The end is near for £75k council magazine (From Ledbury Reporter)
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The end is near for £75k council magazine
12:00pm Saturday 23rd March 2013 in News By Bill Tanner
THE “free” self-promotional magazine that cost Herefordshire Council some £75,000 a year to produce is being cut.
The council confirmed this week that Herefordshire Matters, the publication which critics dubbed Pravda, no longer has a budget.
Campaigner Nick Jones, who first publically questioned the purpose of the magazine at a full council meeting in 2010, told the Hereford Times: “If I said this Pravda will be sadly missed, I'd find I had a nose as long as Pinocchio the next morning.”
That full council meeting confirmed the cost of the then bi-monthly magazine as being around £75,000 a year.
Councillor June French, then cabinet member for corporate and customer services, told the meeting that the council budgeted £12,500 per edition with the gross annual cost being £75,000 based on six editions a year delivered to more than 80,000 households and other locations.
Members heard that this distribution was the highest cost element of the magazine, with council staff contributing to content and advertising revenue worth about £30,000 a year.
In support of the magazine, the council cited surveys showing that nearly 100 per cent of respondents found the articles interesting or covering issues important to them.
Subsequently, the very existence of Herefordshire Matters became an issue the council’s critics could rally around.
The council kept up – and stepped up – support for the magazine even when local government secretary Eric Pickles toughened up the rules on council publications saying less should be spent on “Pravdas that end up in the bin” at the expense of frontline services.
Disability campaigners called for cash spent on the magazine to be channelled instead towards carer support.
In November last year, a Freedom of Information (FoI) request revealed the total cost of the magazine – produced by Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire – over that financial year was £74,505.
The direct cost of printing one edition of the magazine was put at £7,000 – or £28,000 per year – with the council funding the printing costs.
Other details confirmed included:
- 82,500 copies produced per edition, to be distributed by Royal Mail.
- NHS Herefordshire funded the distribution costs, and the typical direct cost for distribution had been £7,000 per edition, or £28,000 per year.
In a statement to the Hereford Times this week, the council said it had “not set a budget” for Herefordshire Matters next year and had no plans for a future print edition.
The council did not, however, rule out some kind of online option.
Comments(52)
bobby47
says...
1:05pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Bloody Hell! Still they have not grasped the real point. No more pointless waste. I don't care in what shape or form that waste is delivered to me. I don't bloody want that waste to be generated by the Council.
I don't want somebody added to the payroll and told to create a Hereford Matters website and to incorporate spin, rubbish, drivel and tripe onto the web pages for my perusal.
They're relentless. Mark my words, give this bunch of incompetent bungling idiots the 'heads up' to go ahead with that little slice of pleasure and before you know it, they'll have a Manager, a Supervisor, two team leaders and a bunch of authors who will cost us an arm and a bloody leg.
TwoWheelsGood
says...
2:12pm Sat 23 Mar 13
bobby47
says...
4:47pm Sat 23 Mar 13
It'll take time my good old friend but they'll get it in the end.
In the meantime, we do what we do well. Moaning, groaning, ranting and raving about it all.
Ubique5740
says...
5:58pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Never will it drop through the door,
But money must be saved to help this town,
So maybe 14 lime trees will not come down.
TwoWheelsGood
says...
6:53pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
7:01pm Sat 23 Mar 13
As you say TWG the report must have been written by now and perhaps circulated to Cllrs.
Grid Knocker
says...
7:39pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Tell us the truth (and no fingers crossed behind your back): are the Lime trees coming down or not?
dippyhippy
says...
10:33pm Sat 23 Mar 13
14 Lime Trees standing in a row,
There isn't one good reason,
Why a single tree should go,
So keep the 14 Lime Trees,
Standing in their row!!
I am so heartenend by the support shown on here for the trees, and for all the poetry,you talented bunch, Ubique,fantastic!!
I would love Our Graham to come on and give us a quick reminder about whats supposed to be happening, It would be helpful to know at least, if I am going to need to book some time off work!!
TwoWheelsGood
says...
11:01pm Sat 23 Mar 13
Roger J
says...
10:00am Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
12:06pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
12:13pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
12:23pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
12:59pm Sun 24 Mar 13
"Studmarsh."
