Ashford Future's Waste of Money

Yesterday I attended the Kennington Community Forum and the beginning we were given a presentation demonstrating where the council is spending £450,000 of our council tax money.

Ashford Future and Ashford Borough Council have contacted a not-for-profit company to run a pilot project on energy efficiency.

For "Not-for-profit company", please read "a poor excuse for a charity that feeds directly of government money and exploits the targeting system in the civil service as well as using up some of the hundreds of thousands of graduates without any jobs.

They prepared a presentation with a vast array of free stuff and explain how Ashford Future had commissioned them to look into how to make our homes more energy efficient.

To do this they would be giving away free stuff

Kennington and Bybrook wards have been selected in the pilot study which is to run until October 2010.

This pilot study will involve giving away free stuff

The team offering to conduct two surveys on properties to assess whether energy savings can be made.

From this survey you can get free stuff

This includes the Electricity Monitoring device, which retails at the price of £25. But for you, it will be free.

But Wait, There's More

Our council tax will also be used to supply "chimney balloons", "tap implants", "reflecting radiator panels" and much more.

And if that wasn't enough of a waste of our money, they will also have a sales team knocking on doors in the local community to book surveys, and, wait for it,the residents know what free stuff they are entitled to.

In addition to the free stuff, residents will also be able to find out about government subsidised cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and much more.

Don't forget the free stuff!

A Little Less Sarcastic Conclusion

The bare bones of the matter are the council tax is being wasted on yet another ludicrous project by Ashford Future's evasive and illogical partnership.

£450,000 is just the cost of the "free stuff". How much more did the project team, surveyors and consultants cost?

And this is only the pilot study. How much will it cost when it is rolled out across all wards in 2011?

Not to mention the fact that the majority of homeowners are entitled to subsidised energy-saving initiatives without such a gratuitous waste of money.

However, I know from talking to residents, that often the "subsidised part" is the small change. The "approved" companies charge consumers through the nose for the rest, and the government will only subsidise if you have the full amount done.

There are not many pensioners who could afford to pay £3000 to get £1000 of subsidiaries to have their radiators replaced.

I think that's the public services deficit for Mr Brown and Mr Darling to locate.

Failings in Future Planning

There is a significant strategic issue here too.

If companies were filling our town with Lego-brick-houses that cost too much and cost even more ecologically, we wouldn't have to have this retrospective funding in the first place.

The level of development in Ashford is one of the highest in the country, and, despite knowing about Climate change, no one is ensuring that this development consists of sustainable materials and with a low carbon footprint.

If the funding for this ludicrous project has to be allocated to ecology, then this is where it should be spent.

And if funding is allocated to ecology then it should be put towards our atrocious potholes!