Labour Graves Park leaflet

If they'd maintained the cottage, like they are supposed to do, and stopped trying to sell parts of the park or use it as a tip, like they aren't supposed to do, then Graves Park wouldn't be a poisoned chalice.

 

And I certainly don't believe them when they say that the cottage is a special case and doesn't set a precedence in that report. Mainly because they are a bunch of sneaky lying ********.

Graves Park is hardly a poisoned chalice. From a freedom of information request the car park raised over £50,000 last year. There were concerts, shows and fairs where those using the park paid a fee. I have yet to establish how much rent comes from the cafe but assume it to be around £20,000/pa. There is also a £10,000 fee for using part of Norton Nursery as a depot.

It seems in return 0.7 people are employed to maintain the park. Perhaps if the accounts were audited we could find out where all this cash goes.

Graves Park is hardly a poisoned chalice. From a freedom of information request the car park raised over £50,000 last year. There were concerts, shows and fairs where those using the park paid a fee. I have yet to establish how much rent comes from the cafe but assume it to be around £20,000/pa. There is also a £10,000 fee for using part of Norton Nursery as a depot.

 

It seems in return 0.7 people are employed to maintain the park. Perhaps if the accounts were audited we could find out where all this cash goes.

Are you sure about the FoI request? A search of the site shows nothing https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/sheffield_city_council?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=graves+park&request_date_after=&request_date_before=&commit=Search

Actually, my understanding is the Cabinet decision was “called in” at the end of March for discussion by the Economic and Environmental Wellbeing Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee. That means the decision to approach the Charity Commission with a scheme has to be put on hold until the next time the Committee meets, which will not be before the local elections.

If they'd maintained the cottage, like they are supposed to do, and stopped trying to sell parts of the park or use it as a tip, like they aren't supposed to do, then Graves Park wouldn't be a poisoned chalice.

 

And I certainly don't believe them when they say that the cottage is a special case and doesn't set a precedence in that report. Mainly because they are a bunch of sneaky lying ********.

I understand that the cottage has been empty since 2006, the leadership of the council has changed a lot in the last 16 years, just who do you blame?

Jan Wilson 1998-1999 Labour

Peter More 1999-2002 LibDem

Jan Wilson 2002-2003 No Overall Control

Jan Wilson 2003-2007 Labour

Jan Wilson 2007-2008 No Overall Control

Paul Scriven 2008-2010 LibDem

Paul Scriven 2010-2011 No Overall Control

Julie Dore 2001- present Labour

No matter who you vote for, the council always get in.

I understand that the cottage has been empty since 2006, the leadership of the council has changed a lot in the last 16 years, just who do you blame?

Jan Wilson 1998-1999 Labour

Peter More 1999-2002 LibDem

Jan Wilson 2002-2003 No Overall Control

Jan Wilson 2003-2007 Labour

Jan Wilson 2007-2008 No Overall Control

Paul Scriven 2008-2010 LibDem

Paul Scriven 2010-2011 No Overall Control

Julie Dore 2001- present Labour

 

No matter who you vote for, the council always get in.

Are you sure about the FoI request? A search of the site shows nothing https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/sheffield_city_council?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=graves+park&request_date_after=&request_date_before=&commit=Search

Well that's interesting because I saw several request replies regarding Graves Park that are not listed here.

And on the subject of Cobnar Cottage, I thought the Council had been told by the Charity Commission that they needed to have a public consultation before they could sell Cobnar Cottage.

So we all go back to square one.

Again.

Well that's interesting because I saw several request replies regarding Graves Park that are not listed here.

 

And on the subject of Cobnar Cottage, I thought the Council had been told by the Charity Commission that they needed to have a public consultation before they could sell Cobnar Cottage.

 

So we all go back to square one.

 

Again.

I suspect barpen confused FoI report for Charity Commission accounts.

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/DocumentList.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=510841&SubsidiaryNumber=0&DocType=AccountList

I suspect barpen confused FoI report for Charity Commission accounts.