King Bobby dug for Studmarsh,
But he dug in the wrong place,
He dug and dug,from dawn 'til dusk,
Getting redder inthe face.
As he rested on his shovel.
He staightened up his crown,
Then reached for the diazepam,
They always calmed him down.
As night approached he faltered,
Raised his eyes up to the sky,
"Jarvis ! you're to blame for this!
My blood pressures never been so high!"
Ubique5740
says...
1:02pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
1:04pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
1:18pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
1:32pm Sun 24 Mar 13
bobby47
says...
1:33pm Sun 24 Mar 13
And as for our Ubique, you're a yard away from being as mad as me my old friend.
dippyhippy
says...
1:36pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
1:55pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
2:12pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
2:17pm Sun 24 Mar 13
I am sure that it was Bobby in the Barrels. This man, dressed in his grandma clothing was surrounded by wide eyed tough looking men who were hanging onto every word he was saying. It's got to be Our King.
dippyhippy
says...
2:27pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
2:36pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy
says...
2:44pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique,you're not a "well man",
Help and guidance you should seek,
You'll never be a "well man"
If you binge drink once a week!
I know you've been to Aldi's,
The bottle's in your hand,
You go home and you neck it down,
'Til you can hardly stand!
Try a mineral water,
Try a ginger beer,
Then you'll be a "well man"
And the clinic staff will cheer!
dippyhippy
says...
2:45pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
2:51pm Sun 24 Mar 13
I think that Bobby managed to stagger home and fell asleep dreaming of Studland, nightmaring onJarvis , and composing his next ramblings.
bobby47
says...
2:55pm Sun 24 Mar 13
You are now Poet Laureate and as soon as we can get Jarvis out, you and Ubique get to sit on the top table and arrange the thrice weekly trolley dash around Lidl's.
Now bloody leave me be. I've swallowed two diazepam, I'm chewing on psilocybin mushrooms, the grandkids are trying to communicate with me and I'm trying to digest a custard slice in an effort to sober up.
dippyhippy
says...
2:58pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Ubique, you are welcome! And congratulations on the whole 50 years thing, thats a real cause for celebration!
Ubique5740
says...
3:06pm Sun 24 Mar 13
littlewhitebull
says...
3:13pm Sun 24 Mar 13
You certainly don't need my new dictionary!
dippyhippy
says...
3:39pm Sun 24 Mar 13
In council speak - I look forward to the challenges of my new role,and am fully committed to enabling service users to enhance their lives through the medium of poetry!
GDJ
says...
4:21pm Sun 24 Mar 13
If you are going to be a council style poet you will need a supervisor and manager to make sure that your poems are consistent with the poetry strategy - they will charge some of their time to your budget and you may have to reduce the numbers of lines to make the requisite savings to pay for the supervision.
You may be required to produce a 200 line progress report for the scrutiny committee after each line of poetry is completed as well. I hope you can see that this will only encourage your creativity and commitment.
Ubique5740
says...
4:33pm Sun 24 Mar 13
GDJ
says...
4:57pm Sun 24 Mar 13
You are right. However your unfair criticism has caused me undue stress and I will need significant time off from the poetry directorate (limerick team). Dippyhippy will need an interim health and safety manager.
Ubique5740
says...
5:32pm Sun 24 Mar 13
You may think Health and Safety is a chore
But there’s no such thing as an accident anymore
I slipped on a wet floor & twisted my knee
So I will call one of those numbers from the TV
I can't claim that I thought of this
poem. Life is to busy and dippyhippy is doing very well.
Just a thought - some time ago a Poster complained that the Posters were going away from the article ,apologies but that's the way of the world .
dippyhippy
says...
8:37pm Sun 24 Mar 13
Progress reports?? No, sorry, I may have to resign my post if that is to be my fate. I shall be a freelance protest poet!
But wait! If I am,and I am, to be Poet Laureate to our own King Bobby, then surely such nonsense will not apply??
Ubique,you are quite correct in what you say,and in this case, "Hereford Matters" no longer matters, so it should not be a problem that we have gone off on a completely different path!
dippyhippy
says...
