Lost Torquay balloon rent to be written off by council

“Surely if anyone at the council had any brains alarm bells should have started ringing after one year.”

“er no Miles, hard as they may seem, I was actually agreeing with you, I won't let it happen again. (I'm not the type who says nothing).”

“@HughFarquhar

So because it's wrong you say nothing and let it remain that way? It seems to me that that's why Torbay is the way it is, because people do nothing.”

“I've just got a summons for not paying £130 of council Tax , 20 days after it was due - can I assume that will be written off now?”

“Milesnagop - 'If the Herald was any kind of local newspaper ... it would be investigating and not just reporting'. Oh come on Miles, cats keep getting stuck up trees and Colleen Smith is chit chatting over the garden wall, you actually want worthwhile news, they haven't got the time. Also 'if the council were any kind of council' and 'if the police were any kind of police' might just as well apply.”

“After a bit of digging around I found this page, http://tinyurl.com/cge5pxu , detailing the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board of Torbay Council. There is little, if any, useful information about either why back rent was allowed to build, why the rent has been written off or why no inquiry was thought necessary. Interestingly, both press and public were formally excluded when this matter was discussed, the minutes cite "the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972". This would appear to be Data Protection Act related. Paras 3 & 5 refer to "Information relating to any past, present or potential tenant or occupier of Council accommodation, or applicant" and "Information relating to any person applying for, receiving or previously in receipt of
financial assistance from the Council" respectively.

Read that how you will but the public is due a better explanation than appears to be forthcoming from anyone. I'm sorry but it's not good enough.”

“If that amount of money is being written off, especially in the current economic climate, the council owes its voters an explanation of why. If an enquiry isn't being held into why, the public again is owed an explanation as to why. If a councillor has voted against an enquiry or for the debt being written off, once again, that councillor owes his voting public an explanation as to why. If none of these explanations are forthcoming, the council owes the people of Torbay an explanation as to why not.

If the Herald Express was any kind of local newspaper it wouldn't just be reporting the facts, it would be doing its job, investigating the matter fully and reporting what it found in these pages.

If none of these things happen the matter will slide and the authorities responsible will feel just fine doing it again.

This is not the Councils's money to throw around, it's yours and mine.

It would be nice, lfor once, if someone from the Council joined this discussion.”

“i thought it was good , extra entertainment for visitors , but i know a lot who objected you know the usual crowd retired living on comfortable pensions, but thats torbay”

“I suspected this attraction would not last very long. It was good while it lasted but anybody could tell it was only a temporary thing. I think thats actually cool. It better for things to be temporary than for ever. you just get fed up doing the same old thing anyhow”

“Nothing, we live in a liberal democracy and elect representatives with around a 40% max turn out based on the lies they have told us before the election (or the written pledges they have signed). No wonder some third world countries are fighting against democracy. It's not all it's cracked up to be.

But until someone comes up with a better idea it's all we have.”