Perspective: The Iron Angle: Have You Heard the One about the Noticeboard and the Bin?; Local Government under Scrutiny with a Slant

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Byline: Paul Dale

An

amusing tale from the 'you couldn't make it up' school of local government.

Residents in Northfield wanted to use some of their Neighbourhood Renewal Fund money to pay for a noticeboard and rubbish bin.

So they asked Birmingham City Council for an estimate, assuming that a reasonable-sized board and smallish bin might set them back, say, pounds 500.

Oh, dear, oh, dear, you can't get the council workforce to step out of the depot for pounds 500. The actual cost of installing a noticeboard and bin was a staggering pounds 5,240.

On enquiring further, the good folk of Northfield were amazed to discover from the …