9:02pm Sun 24 Mar 13
A tear rolled down my face today,
My life it is in tatters.
I read the news with disbelief -
"The end of Hereford Matters."
"This cannot be!" I screamed aloud,
At this councils slight of hand,
"It's a highlight of the year for me,
A bargain,at seventy five grand"
But, it's true,and so I say,
With sad and heavy heart,
Frame your last edition
And re-cycle it as art!!
Gillian1961
says...
9:02pm Sun 24 Mar 13
dippyhippy wrote:As the Hereford Times web site been going 50 years really
Thanks Bobby!
Ubique, you are welcome! And congratulations on the whole 50 years thing, thats a real cause for celebration!
WYSIATI
says...
4:25am Mon 25 Mar 13
GDJ
says...
10:51am Mon 25 Mar 13
WYSIATI wrote:WYSIATI,
poet dippy it sounds as if what you want is to be an agency poet - twice as much money, no responsibility, come and go as you please and run off all the way to the bank enjoying ripping off the council tax payer leaving half finished missives in your wake
Your suggestion will only make money for dippyhippy and there is no benefit for you and me.
If we, as the council, pay dippyhippy £100 per day to write poetry at the moment, why don't we place him/her in an arms length company of which we are directors and guarantee to pay that company £200 per day for supply of all our rhyming needs. We could justify it by saying we plan to sell the same poems to other councils and that will make profit. Whether it does make money doesn't matter because we will keep all the details secret. It will also look like we've cut our costs by £100 day on wages.
Ubique5740
says...
11:22am Mon 25 Mar 13
TwoWheelsGood
says...
1:04pm Mon 25 Mar 13
dippyhippy wrote:Only applicants can appeal, so, no. As soon as the decision (not the report) is signed, they can fire up the chainsaws. No second opportunity. That’s why these things are nearly always inevitable - councillors put up a smoke screen to take the initial heat off, and then bang, the deed is done. As of just now, the councils website still shows no revised scheme received. I suppose if this is not received in time, the Council may well refuse the original scheme, which would be a good outcome, for now. A resubmission will inevitably follow.
Two Wheels, do you know if there is the possibility of an appeal, should the decision not be favourable? And is there a minimum time limit before the council releasing their report,and being able to go ahead with this most dastardly of deeds?? I mean,is it possible for the report to come out on Thursday,and the axe to be swung on Friday,or do we get a second opportunity to try and put a stop to this??Sorry to bombard you with questions, but you seem to have a pretty good grasp on how the "wheels" of this turn!
TwoWheelsGood
says...
1:22pm Mon 25 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
1:48pm Mon 25 Mar 13
GDJ
says...
4:18pm Mon 25 Mar 13
Ubique5740 wrote:Ubique,
Please Please can I join? I will not make many expense claims - the ones I do can be lost with the salary , or to make it look better give me a bigger salary with no expenses, that will allow the appointed Media Officer chance to release a news story stating that no expenses are claimed. The Audit by the Department Finance Officer will support this story .
You will have to come for an interview to prove that you are the best person for the job.
Oh, wait, hang on, I have just been told by Mr Jarvis that that won't be necessary - he thinks you're a splendid chap and the job's yours.
What salary would you like? And would you also like a golden hello and a relocation package?
Ubique5740
says...
4:28pm Mon 25 Mar 13
Ubique5740
says...
4:28pm Mon 25 Mar 13
GDJ
says...
5:04pm Mon 25 Mar 13
Might be a bit late - I just need to sign some redundancy notices for the workers (keep it under your hat, we're still officially in consultation with them) and then have a drink with an old Common Purpose chum.
dippyhippy
says...
10:23pm Mon 25 Mar 13
P.S. Two wheels, many thanks for all the info,very useful,and much appreciated.The rest of you will feature in my next ditty,a rather dark affair.........!!
GDJ says...
12:56pm Sat 23 Mar 13
I see the government has now issued an urgent improvement notice regarding child protection
http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/uk-england-her
eford-worcester-2185
9804
But the council is quoted as saying that things aren't too bad because the way they have dealt with 70% of cases has been adequate or better. So, only 30% of child protection cases are not dealt with adequately. The fact that they put out this statement and thought it reassuring speaks volumes.