Citizen's Advice Bureau - Cuts and Protests

Bath and North-East Somerset Council are planning to cut the budget of the local Citizen's Advice Bureau by 55%. Many people rely on the services our local CAB provides, and we can't let the council cut the funding.

If you haven't already used the CAB, it's very possible that you or someone you know will need to at some point in their lives. These are some of the reasons why people have needed to use the Bath CAB in the past:

• Help! I've been diagnosed with a serious illness and I can't work any more - what am I entitled to?
• Help! I've got rent arrears and I've lost my job. What can I do?
• Help! My employer sacked me while I was pregnant - can they do this?
• Help! My landlord threatened to evict my family because I complained that the roof is leaking

The CAB is often the only thing that stands between a lot of people and families becoming "vulnerable and greatest in need".

So what can you do? Three actions have been planned to attempt to get the council to change their minds - if you can help with one or more of these then it will go a long way to helping the campaign.

1. A petition has been set up on the 38 Degrees website. Sign it and share it everywhere: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-cab-in-banes 
2. A demo will be taking place on the steps of the Guildhall at 1pm on Tuesday 5th November. If you can make it, please come along and show that you care, and tell your family and friends.
3. Local resident Lin Patterson has managed to get 3 mins to speak about the CAB at the full council meeting on Thursday 14th November. There will be a demonstration at 6pm outside the Guildhall, just prior to her slot. Please come along and support her!

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September Date for Public Toilet Council Debate

Following the occupation of Twerton Public Toilets and a lot of petition signatures, here is an update from the Save Our Public Toilets campaign:

Following the hand-in of the 2400 odd signature petition  on Friday 9th, the B&NES Democratic Services are counting the number of B&NES post codes to ensure there are 1000 to trigger a council debate.  

 

Assuming that a full council debate will be triggered, possibly on Thursday Sept 12th, we are researching other aspects, legal and financial, to raise with various councillors and to include in a statement to that meeting.  The meeting starts at the unusually late time of 7:30pm, preceded by another full council meeting to do with approving aldermen, which starts at 6:30pm. 

 

Unfortunately, John Bull, leader of the Labour group in the council, whose support would be necessary to reverse any entrenched policy, (along with the Independent "group"), is saying, "The Labour Group will be discussing it (prior to the Council debate in September).  But, in the light of our difficulty in suggesting where else the axe should fall, I think that a paying system is maybe worth looking at, certainly for Larkhall."  

 

So far the Independents, led by Bryan Chalker, are of the same mind, and although we are awaiting further communication, nothing in their previous ones engenders hope of change.  Which is why it is necessary to pursue other lines of research.

 

Another organisation, Bath Against the Cuts, is holding a demonstration between 5 - 5:30pm on Sept 12th outside the Guildhall, and is planning to make a registered statement to the council, as we will for the Save Our Public Toilets campaign.

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