troubled Welsh council.

Blaenau Gwent last year became the first Welsh authority to require special measures, having failed to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

But Mr Andrews said that after a slow start, the “pace and focus of change” within Blaenau Gwent’s education services had improved.

He said advisers, former Plaid Cymru AM Nerys Evans and research consultant Alan Evans, had “fulfilled their role” and made an important contribution to the progress being made.

A separate development will see Isobel Garner, former chief executive of Wrexham council, stand down as part-time education commissioner to allow Bethan Guilfoyle to continue full-time.

Mr Andrews said Ms Guilfoyle would focus on driving forward school improvement and preparing the authority for its forthcoming Estyn re-inspection.

In a statement, Mr Andrews said: “Indications from both the monitoring visit and the views of key stakeholders is that although progress in Blaenau Gwent was initially slow across the range of recommendations, more recently the pace and focus of change have improved.

“Although, the direction of travel is broadly right, much important work remains to be done by the local authority, if it is to secure sustainable capacity.

“Again, more recently I have taken the opportunity to reflect on the direction and on the needs of the local authority and education commissioners as the authority prepares for the pending Estyn re-inspection. As such I now propose to revisit the original direction issued to Blaenau Gwent council and to refocus the support and challenge provided.”

He continued: “I propose to issue a new direction moving from two part-time education commissioners to one full-time role entirely dedicated to supporting this important stage in the improvement journey.”

Mr Andrews will establish a strategic performance board to support the commissioner’s work.

It will comprise the commissioner, senior officials from the Welsh Government, local government representation and a representative of the regional education consortia.



_________________________________________
News & Information on Tredegar since 1991.
Visit the Tredegar Timeline Project at : www.TredegarTimeline.co.uk
Search on this website is your friend!]]> darole@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=10915&REPLY_ID=53350 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:51:40 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10915 Quote:
to pick up on a point made by GOM,(if its such a success why is there still so much littler and dog poo about)
One has to remember that all councils and government tend to make reports sound as if it,s problem solved.]]> Bmhud@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=10758&REPLY_ID=52879 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:51:48 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10758 Quote:
Shocking and disgraceful.....]]> rule34@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=10760&REPLY_ID=52876 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:30:29 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10760 Quote:
It appears BG will appoint an outside catering contractor to supply meals and drinks, I wonder how much that's going to cost the taxpayer?]]> GOM@oxle.com http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=10767&REPLY_ID=52726 Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:20:29 +0000 http://www.tredegar.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10767 Quote:
We haven't even had one will have to find something else now to line the food waste bin with.


The

G.O.M.

[img]http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Others/old-300.gif[/IMG]]]>