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/DocumentList.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=510841&SubsidiaryNumber=0&DocType=AccountList

Actually barpen knows the difference between a FoI request and a set of accounts. But it is good of you to confirm that car parking receipts for the year in Graves Park amounted to £53878. I have included that figure in the letter sent to the Charity Commission suggesting an audit of the charity's accounts as it appears that several of the trustees of the charity are unaware of the difference between the charity's assetts and those of the council.

So let's get back to that disgraceful election leaflet that seems to suggest that selling off assetts belonging to the Graves Park Charity and using the money for council purposes is a really great idea.

Actually barpen knows the difference between a FoI request and a set of accounts. But it is good of you to confirm that car parking receipts for the year in Graves Park amounted to £53878. I have included that figure in the letter sent to the Charity Commission suggesting an audit of the charity's accounts as it appears that several of the trustees of the charity are unaware of the difference between the charity's assetts and those of the council.

 

So let's get back to that disgraceful election leaflet that seems to suggest that selling off assetts belonging to the Graves Park Charity and using the money for council purposes is a really great idea.

Sorry, you now have me confused, are you are telling the Charity Commission that according to the accounts on their website there was £53878 income from car parking in 2013/14? According to the accounts for 2013/14 income from car parking amounted to £45617 or do you have a different set of accounts? If you can provide us with a link to that FoI request it would be helpful.

Did you also miss section 15 Related parties, where it says "Sheffield City Council who is the sole trustee and provides the balance of funding not provided elsewhere on an annual basis, to enable to carry out its charitable objectives. The amount of funding provided by Sheffield City Council during the year is £256,236 (2013:£256,276)"

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends41%5C0000510841_AC_20140331_E_C.pdf

Just noticed that you have asked the Charity Commission to do an audit of the charities account, if you have not noticed this company did the audit of the accounts not the councillors.

Barber Harrison & Platt

http://www.bhp.co.uk

I understand that the cottage has been empty since 2006, the leadership of the council has changed a lot in the last 16 years, just who do you blame?

Jan Wilson 1998-1999 Labour

Peter More 1999-2002 LibDem

Jan Wilson 2002-2003 No Overall Control

Jan Wilson 2003-2007 Labour

Jan Wilson 2007-2008 No Overall Control

Paul Scriven 2008-2010 LibDem

Paul Scriven 2010-2011 No Overall Control

Julie Dore 2001- present Labour

 

No matter who you vote for, the council always get in.

Which is precisely why, in my view, there needs to be a thorough review of the governance arrangements.

As far as I'm aware, the Trustees (under either Administration) weren't even told the cottage had become vacant until the officers' report to Cabinet of 17th July 2013: http://sheffielddemocracy.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s8590/Graves%20Park%201.pdf.

Trusteeship of the largest park in Sheffield should be a local function, not one that's tacked on to the already burdensome functions of the Council's Cabinet. Locally-controlled asset management arrangements would hopefully ensure due diligence is carried out in the best interests of the charity, thus avoiding a repeat of the fiasco whereby a property can stand empty and neglected for eight years on charitable land, accruing an ever increasing debt liability.

Thats because the elected councillors may change but the council employees are a constant. I get the impression that each enables the other incompetence.

It is odd though that if the council employees remain the same why they fail to grasp the concept that Graves Park is not theirs to sell. They make this mistake over and over again despite the money they keep squandering in their repeated attempts to sell it.

Why doesn't the elected council sack them?

It is odd though that if the council employees remain the same why they fail to grasp the concept that Graves Park is not theirs to sell. They make this mistake over and over again despite the money they keep squandering in their repeated attempts to sell it.

 

Why doesn't the elected council sack them?

Morning barpen, you may have missed that Sheffield has sacked/made redundant 600 staff over the past 2 years and plans to lay off another 200 in the 2015/16 financial year.

http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn-uk/news/2391088/capita-closes-sheffield-council-deal-until-2022

You will also be less than pleased to hear that “Management of parks and green spaces will be switched to a ‘more natural and lower cost land management’ to save £100,000 a year.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-mps-asked-to-lobby-over-budget-cut-comparison-1-7102078

Sadly we just don't have the staff anymore, as I have said before, I remember the times when we had an army of park keepers and gardeners looking after the parks of Sheffield, some of them living in Cobnar Cottage. Parks are now mostly sterile green deserts because "we" the council tax payers can't afford them.