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News and Comment April 2016

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21 April (Part 2) - Another privatisation in Bexley

At the beginning of March the Labour group on Bexley Council put forward an alternative budget. Nothing far reaching, it was designed to save only a small amount of money, about £140,000 a year, but it was enough to improve litter picking services, freeze the short term car parking charges which have since gone up by 20% and have enough left over to maintain the Belvedere Splash Park. Naturally the Tories wanted nothing to do with it.

DistributionThe largest part of the saving was to come from ceasing door to door delivery of the Bexley Magazine. A £50,000 saving was possible if the magazine was left at pick up points and internet downloads encouraged. The reason for that idea being so hastily dismissed has just become clear, Bexley Council has privatised the magazine distribution service.

What used to be delivered by a lowly paid army of volunteers, many of them retired Council staff, some with 20 years of delivery service, is now in the care of London Letterbox Marketing which has been awarded a contract by Bexley Council.

Except for some funny business during an election purdah period when Bexley Council decided against delivering my magazine, the service to my door in the past has been perfect. The contractor obviously cannot improve on that.

The next issue is due in June.

 

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